The latest news from the Smith OEDC
West Virginia University and Ascend WV — the nation’s premier talent attraction and retention program supported by the WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative — have joined forces to support the fight against the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.
Eliza Siefert, a 2022 WVU graduate and Parkersburg native, loved West Virginia. However, like many West Virginians, Eliza had every intention of leaving her beloved home state to pursue her career after college; and it wasn’t until she began working on her bachelor’s degree in environmental biology at WVU that she changed her mind.
Three Marshall University graduates recently joined the First Ascent West Virginia program. First Ascent, a joint initiative between Marshall University and West Virginia University, is open to recent graduates interested in pursuing hybrid or remote work while staying close to home.
Ajia Toth, a recent graduate of Marshall University, is one of the many success stories of the new First Ascent program. Designed to help young professionals transition seamlessly from college to their careers, First Ascent serves as a launch pad for graduates entering the workforce.
An exemplary group of motivated and ambitious recent West Virginia University graduates who have demonstrated leadership, commitment to community engagement and a deep love for West Virginia, are poised to join the First Ascent program’s inaugural cohort.
West Virginia has always been a state known for its rugged beauty, rich history, and resilient people. However, the state faces a pressing challenge: retaining its young talent. Many graduates leave to pursue opportunities elsewhere, contributing to the state’s population decline. In response to this, West Virginia University (WVU) President Gordan Gee and Marshall University President Brad D. Smith launched First Ascent, a new initiative designed to help recent graduates build successful careers within the state while staying close to the communities they know and love.
Teachers Ascend into West Virginia, a first-of-its-kind national program based at West Virginia University and designed to attract teachers to the Mountain State, is now accepting applications. WVU, the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative and the West Virginia Department of Education invite new and seasoned K-12 educators with a spirit of adventure to apply.
For almost 20 years now, Adventure WV has been an important part of the student experience at West Virginia University, introducing thousands of students to the Mountain State’s outdoor opportunities while helping them make friends and learn new skills.
First Ascent, a program designed to cultivate and retain local talent within West Virginia by supporting new graduates from West Virginia University and Marshall University, is seeing success one year after its launch.