Students Amanda Cutlip, Ashlynn Crowe, Elliana Mosby, and Trey Kitzmiller talk with West Virginia Natural Resources Police officers Chase Ault and Mike Lindale.
WVU Potomac State College students had the opportunity to explore a wide variety of career opportunities and consider furthering their education during the annual College Career and Transfer Fair. Held on Tuesday at the Davis Conference Center, the event was designed to assist students in becoming more aware, more engaged, and more comfortable in their life choices and future vocational aspirations. This event is designed for students of all levels and majors to explore career paths, summer jobs, internship opportunities, and transfer options. Participants were able to drop in at any time and talk to one or all of the job and college recruiters represented.
Some companies at the Fair were hiring on the spot.
“I am here today to actively recruit for job openings,” said Nick Dayton, program coordinator with Veterans and Heroes in Agriculture, part of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Dayton himself is a 2024 graduate of Potomac State College. “I think it’s a natural transition for a student here at Potomac State. It’s really hard these days to get a job just by sending out resumes and hoping to hear back. These events bring job applicants face-to-face, where they get to meet the people in charge of hiring. There are all kinds of great students at PSC, so we’re hopeful.”
Jesse Corning is the director of operations for Staffing Choices Group. He was actively seeking job applicants for summer hospitality positions at the annual Scouting Jamboree held in July.
“We feed all of the scouts who come to the Jamboree,” he said. “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So we are actively looking for employees in hospitality who can serve and feed these folks. The job comes with living at the facility, and it’s almost a ‘glamping’ experience for the folks who come work for us over the summer months.”
Students Trenton Brock and Riley Pollack discuss career options with Sarah Taylor and Michelle Barnett of William Sharpe Jr. Hospital, part of the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities in Weston.
The event also gave students the opportunity to learn about careers they may not have even known about until attending the Career and Transfer Fair.
Brittany Winslow is a staff veterinarian and Gina Bramsen is a nutrient management specialist at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Both Winslow and Bramsen said each did not know their jobs even existed with the Department of Agriculture until they saw positions advertised.
“I wish some of these careers and opportunities were around when I was trying to choose a career,” said Bramsen. “Everybody hears agriculture, and they think farming. But there are different departments and careers that can be pursued. There is a whole world of careers people could have in the agricultural field.”
“We like to make connections and let students know there is a lot more to a career in agriculture than they think,” said Winslow.
Chelsea Reaville and Breanne Kiser were on hand at the event, representing the human resources department of West Virginia University in Morgantown.
“We are here to remind people that WVU isn’t just a great place to go to school. It’s a great place to work too,” said Kiser. "We hire at the University in just about any job and at any level you can think of. Sometimes when we hire people, they are not even aware that a position like the one offered was available. People will often say, ‘I didn’t know you had that’”
“Career and transfer events like this are important for the students because it gets them out of their comfort zones,” said Reaville. “It opens up opportunities for students, but it also opens up minds. Students can walk into an event like this and literally meet people they have never met before and start networking and making an impression.”
Student Brandon Hoppert chats with Bryan Ward and Travis Orange of the West Virginia Army National Guard.
While some representatives at the event were actively recruiting, others attended to increase awareness for other programs offered that are not necessarily career opportunities.
“We are here to look for and promote internships,” said Jaden Redman, human resources recruiter for WVU Hospitals in Petersburg. “We have several different hospitals with the WVU system. So, this event helps us meet students and helps expose students to connections and to make contact. A lot of Potomac State students who come to work for the hospital are not just nurses or medical professionals.”
Other agencies were on hand with the goal to educate and enlighten.
For instance, did you know there is a second Pentagon location? While not shaped like the iconic building in Virginia, the Pentagon Police have a presence in a federal building north of Maryland’s Camp David in Adams County, Pa.
Two members of its police force were at the career and transfer fair to discuss job opportunities and careers at this second, little-known location.
“People probably don’t know that there is a Pentagon Police presence in Pennsylvania,” said Officer Ken Erb. “And there are so many careers that people don’t know about that are tied to the Pentagon.”
“And on top of that, people don’t realize there actually is a Pentagon Police Department. And that people from our office get hired for special assignments for the government,” said Officer Chris Saponara. “Want to see the world? Join the Pentagon Police and work in special assigned dignitary protection.”
Representatives of the West Virginia Natural Resources Police were also at the Career and Transfer Fair.
