Ginny Painter still remembers the long days of her first job at the local ice cream shop, where she learned to work hard, hustle and interact with customers of all ages and backgrounds. The owner of the shop, a kind friend of the family, worked alongside her, teaching the importance of dedication and resilience. Those days of scooping ice cream in her small hometown are years removed now, but she has taken those lessons and put them to use in a different world.
Ginny and Denny Painter visiting Northern Ireland in 2019. Today, Ginny Painter stands beside one of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures, Brad D. Smith, now the 38th president of Marshall University, serving as his chief of staff. This role, which demands a unique blend of higher education insight, strategic planning and people savvy, is challenging – but Ginny’s journey has more than prepared her. Armed with degrees in journalism and business administration, she understands how to communicate with clarity and purpose, a skill crucial for navigating higher education. Her talents, honed over the years in a variety of public relations roles, allow her to craft thoughtful messaging and implement plans, while her business administration skills enable her to streamline operations and support Smith in executing his vision for the university.… Read More
Jamie Springston has a different perspective than other students walking to class on a brisk, fall morning. He’s 35 years old and has already experienced more than many do in a lifetime.
“It’s a great feeling to better yourself after struggles, but helping to pull others up with you and push them further is the only way to build a thriving community. To me, that’s what it’s all about—a worthwhile mission.” - Jamie Springston Jamie served for five years as a Hospital Corpsman (Fleet Marine Force) in the United States Navy attached to Marine Corps units worldwide, including combat operations in Afghanistan. He was a dependent for a time while his wife, Jyhan, served in the Navy.
“In the Navy, I learned to ‘See it, do it and teach it’ and I carry that with me still to this day.”
This week, he will have the honor of carrying that mantra all the way to our nation’s capital, serving as a mentor at the Student Veterans of America (SVA) Fall Leadership Institute. It’s an honor that Marshall’s Director of Military Affairs Jonathan McCormick says is all about leadership development.
Jamie serving in the U.S. Navy “SVA is the largest student veteran group in America,” McCormick said. “They have become a huge force in the legislative field in lobbying for veteran benefits.”… Read More
As a new Marshall University freshman, Aliyah Quinet is diving straight into the college experience, seeking out every educational opportunity she can find.
The computer science major from South Charleston, West Virginia, attended her first meeting for Women in Tech just a couple weeks into the year, and she has her eye on Geeks and Gadgets, Marshall’s chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and anything robotics related, not to mention that she’s chasing down an internship that she can do between her freshman and sophomore years.
In other words, she’s a keeper. She’s on her way, and exactly the kind of student that Marshall University is thrilled to welcome to the family through the new Marshall for All program, which will help her graduate with a bachelor’s degree debt-free. She is excited about doing work study, taking financial literacy classes and contributing what she can while Marshall helps her take care of the rest.… Read More
Samuel Simpson isn’t afraid of hard work.
We’re talking about a 19-year-old who, when he was in seventh grade, started a lawn-mowing business with his dad that at one point got up to 42 jobs, and is still going today.
This summer, before starting as a freshman at Marshall University, he also had a firewood business going, worked at Guy’s Floor Covering in Ironton, and started a soccer-coaching business, offering coaching to younger players.
“That was super exciting – I got to bring my enthusiasm to the younger kids,” he said.
Thanks to the new Marshall for All program, he’s now bringing that enthusiasm — and his incredible work ethic — to Marshall University.
Simpson remembers getting the letter in the mail, offering him a chance to participate in the Marshall for All pilot program that would allow him attend Marshall and graduate debt-free.… Read More
Dr. Josh Brunty loves that moment when his students solve a challenge on their own. It’s that first moment when they don’t need any guidance or prompts. When they take what they’ve learned, and they figure it out themselves.
And he loves it when he sees those students a few years later. They’ve embarked on those cyber careers in which they’re solving problems that he couldn’t even imagine while they were sitting in his classroom. That’s when he knows that teaching cyber security at Marshall University is changing lives and the world.
And here at Marshall, it’s just getting better all the time.
Just last week, Marshall celebrated a $45 million state contribution to a new facility that will house Marshall’s Institute for Cyber Security. Meanwhile, after years of coaching highly competitive Marshall cyber teams, Brunty was named head coach for the US Cyber Team and will lead the team for the next year in international cyber competitions.
Both are outcomes of an ongoing effort among Marshall’s cyber education experts to establish one of the leading cyber programs not only in the region, but the country. … Read More
Feeling feisty and hankering for a good debate? Best not to choose George Urling as your sparring partner. He might just take you down.
