October 21, 2024

Two Wheeling University Students Thank Donors at WVICU Luncheon

WHEELING, W.Va., October 21 – Two Wheeling University students had the opportunity to meet and thank scholarship sponsors during the West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities (WVICU) annual donor appreciation luncheon in Charleston.

Elijah Edwards of Beckley and Gabriel Garrison of Moundsville joined Wheeling University President Dr. Dianna Vargo and Dylan Nowakowski, director of Financial Aid at the event hosted by the WVICU. The two students had the opportunity to tell those gathered how the scholarships they received have helped them in their pursuit of a college education.

Both students said it was an honor to represent the University at the luncheon.

Garrison, a sophomore English major, had the chance to meet the representative of the Maier Foundation, whose scholarship he received. He added that he was able to thank Chelsea Kinzinger of the Maier Foundation and express his gratitude for this gift personally. 

“Attending this event showed me that there are real people out there who genuinely care about educating our youth. Scholarships can feel a little surreal in that there’s some mysterious entity just handing you money, and you don’t normally get to know them. Meeting some of the people behind the scholarships was really interesting,” Garrison said.

Edwards agreed, “It was nice to meet the donors who make the many scholarships possible. This luncheon gave me the opportunity to thank them for providing students like me the chance to earn a college degree at Wheeling University.” Edwards, a junior Business major, was the recipient of a scholarship from the W.E. Stone Foundation.

This semester, eight Wheeling University students received support from WVICU Circle of Vision Scholarship Program. In total, Wheeling students received $42,800 in aid, said Nowakowski. 

“Generous support from the WVICU allows Wheeling University to provide our students additional financial resources. The University receives about $80,000 in scholarship aid each year, which we award to our students,” Nowakowski said. “This luncheon gave all of us the chance to meet and thank the people who make an impact in the lives of our students.”

The WVICU’s mission is to advance the interests of the six member institutions and its students. The group serves about 6,000 students annually, which includes more than 2,100 students from the state and nearly 1,800 first-generation college students. 

“Wheeling University is grateful to the WVICU and its many foundations who provide scholarship support to students at independent colleges and universities across West Virginia,” said Dr. Vargo. “The scholarships they provide benefit deserving students in their quest to attend a private college and earn a degree.”

Wheeling University is one of six private colleges and universities in West Virginia who are represented in the WVICU. The remaining institutions include Appalachian Bible College, Bethany College, Davis and Elkins College, the University of Charleston and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Photo caption: Two Wheeling University students had the opportunity to attend the West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities Donor Appreciation Luncheon this month. From left are Gabriel Garrison, a student from Moundsville, Chelsea Kinzinger of the Maier Foundation, Elijah Edwards, a student from Beckley and Dylan Nowakowski, director of Financial Aid.