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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 8, 2017

For More Information
����ֱ�� State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115

GLENVILLE, WV-Forty ����ֱ�� State College students recently received their associate degree at the College’s first Milestone Ceremony. While ����ֱ�� State College currently marks the beginning of a student’s college experience with Fall Convocation, little has been done to celebrate student accomplishments prior to commencement. “The ‘Milestone Initiative’ is meant to signify important academic events in the life cycle of a student, particularly students that initially intend to complete a baccalaureate degree,” stated Dr. Gary Morris, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs. Morris further added that creating and encouraging the completion of milestones such as the associate degree has the potential to encourage students to continue on and provides a tangible credential if they opt not to or cannot complete a baccalaureate degree or their next milestone.

“Based on the number of students that transfer or discontinue their studies prior to completing a baccalaureate degree (more than 50% locally and nationally), it makes sense to award students the highest degree or credential possible for which they are eligible,” said ����ֱ�� State President Dr. Tracy Pellett. He also asserted that research by the Lumina Foundation supports this stance by reporting that students who earn an associate degree are 30 percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. “I am very heartened by this positive academic initiative to reward and reinforce positive degree progression and student success. Our faculty and staff are committed to seeing students achieve their educational goals and this initiative is a symbolic and tangible way to recognize progress towards that accomplishment,” Pellett added.

The students who received an associate degree through the first Milestone Ceremony included: Mariah Beam from Weston, WV, Jessica Bird from Summersville, WV, Julie Bishop from ����ֱ��, WV, Ally Brown from Madison, WV, Angeles Burgess from ����ֱ��, WV, Lauren Chancey from Red House, WV, Sara Coombs from Cedarville, WV, Hannah Curfman from Weston, WV, Bryan Foster from Gassaway, WV, Madison Frame from Birch River, WV, Travis Gibson from Oceana, WV, Ashley Hamilton from Summersville, WV, Matthew Herrald from Weston, WV, Chelsea Hicks from Big Bend, WV, Jaylin Johnson from ����ֱ��, WV, Autumn Jones from Brohard, WV, Taylor Keenan from Gilboa, WV, Donell Lockett from Washington, DC, Cameron Loftus from Uneeda, WV, Paxton Maher from Buckhannon, WV, Ryan Mizia from Salem, WV, Matthew Montgomery from Linn, WV, Cody Moore from ����ֱ��, WV, Mark Moran from Weston, WV, Angela Myers from Parsons, WV, Kelsey Norris from Fayetteville, WV, Kayla Palmer from Montrose, WV, Kaitlyn Peyatt from Summersville, WV, Kylee Radabaugh from Mineral Wells, WV, Wiley Raines from Parsons, WV, Megan Ruppert from Salem, WV, Marcus Schofield from Mullens, WV, Stewart Sink from Normantown, WV, Mackenzie Smith from Sylvester, WV, Wesley Stauffer from Orrville, OH, Sebastian Swartz from Burnsville, WV, Miranda Taylor from Sistersville, WV, Kelsie Tonkin from Sutton, WV, Kahla Von Bergen from Sterling, OH, and Maren Wentzel from Weston, WV. Some of the students who attended the ceremony are pictured below with Pellett.

According to the 2013 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with an associate degree earn, on average, $126 more per week than a worker with a high school diploma and $50 more per week than a worker with some college credit but no degree. This initiative is supportive of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Master Plan – Leading the Way.

For more information about the Milestone Ceremony, contact ����ֱ�� State College’s Office of Academic Affairs at Academic.Affairs@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6110.

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