On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, I boarded a plane in Clarksburg, WV, with about 120 or so other proud WVU alumni and fans. We began our journey to Miami, leaving behind 19 degree temps.

The atmosphere was typical of West Virginia University fans. It was a sea of Gold & Blue on the plane—the roar of “Let’s Go Mountaineers” already picking up. Some had traveled from Greenbrier and Mercer counties, while others drove from Charleston and nearby Morgantown to be a part of the Orange Bowl festivities. Little did we know what was in store for us.

We arrived in nearby Ft. Lauderdale to warmer, yet cooler, temperatures and a beautiful blue sky. Hopping on the charter buses we soon found our way to Sun Life Stadium. At first, it appeared only Clemson was playing in this game. Orange and purple filled the parking lots. I caught up with one of the trustees from Clemson while we each waited for our phones to charge (something was telling me I was going to need the camera on my phone). We talked about the great traditions of each school, league changes, etc. We soon discovered our schools are fairly similar.

At about 7 p.m. I started making my way into the stadium and was delighted to see that there WERE plenty of Mountaineer fans at the game; they just happened to be on the other side of the stadium. I took my place in the lower level where we watched the football team warm up and you could tell this team was ready to play. The Pride gave a brief, but great performance, and thrilled the Mountaineer faithful who were now filling up our seats.

Sitting adjacent to us were Lou Holtz, Mark May and Rece Davis. We could almost reach out and touch them. While we didn’t :), our fans certainly made their presence known—chanting “Let’s Goooo Mountaineers!” It was great.

After a beautiful singing performance by a young lady from Miami, members of the Air Force Wings of Blue parachuted into the stadium, one proudly carrying the WVU flag. And yes, that got fans fired up!

The first quarter looked to be a shootout as each team scored back and forth. But, by the end of the second quarter, Clemson fans sat in shock, eerily reminiscent of the 2006 Sugar Bowl. Yes, Brad Nessler there is a West Virginia (a state, not a city) and they were here to play.

WVU looked like a well-oiled machine. They played as solidly and as well as any team in college football. When Darwin Cook picked up that fumble and ran it back for a TD, Mountaineer fans erupted. And, then in one of my favorite moments of the night, took down Obie in celebration. We’re glad she wasn’t hurt, and so was Darwin, but it was truly a GREAT moment.

From that point on our team rolled. It was over. Austin, G. Smith, Alston, E. Smith, and B-R-U-U-U-C-C-E-E stole the show. By mid-way through third quarter the only orange remaining was the orange stadium seats. WVU set countless records and in the process, as John Antonik wrote, joined some elite company. No one could have predicted a 70-33 win and I guarantee, no one will ever forget it.

Our charter group happily sang Take Me Home, Country Roads, congratulated the team during the trophy presentation and boarded the bus for our return flight at 2:30 a.m. While we were all tired, the electricity was still very much alive among our fans. We chatted and talked about the game—our favorite plays—all the while asking, “Can you believe it?” Yes, we can and we do.

As I sunk into bed at 5:45 a.m., I couldn’t help but flip on the DVR and watch it all over again. I’m proud to be a Mountaineer, “orange” you?

P.S. If you have photos to share, please be sure to e-mail us at alumni@mail.wvu.edu

Many WVU students preparing to enter the workforce will soon be asking “what did I do wrong”? Not long ago, a good GPA nearly guaranteed a recent grad an acceptable starter job. Unfortunately, today our soon-to-be fellow WVU alums are not experiencing the same good fortune. But, there may be something simple that you, as a fellow Mountaineer, can do to help.

It’s nearly impossible these days to open a newspaper, turn on the television, or tune in to the radio without finding a disheartening story about the difficulty that a soon-to-be college grad is encountering searching for meaningful career-related employment. The reporters blame it on everything from outsourcing of US jobs to alien abductions. While the most commonly referenced cause for the decline in new jobs (and the easiest one to believe) remains the current poor state of our economy. A painfully more common explanation (and one that is rarely discussed) is that many students on the verge of graduation are finding that they may not fully understand what employers are hoping to find in a strong resume in today’s competitive job market.