The Marshall University junior just returned from Japan, where he participated in the International Forensic Association Tournament as part of Marshall’s Thundering Word Speech and Debate Team, earning second place in Visual Communication, and making it to the semifinals in Impromptu Speaking and the finals in Anime Interpretation.
Getting up there and making a solid argument – it’s what he loves to do.
“I am very proud to be a member of the Thundering Word Speech and Debate Team as I am surrounded by some of the greatest and most skilled people I know.” - George Urling “I have always had a passion for public speaking, and I have wanted to be on a debate team for many years,” he said, “but it was not offered at my high school so when I saw that I could do it at Marshall, I jumped at the opportunity.”
It’s been quite a ride ever since, going from virtual competition as an underclassman because of COVID-19 to in-person competition this academic year, including several competitions here in the eastern United States and a chance to compete in Tokyo earlier this month.… Read More
There is a lot that can happen in the span of a few years, and you need to look no further than one of Marshall University’s newest graduates, Sean Link, for proof.
Sean Link with Professor Alexander Lee and accompanist Sara Lee at Link’s Senior Recital on November 15. Following a nontraditional path to a college degree, the 31-year-old music performance major not only graduated this month after an eight-year hiatus, but he also took center stage performing the National Anthem and the university’s Alma Mater during the December commencement.
Initially enrolled in the fall of 2009, the Maryland native extended his expected graduation date multiple times before leaving school in December of 2013 without graduating.
“It’s such a tremendous opportunity to be selected for this (solo). It’s sort of surreal, performing for my own commencement. It’s something I didn’t even consider until recent talks with Dean Dobbs.” - Sean Link “I did the traditional path as was laid out by my advisor, but really struggled with some classes,” Link said. “It was such a sad time for me…. but the experiences away from school really helped me and made me understand what I loved during my time at Marshall. I eventually made my way back.”… Read More
The black cap and crisply ironed gown. The tassel, swaying with each movement, with a shiny, gold ’22 prominently displayed. The feeling of accomplishment and pride hearing “Olivia Roberts” booming through the sound system as the first step is taken across the stage.
It’s a moment Olivia Roberts, an elementary education major from Proctorville, Ohio has waited for since she began her undergraduate career in the fall of 2019.
But — it will not be her most memorable moment.
Calvin Hunter is crowned Mr. Marshall during Homecoming festivities on October 29, 2022 That moment came as the Marshall family gathered for Homecoming. Family, friends and alums from all eras watching as she received the surprise of a lifetime on the football field at halftime.
An “I Do” Marshall moment.
Olivia’s boyfriend, Calvin Hunter — who had just been crowned Mr. Marshall by his peers, chose to use his time to shine on something more than the sash he now wore over his suit. A sparkly diamond ring in his pocket.
As the two posed for a photo, Calvin turned to Olivia and lowered to one knee. Cheers erupted in the stands. All cameras suddenly pointed to the pair. People standing nearby took a step back and smiled.
Calvin Hunter surprises Olivia Roberts with a proposal on the field during Homecoming Just like so many other love stories that began at Marshall, Olivia and Calvin will end their college experience with a new beginning together.
The Marshall family is expanding.… Read More
“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas; with every Christmas card I write.”
The Old Main Carolers hold their music high as they sing in front of a dark tree on the Memorial Student Center Plaza. The group is just one of several to perform on this night in front of a crowd of hundreds gathered for the spectacle.
The audience sways to the sound of the acapella voices.
Old Main Carolers performing White Christmas “May your days be merry and bright – and may all your Christmases be white!”
Suddenly, a collective hush falls over the crowd, followed by oohs and ahhs.
It’s happening.
The temperature in Huntington may be an unseasonably warm 55 degrees, but snow begins to fall, nonetheless.
Smartphones and cameras are held high, as arms stretch to capture the perfect shot.
President Brad D. Smith steps up to the microphone to offer a countdown, as the crowd joins in.
“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!”
The temperature in Huntington may be an unseasonably warm 55 degrees, but snow begins to fall, nonetheless. A giant switch on display beside the microphone is flipped – cueing a dozen volunteers standing by, ready to plug in tinsel-covered deer and shiny LED Christmas trees perched in planters and flower beds around the plaza. It’s their time to shine.
Thousands of white lights on the 20 foot tree towering above the student center entrance suddenly flash on, glimmering bright.… Read More
