Oak Hill, WV (WOAY) – High school juniors in Fayette County gained direct insights into college life Monday at a special event hosted by Leadership Fayette County at the New River Convention Center. The session featured presidents from Concord University, Bluefield University, WVU Tech, and New River Community and Technical College answering student questions about applications, scholarships, campus life, and succeeding in higher education.
The program selects students from local high schools to develop leadership, networking, and community-building skills, with an emphasis on giving back to West Virginia.
Leadership Fayette County Alum Jordan Harris, now a bio pre-med student at West Virginia University, explained the program’s impact:
“It’s a program that teaches kids about leadership and how to network,” said Harris. “To really just educate ourselves how to be good leaders and bring that information back to our state whenever we are grown-ups and how we can really better our state.”
Harris said it helped her overcome doubts about transitioning to a big university.
“I was nervous. I wouldn’t stand out because Appalachia isn’t known for our education system,” she said. “But leadership taught me that you’re supposed to be proud of where you came from.”
Fellow alum Addison Salvatore, pursuing biology pre-med with plans for dental school, stressed the value of communication skills she gained.
“We have to listen before we lead,” said Salvatore. “A lot of problems happen from misunderstandings. So if we just kind of just release all the bias that we have, we can understand those perspectives.”
For more information or to support Leadership Fayette County, visit leadershipfayettecounty.com