A mere decade ago, a student was “career ready” if he or she had performed well academically, received a quality education and was prepared to discuss his or her qualifications in a face-to-face interview. There is no argument that academic performance remains the most important component of career readiness. However, it has now become critical for a potential employee to demonstrate other non-academic activities and achievements that have better prepared them for a particular career opportunity. Skills and experiences outside the classroom such as leadership roles in student organizations, study abroad or fluency in a second language can be items on a resume that sets them apart from the other applicants and wins them the all important interview.

Of all the knowledge and skills that a student can amass from extracurricular activities, none is more important to developing a strong resume in the 21st century than presenting some degree of career-related experience. Touted under the auspicious heading of Experiential Learning (aka internships), a variety of programs exist that can be paid or unpaid, not-for or for-credit, or even some that may be full time or part time. Whether it is through a paid learning experience, a formal co-op program or simply volunteering in a career-related setting, nothing impresses a potential employer more than knowing that an applicant has some practical experience in their career field of choice.

So, as loyal WVU alumni, what can we do to help? It may be as simple as suggesting to your employer that they consider bringing a WVU student on for a paid or unpaid (preferably paid) summer experience. Or better yet, if you are self-employed or are in a position to hire/place a student worker within your company, consider the advantages of bringing a student to your operation.
Our WVU students and grads rank among the nation’s leaders for their work ethic and career readiness, and they are extremely bright, energetic and bring a certain passion and freshness to the workplace that is contagious. In light of our unstable economy, it is clear that we may not always be in a position to help our fellow Mountaineers by hiring them for full-time positions, but considering some form of experiential learning program just may be something you can do.

To learn more about how you can help our current students and new grads, contact us or e-mail careerservices@mail.wvu.edu!

David Durham
Director, WVU Career Services
david.durham@mai.wvu.edu
304-293-8220

Sarah Rotruck-Glenn
Asst. Director, WVU Career Services
sarah.glenn@mail.wvu.edu
304-293-8214

On behalf of WVU alumni and friends, we want to thank all of the Mountaineers and fellow soldiers who have proudly served our country. If you served in the military or would just like to thank our brave men and women, we would love to hear from you!

WVU welcomed students back to campus earlier this year, including nearly 5,000 freshmen. For many of us this time of year brings back memories of our journey to WVU. A couple of weeks ago, we asked alumni and friends on our Facebook page to tell us what they wish the knew then, what they know now and what words of wisdom would they share with our newest Mountaineers.

We received some wonderful responses, including advice from WVU alumna Jessica Bailey who said, “Use your resources! Don’t waste time being afraid of visiting professors during office hours and taking advantage of all WVU has to offer (i.e. Career Services, Carruth Center, OIP, etc.).” Graduate Margaret Larsen offered these words of advice, “Those will be some of the best years of your life! You’ll meet some life long friends and start down the path to the rest of your life. Work hard now, it will pay off later. Don’t forget to take time to enjoy things though – try not to live life through emotions only.”

WVU alumni are truly special people, and your words of wisdom may offer some encouragement and sound advice for our future generation of Mountaineers. Whether you graduated thirty years ago or you are a current student, take a few minutes to share your best piece of advice.

Thank you for taking time to check out the new WVU Alumni Association Young Alumni website. On behalf of our more than 180,000 graduates worldwide, congratulations to the Class of 2011! We welcome you as the newest members of the alumni family!

Our young alums are vital to the ongoing success of the University, and so we wanted to try to provide you with a resource where you can keep up to date on happenings at WVU. It’s also a great way to stay in contact with WVU alumni across the country through networking, social events, and other avenues. I hope this is a great resource for you, and, as always, we appreciate any feedback, so feel free to contact us at youngalumni@mail.wvu.edu.

We want to use this space to talk about staying connected with your alma mater. I certainly understand how telling alumni to “stay connected” is very cliché and used by several other schools and colleges across the country. If you Google the words “stay connected” the eighth entry down is the Harvard Business School alumni page. So yes it’s over used, but clichés are usually overused because there is some truth in them.

When I left WVU and moved away it was kind of a letdown for me to realize I was no longer a college student. My undergraduate days in Morgantown were the best 4.5 years of my life! I know several of you share that sentiment and are wondering, now what?

