Helm Named a Marshall Scholar

May 2022 graduate Myya Helm has been named a Marshall Scholar . At Eberly, she earned a double major in political science and international studies with a minor in Arabic studies. This fall, she will start a two-year Master of Philosophy program at Cardiff University to study history with a focus on the Welsh history of Black working class coal miners.

The Marshall Scholarship is a prestigious award that gives high achieving young Americans the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in the United Kingdom by providing full funding for two years. Helm was one of 41 students selected for the award this year, from a pool of more than 1,000 applications from top undergraduate students throughout the United States.

Loretta Named WVU Newman Civic Fellow

Eberly student Giana Loretta, a junior triple-major in political science, philosophy and communication studies, has been named WVU’s next Newman Civic Fellow. She plans to use her fellowship to produce a comprehensive policy analysis around the issue of school choice and to advocate for education policy change. Giana Loretta

Below is a personal statement from Loretta that was featured on Campus Compact:

“Knowing that many educational disparities plague West Virginia, my home, expanding academic accessibility has become the heart of my collegiate academic pursuits and all of my leadership and service endeavors. Growing up here, I saw how the maldistribution of opportunity exacerbated the gap in achievement between students of higher and lower socioeconomic statuses. Now, as WV is fostering the growth of school choice by developing charter schools and extensive voucher programs, I want to ensure that these policies promote equity, accessibility, and achievement for all students— not widen the achievement gap further. Thus, I will produce a comprehensive policy analysis and an empirical cost-benefit evaluation of alternatives to understand the overall impact of WV’s school choice policies on educational outcomes. Through publication and formal presentations, I intend to provide local policymakers with potential remedies to inequities. Additionally, I will identify schools during my research that especially lack academic opportunities and address their deficiencies directly through my role as President of Mountaineer Mentors: a WVU student organization that improves professional development in WV high schools through mentorship and informational presentations. Therefore, I aspire to protect already disadvantaged children from being further excluded from educational opportunities while also encouraging academic advancement.”

- Giana Loretta