If it is wrong, say so. Founded on the Social Principles and Social Creed of the Methodist tradition, West Virginia Wesleyan alumni are walking the walk.
Several times over the past several weeks, I have come across an alumnus out there doing just what they have learned. From the Save the Crew movement in Columbus, OH to immigration issues, to economic justice, to advocating for ecological responsibility, they are out there. Each time, I can’t help but think that they are doing just what we have taught them is important. Our Mission Statement says that:
West Virginia Wesleyan College prepares its students through its curriculum of arts and sciences, preprofessional, professional, and graduate studies, and its rich campus life program. As a residential institution of higher education, the College aspires to graduate broadly educated men and women who:
- Think critically and creatively,
- Communicate effectively,
- Act responsibly, and
- Demonstrate their local and world citizenship through service.
For example, Bishop Tom Bickerton, Class of 1980, is the Bishop of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. His recent statement in response to offensive remarks by public officials and the unfairness of their policies is full of grace, hope, and justice. It calls for all of us to do our part to restore dignity and justice.
Or Wilson Harvey, Class of 2017 speaking of the current situation in West Virginia where public employees are not being given the respect or the benefits that they deserve. Wilson writes,
“It would be a serious moral and political miscalculation to issue legal injunctions to try and end the strike. I think that politicians seem to severely underestimate the bipartisan support that teachers appear to have from the electorate. There are some against the strike, but at least anecdotally it would appear that voters have teachers backs. Trust me, the state’s teachers wouldn’t be on strike for the first time since 1990 if there wasn’t a really good reason.” Wilson is a secondary teacher in Lewis County, West Virginia.
And 2003 graduate Adena Barnette’s advocacy and leadership. She is a teacher in Jackson County, West Virginia who has gone over and above in her care for her students, her continued lifelong learning, and her advocacy in this current situation. She spoke before the PEIA Board. They turned a deaf ear. She then gave that same message in a different form, publishing it in the Charleston Gazette.
These three (and many thousands of WVWC Alumni all over the world) have learned at the feet of such people as John Warner, Arthur Holmes, Tamara Bailey, Melissa Buice, Rob and Lynn Rupp, Shirley Fortney, and many others through the years too numerous to list here. They embody the very mission of the college:
- Think critically and creatively,
- Communicate effectively,
- Act responsibly, and
- Demonstrate their local and world citizenship through service.
They are walking the walk and making us proud.
To read more about the people and events that have made West Virginia Wesleyan College great, check out https://DreamersAndGiants.com