WHEELING – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Saturday helped Wheeling University celebrate the graduation of nearly 100 students who have continued to study at the university despite the economic uncertainty and COVID-19 pandemic. rice field.
Justice – accompanied by his first dog, Babydog – was the keynote speaker at Wheeling University’s 65th Commencement Ceremony at McDonough Hall on Saturday. According to Principal Ginny Favede, the school has graduated 97 of her students.
The former Wheeling Jesuit College was subject to interim financial oversight by the West Virginia Commission of Higher Education in 2014. HLC placed the school on probation following a 2020 site visit.school
Both Justice and Favede say most of the students who graduated Saturday were freshmen at the time of their probation but remained in college for the rest of their college education.
In late February, the Higher Education Commission lifted sanctions against Wheeling University and reaffirmed the university’s accreditation.
“It’s been very rewarding for me,” Justice said before graduation.
“We’ve come to the dangerous point of losing this school that is so valuable to the region[and]so valuable to this entire great state.”
Justice said he came to Wheeling University and told officials he would “stand firm with the school.”
“Then I said, ‘This school is not going to close on my watch,'” he continued. .
Justice was also awarded an honorary doctorate in humanitarian literature by Wheeling University on Saturday.
He said he took online classes through his former Wheeling Jesuit College years ago when he was seeking additional college credits in his education to complement his basketball coaching efforts.
Justice holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Marshall University.
Masayoshi emphasized in his speech to the graduates on Saturday that the intention was to convey information about life, saying that “life is not a race, but a maze that determines your next course of action.”
“There are always tests, but what are you going to do? Lay down? When you lie down, life doesn’t do much. That’s it,” he continued.
Favede was selected for his current job in late 2019 amid financial difficulties at the school. She said she is presiding over her fifth commencement ceremony as president of Wheeling University.
“I cried all morning,” she said. “In this day and age where we routinely witness what happens in the news, it is a great blessing for me to be a part of these children’s lives.
“They’re really good kids. They’ve worked hard. They’ve remained dedicated while the college went through financial crises, probation, and a global pandemic. are always united, together and very kind.To see them leave this university as good people with college degrees shows that we still have the ability to produce wonderful children. I have great hopes for the future.”