West Virginia University at Parkersburg AlumniKeith Burdette: From WVU Parkersburg to Secretary of Commerce Secretary of the West Virginia Depart-ment of Commerce Keith Burdette began his higher education at West Virginia Uni-versity Parkersburg. He started at the col-lege in 1973 after graduating from Parkers-burg South. Burdettewasinfluencedinmanywaysduring his time at WVU Parkersburg. His greatest memories of his time on campus are of the faculty. He felt that they were very accessible and patient, especially with him while at the same time giving him guid-ance for the future. “All of my instructors hadsomeinfluenceinmylife.” He especially remembers Bernie Al-len, his history professor, and Ronnie At-kinson. Professor Atkinson challenged him torunforofficehisfirsttimeafterBurdetteclaimed,“Icandothatinmysleep!” Thoughhedidnotwinhisfirstelection,it was only by one percent that he lost. Two years later he became the youngest member in history elected to the West Virginia State Legislature. Burdette began a long political career leading him to become a great advo-cate for not only the state of West Virginia,

but the greater Parkersburg area as well. As an advocate for the state, Burdette does not accept the attitude that many have that West Virginia is second to anyone. He believes in the culture of the state and feels pride in calling himself a West Virginian. “We have a culture of family here. We are a less transient state and we are more bound to our homes and our communities. On top of that, I think we have one of the most spectacular pieces of landscape on God’s greenearth.” Many years after his time as a student at WVU Parkersburg, Burdette served the college in a very different way. He was elected to the WVU Parkersburg Board of Governors and served on the Board for sev-eral years. He truly appreciated the time he spent in the position until his career forced him to give it up. “It was the only board appointment that I hated to give up. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I have only fondmemoriesofmytimeontheboard.” Burdette lives in Parkersburg with his wife Pat who is the CFO of Sistersville Gen-eral Hospital. “I commute an hour south

and she commutes an hour north and at the endofthedaywemeetinthemiddle.”

In Search of ... Alumni

If you, or anyone that you may know, is an alumnus of WVU Parkersburg, We would like to hear from you!

We are working to improve our communications of college progress, upcoming events and foundation opportunities. Whether you have taken one class, or are a graduate, our goal is to build better communications.

Email or call us with your contact information 304.424.8340 or foundation@wvup.edu

Marcela Bowersock: From Bogota, Colombia to WVU Parkersburg For Marcela Bowersock, the journey leading to West Virginia University at Park-ersburg was a long one, but she is happy with where it led. A native of Bogota Colombia, Marcela firstcametotheUnitedStatesasaforeignexchange student when she was 17. She lived with a family in Belpre, Oh. whom she still has a strong relationship with to-day. Marcela gained more than a second family during her time in the states, though. She learned a second language and she gained much responsibility. Having to manage her own time and money at such a young age, and so far from home, gave her a great sense of responsibility. After her year in the area, Marcela went back to Colombia where she studied law at Universidad de la Sabana for three years. She was back in the area visiting friends when she met her future husband. In 2001, she was married and a year later had her firstdaughter.Fromthetimethatshecameback to the states, Marcela worked at vari-ous locations in the Mid-Ohio Valley, but

after the birth of her second daughter, she decided to go back to school. She enrolled at WVU Parkersburg and began taking business courses. She applied for a position with the U.S. Department of Labor through the Student Career Experi-ence program (SCEP) and was hired in April 2010 to work in the Black Lung Of-fice.Shehasworkedtherefulltimesincethen as well as being a full-time student. “I like working there. It is a long process but if they have the disease, they will get com-pensated, and I like helping the coal min-ers.” Marcela enjoyed taking classes at WVU Parkersburg, especially those that she was able to take at the college. Many of her classes she had to take online due to time restrictions with work. In taking on-line classes she missed the interaction with the faculty and other students. “The faculty is good. The school experience is good. I have never had a teacher I did not like, ev-eryoneissofriendlyandhelpfulhere,”shesaid. In December 2011, Marcela graduated

with a Regents Bachelor of Arts. Her edu-cation emphasized on business.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg is working hard to connect with its alumni. Any student of the college, from completing one class to becoming a four-year grad, is an alumnus of WVU Parkersburg. The college wants to improve communications with as many of its alumni as possible, not only to build an alumni community, but to show them what the college can offer. With each passing semester, WVU Parkersburg is growing. With this growth comes such improvements as state of the art buildings, like the new applied technology center and child de-velopment center. WVU Parkersburg would like for its alumni community to know what these improvementsareandhowtheycanbenefittheiralumni. WVUParkersburgplanstoofferevenmorebenefitstoitsalumniinthefuture.Thesewillinclude more networking events and opportunities to connect with other alumni in the com-munity.However,manybenefitsarealreadyavailabletoalumni,andthecollegewantsthemtoknow what those are. Amajorbenefittoallalumni,aswellasstudents,isthecareerservicesofficeoncampus.Director of career and cooperative education services Sandy Swisher can assist alumni with their career goals in many ways. Her direct line is 304.424.8304 where she can be reached Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. In addition to her personal assistance, the career services website at http://www.wvup.edu/student_services/career_services.shtml also of-fers many career exploration tools. On the website, Swisher keeps an updated list of job opportunities available in the area. Webinars are also accessible on the website. These are free to alumni and cover a variety of information including creation of cover letters and e-portfolios, resumé writing and interview-ing tips. Swisher also has available to alumni a small career library with books on such topics as utilizing social media, marketing and career planning. Alumniwhoareconnectedwiththecollegealsobenefitbyreceivinginformationoneventsand happenings at the college. The college hosts many events of cultural and educational im-portance that are open to the public. From plays to entrepreneurial lectures, don’t miss all of the opportunities that being connected can offer. Please email contact information, including name, address and email address, to foundation@wvup.edu to get connected, and let us know your preference of communication. Also, be sure to follow the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation on facebook for direct access to events and information.

Attention Alumni! The Benefits of Being Connected Did You

Know?You can donate to the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation online at

www.wvup.edu/foundation

It’s Easy, Just click

to begin your support of

WVU Parkersburg!