Everyone has some connection they will miss the most, whether it’s your sorority or fraternity, Mountaineer Maniacs, or watching Woodburn light up in December. You had four years of great traditions and now it’s coming to an end. So how can you stay connected? The best way to stay in touch with your alma mater and stay involved is through local alumni chapters throughout the country. We have more than 100 active chapters/groups as close as Morgantown to as far away as Seattle or Malaysia. So no matter where you are moving, you will be able to find a familiar face. If you are moving somewhere that does not have an active chapter, I guarantee there are still WVU alums in the area looking to get together with other Mountaineers and maybe in the future you can start a new chapter!

I assure you if you are wearing your Flying WV around town, someone will stop you and say “Let’s go” waiting for you to say “Mountaineers” and you’ll have made a new friend for life. Or you might just meet your next boss! With such a competitive job market, resumes are all starting to look the same as far as education and experience. So it now helps to have that “X-Factor” to help you stand out. I can assure you that if a fellow WVU alum picks up your resume and you are qualified, they are much more likely to reach out to you first. And if you are active in your local chapter, you may have already met this person. WVU alum Holly Metz is a great example of this. Holly is a member of the National Capital Area Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association located in the Washington, D.C., area. She started her own company, Key Staffing Solutions, a permanent placement, career-oriented recruiting firm that specializes in matching qualified people with rewarding career opportunities. Holly loves using her position to help alumni find careers. This is just one example of thousands of great alums we have throughout the country that are willing to help you, if you are willing to let them!

And, you can continue to take advantage of great resources like the WVU Alumni LinkedIn group and MountaineerTRAK. Please continue to read our blog – we hope to include some guest bloggers on topics/information that matter in the world of a young alumni. And if you have any topics you would like to see us discuss please feel free to let us know. Also feel free to use the comments section below or join us on Facebook to have open discussions with other young alums across the country. The idea of this group is to help WVU’s younger alums feel connected and stay connected, so we need all of you to help make this successful!

Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Casey Quinlan

As part of our Mountaineer Leadership Academy, we were asked to provide our “nuggets of wisdom” (NOW) that we have collected along the way during our personal and professional careers. In reviewing the pieces of advice from friends, leaders and others, I started thinking about our more than 4,000 graduates who will receive their diplomas this weekend. Wouldn’t it be great if our alumni could have the opportunity to share their nuggets with the newest members of our alumni family?

All of us have had unique experiences. Do you have some career advice? Maybe you had a wonderful experience after graduation that you want to share with a young alum. Or maybe you can offer some of the “things I wish I knew then that I know now.”

Our alumni are valuable resources to our young graduates as they prepare for this next leg of their journey. I hope you’ll take a moment to share your “NOW.” I’ll start:

Don’t wake up tomorrow saying ‘what if.” Life is all about taking chances. Some things will work out, others won’t. BUT, you will never know unless you try.

Forever a Mountaineer,
Tara

For many alumni and fans of West Virginia University, decades were spent listening to basketball and football games via the “Voice of the Mountaineers” Jack Fleming.

His legacy lives on at The Erickson Alumni Center. Fleming Corner, a special area in our alumni home, includes memorabilia, walls decorated with some of Jack’s best play-by-play notes, and a special bronze statue created by WVU alumnus Jamie Lester.

“What a wonderful way to honor Jack Fleming and the entire Fleming family,” said Stephen Douglas, president and CEO, WVU Alumni Association. “Jack was such a huge part of Mountaineer sports for decades. Many of us grew up listening to his vivid play-by-play and I can think of no better way to honor him than with this special area, one very fitting for a man who loved WVU sports, as it is the area in our center that is closest to the football stadium.”

Jack served as WVU’s radio play-by-play announcer in football and basketball from 1947-59, 1962-69 and 1974-96. He became a legend to generations of listeners for his enthusiasm for the Mountaineers. He was the broadcaster for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls during his distinguished career and was a broadcaster four Super Bowls and the NBA All-Star Game. His most famous call was Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” in 1972. Jack was named the West Virginia Sportscaster of the Year seven times, he received the 1996 Gene Morehouse Award from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association and in 1999, and he received the Chris Schenkel Award from the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1995, Jack was inducted into WVU’s Order of Vandalia for outstanding service to the state and University. A U.S. Air Force navigator during WWII, he flew 23 combat missions and began his radio career while recuperating at Ashford Military Hospital (now The Greenbrier). A native of Morgantown, Jack passed away in 2001.

