Looking Ahead: The Next 25 Years
As the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences reflects on the past and looks ahead to the future, our students and recent alumni share where they think the Eberly College is heading, how the Eberly College has prepared them for the future and what they hope never changes.
“What I hope never changes about WVU is the idea and feeling that West Virginia is
home. All of the people from all walks of life find a home in this state, and even
after they leave, they never forget those country roads.”
– Morgan Stemler, Eberly Scholar, Chinese and International Studies, Class of
2018
“Life will pass you by if you let it. You really have to seize opportunities. You
can be good, or you can choose to try to wake up every day and do something extra,
some kind of change you want to see. You have to plan for that and create internal
drives for yourself. Finding what motivates me is something I’ve learned and developed
during my time here.
– Jordan Nistendirk, History and Political Science, Junior
“I hope the attitude of the teachers and students never changes. WVU provides a welcoming
environment of unique well-rounded individuals.”
– Jessica Arvon, Eberly Scholar, Biochemistry, Class of 2018
“In the next 25 years, I think that the Eberly College and the liberal arts and sciences
in general will grow as people come to see that a liberal arts education teaches
all kinds of different skills that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get.”
– McKenna Williamson, History, Class of 2018
“I hope WVU and the Eberly College continue to offer students a wide variety of opportunities
and activities to enhance their professional development and achieve success in
their academics and beyond.”
– Karen Laska, Eberly Scholar, French and International Studies, Class of 2018
“I hope WVU never loses the chip on its shoulder. It gives us a unique work ethic,
and there’s an atmosphere on campus that we have something to prove. I’m not saying
it’s wrong, either. There’s a lot about WVU and the Eberly College that is different
from most schools. Whether those differences come by choice or are forced by circumstance,
we always demonstrate our unique brand of grit. We face our challenges directly
and constantly pursue greater goals.”
– David Buch, Eberly Scholar, Mathematics and Physics, Class of 2018
“I’ve learned how to teach and how to communicate with others. Explaining what I
know to someone else not working in my field. Many physicists I know understand
the concepts, but don’t know how to explain them or communicate with someone from
outside the discipline. I have been trained for that.”
–Sobhit Singh, PhD Candidate, Physics
“One thing I appreciate about my liberal arts and sciences degree is that it allows
me the opportunity to be well-rounded. I’m someone with quite a number of eclectic
interests. While I love sciences and I love biology, I also love languages and
the humanities. Being able to pursue all of those things while obtaining my degree
has allowed me to grow as a person in multiple respects. The Eberly College already
is and continues to become a fantastic place to do research. In the next 25 years,
I really see the Eberly College and WVU as a whole becoming even more of a blooming
research institution. I’m excited to see what comes out of the College in the future.”
–Zoe Dobler, Biology, Class of 2018
“I’ve learned how to listen, how to take in other perspectives and how to solidify
our own. I had an epiphany early on in my college career: We can argue all we want,
but at the end of the day, it’s all about listening. That’s the most important
interpersonal skill I’ve learned at WVU.”
– Garrett Burgess, Eberly Scholar, Political Science and Russian, Class of 2018
“I hope WVU will always be a community that welcomes people into the Mountaineer
family from all over the world.”
–Jordan Miller, Eberly Scholar, English, Class of 2018
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