“There are a lot of people who take advantage of our natural resources but don’t know there is an actual police force that protects those resources,” said Offer Chase Ault. “We were at the event actively looking to hire. It’s getting harder and harder to get people interested in law enforcement careers. But becoming a natural resources police officer might be a job many students might not even know they could get.”
A career in the military is also an option. Officers from the West Virginia Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force and Space Force also attended the event.
“We want people to consider a career in the Guard,” said Officer Bryan Wood. “There are a lot of benefits to it. We can train people for any job.”
“Live here. Work here. Serve here. That’s a mission statement of the West Virginia National Guard,” said Officer Travis Orange. “You can work any job and still serve your community by serving with the Guard. The interest in students we talk to comes in waves. And that is fine. The students we talk to today often start a conversation with one of us and then make a decision later.”
Air Force Technical Sergeant Skykana Copeland was on hand to represent full-time career choices with the United States military.
“We are letting the students know there are local representatives in the Air Force,” Copeland – who lives in nearby McCoole, MD said. “There are a lot of misconceptions about what a career in the Armed Services looks like. I like to tell my personal story to anyone considering a career in the Air Force. We try to make each contact personable and relate to each student. Finding a career path is very important and a personal experience.”
Other companies and organizations were on hand to shatter stereotypes and offer assistance, and perhaps change and inspire young minds.
“College students sometimes have a limited view of what a career in health care looks like,” said Mary Knecht, talent acquisition counselor with UPMC Western Maryland. “A lot of people know our name but don’t know the extent of career paths available. You can be a nurse or doctor with us, obviously, but we are also looking in areas of IT, transport, marketing, housekeeping, dietary, and maintenance. We love our medical staff, but there’s a wide variety of career opportunities to explore at UPMC.”
Christopher Sigley concurred. Sigly is the director of Community Care of West Virginia, headquartered in Buckhannon.
“We currently have 16 facilities in about eight counties,” he said. “We have internship programs, and we are happy to talk to students about opportunities that are available. We can offer those shadowing hours in clinical that Potomac State College students need. We create an atmosphere where students can continue to learn and to train.”
Sarah Taylor is a staff development director at William Sharpe Jr. Hospital, part of the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities in Weston.
“We are a psychiatric hospital, and with that comes an idea about what a psych hospital does and can do,” she said. “But we are always hiring in various capacities. It’s nice at these events to see fresh faces who are curious about what it is that we do and to then talk in person and answer questions. It sparks conversation, and it makes choosing a career less intimidating.”
Michelle Barnett is a nursing education director at William R. Sharpe Hospital. She said she enjoys talking to young people about careers in health care.
“For us, events like this one help us get out the name of the hospital, but also to let students see that there are still plenty of opportunities to work in this field. I used to teach nursing, so I know that a lot of people don’t know if they are going to like something unless they actually experience it.”
Of course, West Virginia University was present at the event to engage students in seamless transfer options from Potomac State College to Morgantown, but other colleges and universities were in attendance as well, making a case for attending their schools as viable options.
Christy Shepherd is a recruiter with Life University in Marietta, Georgia. The university has a satellite office in Maryland. The school specializes in chiropractic services. Shepherd said the Potomac State students asking her the most questions about careers have been agricultural students. Most, she said, were surprised to learn that Life U has a program that goes hand-in-hand with farming.
“Animal chiropractic is becoming a major career choice. And when I tell agricultural students here that, they seem very interested in talking more about it. It’s good to have fairs and events like this so people can talk one-on-one and get to know one another and learn about programs they might not even know existed.”
Student Tyson Arnold visits with Kim Boyle, representing the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
Marcus Murrell is the director of International Admissions for Concord University in Athens, WV.
“It’s an opportunity to let all the students in West Virginia know that we are indeed a strong option,” he said. “Education is the first step to innovation. We want students to know there are still good-paying jobs and good careers to be found in West Virginia. They don’t have to leave their home state to further their education. Change in West Virginia starts with talent, and that talent is already here.”
Hannah Rossi was at the career and transfer fair representing Fairmont College. Fairmont College is located only about twenty miles south of WVU in Morgantown. Known for being a “teacher’s college,” Rossi said that definition – while honored and still true- is not always comprehensive.
“We welcome and value transfer students, and we love that Potomac State invites other colleges to come and talk to their students about opportunities,” she said. “We might be a fit for someone who graduates from here but isn’t ready for the bigger university experience. It’s important to recognize a student’s level of growth and to present them with every career, educational, and professional opportunity we can. That’s what events like this are all about and why they are so important.”