The room, a gift from Jack’s late brother, John Fleming, his wife Anita, son Jonathan and [WV Radio Corporation], is located in the loggia area of the Ruby Grand Hall and was dedicated on April 29.

If you have a special memory of Jack Fleming, please take a minute to share it with us and other Mountaineers. And, when you’re in town for a game or a visit, please stop by to see this wonderful display.

The Graduates Emeritus of the WVU Alumni Association have embarked upon a “Heritage Project” to preserve, in modern media format, the captivating history of West Virginia University. It is our goal to prepare an informative and entertaining story of WVU for a preview at the May 2011 Emeritus Weekend (May 6-7).

In order to preserve our remarkable heritage, we invite all of our alumni and former students to share pictures, “tales” and recollections of the past, so that our product might reflect West Virginia as all of us have come to know and love it. WVU has been a host to so many extraordinary people and events, and we want to capture the impact they have made on the life of the University. We also want to know how WVU has influenced your lives as well.

The “Heritage Project” will trace the growth and showcase the traditions of WVU with examples of how it has evolved and progressed throughout its 143-year history. These examples can include personal anecdotes, stories, photographs, tales, letters, and lore—your part of the University’s history which will be remembered and shared for years to come with our Mountaineer family.

We have created this blog to serve as a center for the collection of material that may be used for the “Heritage Project,” and we encourage you to post your memories and experiences so that others may enjoy them too. You may also e-mail us your photos and stories at emeritus@mail.wvu.edu or mail any submissions to the WVU Alumni Association, Attn: Heritage Project, P.O. Box 4269, Morgantown, WV 26504-4269.

This is a great opportunity to commemorate the wonderful history of our great University. We look forward hearing your stories, viewing your photos and showcasing the proud heritage of our alma mater.

WVU holds many special memories for our alumni and friends. But perhaps some of the most memorable stories come from those who met that special someone while on campus. There are so many amazing stories of alumni and friends who fell in love at WVU.

There is the great story of Jimmy and Katie McCartney. Jimmy was student body president and remembers seeing this “cute” little blonde in line at E. Moore Hall. He knew he had to meet her, and now, more than 65 years later, the two have made a wonderful life together.

Here at the Alumni Association, the WVU love line also runs strong. For the Berrys, marrying in the WVU family must be a requirement. Dr. Bruce Berry married his future wife, Pat, while attending medical school here at WVU. Their children, Kevin (Associate Director of the Alumni Association) and Heather, both met and married fellow Mountaineers Katie Starnes Berry and Matt Bahneman, respectively.

So whether you are newly weds or a couple who has been together more than 50 years, we want to hear your story. Please take a few moments to share your story of meeting that special someone at WVU. And, if you have some great photos, please send them to us (tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu), we would love to see them!

We may share these stories in upcoming Web and print publications. Thank you for taking the time to tell us your story.

Do your New Year’s resolutions include finding a new job or coming back home to West Virginia? Do you want to make a difference by protecting our country and its citizens? If so, 2010 might just be your year.

North Central West Virginia (NCWV) has been called the world’s biometrics capital. Its biometrics and identity management economic sector is anchored by West Virginia University’s strong biometrics program, the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division (the nation’s biometrics repository), Department of Defense Biometrics Task Force, National Biometric Security Project/Biometric Services International, Lockheed Martin Biometric Experimentation and Advanced Concepts Center, CSC’s Identity Labs, and Northrop Grumman National Workforce Center, and is supported by several dozen private sector companies.

Unlike many parts of the country, the “Help Wanted” sign is out in North Central West Virginia for potential employees in the biometrics/identity management field. Near record growth in federal programs is spurring a hiring spree for both private sector and government employees. Particularly in demand are those with knowledge, skills, and abilities in engineering, computer science, biometrics, and program/contract management support (security clearance may be required for some positions).

The West Virginia Biometrics Initiative, an economic development project of the I-79 Development Council, has made finding these jobs easy by maintaining links on its Web site to employment pages of companies who are hiring people for jobs in North Central West Virginia in the biometrics sector.

To see if there is a new job for you, visit http://www.wvbiometrics.org/links/west-virginia-companies-employment-pages/ to find out about employment opportunities.