{"id":1492,"date":"2025-12-10T15:29:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T15:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/?p=1492"},"modified":"2025-12-10T16:16:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T16:16:04","slug":"finding-my-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/2025\/12\/10\/finding-my-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding My Place: How Marshall Became More Than Just a School"},"content":{"rendered":"
I came to Marshall in the fall of 2022 with a lot of uncertainty. My mom graduated from Marshall in December 2000, and my dad followed in spring 2001. But growing up in Morgantown, I was surrounded by WVU\u2014it seemed like going there would be the natural path. Yet, even with all the blue and gold around me, my parents never stopped talking about how much they loved Marshall and how it always felt like home to them. Looking back, I think I always felt an invisible string pulling me here through their stories.<\/p>\n

My dad, who was deeply involved in Greek Life at Marshall, encouraged me to at least tour the campus. He couldn\u2019t have said better things about his time here.<\/p>\n

\"Haley\u201cMy experience at Marshall helped shape me as a professional. I was afforded leadership opportunities that helped shape my career. Despite being in rooms with graduates from major universities across the country, I have never felt that I didn\u2019t belong. Marshall helped instill that confidence. Some of my best friends to this day are fraternity brothers and friends from my time at Marshall. I wouldn\u2019t trade those days for anything,\u201d he told me.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

He also mentioned how exciting it was that Marshall had just welcomed a new president, Brad Smith, \u201cthe Smith guy from Kenova\u201d as he jokingly called him. Hearing my dad talk about Marshall\u2019s direction gave me confidence that this was a place on the rise, filled with opportunities and fresh energy.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

My stepmom, Dr. Gretchen Prather, added her encouragement as well. As a faculty member in Marshall\u2019s School of Physical Therapy, she\u2019s dedicated her career to helping shape future healthcare professionals. She reminded me that Marshall isn\u2019t just about tradition, it\u2019s about thriving academically and professionally. Having her perspective as both a professor and mentor made me realize how much Marshall could offer beyond what you see on a tour.<\/p>\n

When I finally visited campus, I\u2019ll never forget how it felt. The red brick buildings, tree-lined walkways, welcoming faces\u2014even the squirrels. I fell in love instantly. Standing there, I thought: \u201cThis is it. I\u2019ve found my home.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Of course, leaving behind my high school friends and starting fresh was hard. My first semester was filled with homesickness and doubts about whether I made the right choice. Everything changed when I began getting involved on campus.<\/p>\n

My sorority, Delta Zeta, became my foundation. My sisters gave me a home away from home, and leadership opportunities pushed me to grow. Serving as vice president of Programs on the executive board taught me how to lead with purpose, and I even helped strengthen Delta Zeta\u2019s social media presence. Following in my dad\u2019s footsteps through Greek Life felt like carrying on a family legacy, one that has defined so much of my Marshall experience.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

Panhellenic leadership opened even more doors. I served as vice president of membership development and later as panhellenic president, mentoring and advocating for more than 250 women in our community. Those roles taught me what it means to lead with compassion and integrity, which are lessons I\u2019ll carry for life.<\/p>\n

Student Government also became a home for me. I started as a supreme court justice, then served as community service chair and now serve as press secretary. Each position gave me the chance to contribute to campus life and leave a meaningful mark.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

One of my proudest moments was being elected to Homecoming Court. What could have been a competition turned into something much bigger when I encouraged fellow court members to set aside individual campaigns and unite for a cause. Together, we raised money for Appalachian State University\u2019s flood relief efforts. Turning rivalry into generosity was powerful and reminded me exactly why Marshall is so special.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

Marshall has also taken me far beyond Huntington. Traveling with the sales team to Kansas for the King\u2019s Hawaiian Sales Competition showed me what\u2019s possible when you put yourself out there. Placing fourth in our very first year of competition proved that Marshall students can stand among the best in the nation.<\/p>\n

The new Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation building has also been transformational. Walking into a state-of-the-art space every day brought new energy to my classes. Knowing this transformation was part of President Brad D. Smith\u2019s vision only made me more grateful to be here at this moment in Marshall\u2019s history. It felt like I wasn\u2019t just earning a degree, but I was part of a new trajectory for Marshall.<\/p>\n

Professionally, I\u2019ve had the chance to bring all of these experiences together. From interning with the West Virginia Department of Tourism and in Marshall\u2019s Marketing and Communications Office, I\u2019ve gained hands-on experience while earning my degree.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

Now, as I prepare to graduate in December 2025, just three and a half years after arriving as a nervous freshman, I can\u2019t help but reflect on how far I\u2019ve come. The girl who once wanted to go home is now a former panhellenic president, SGA leader, Homecoming Court member, sales competitor and university intern. Every one of those experiences, I owe to Marshall.<\/p>\n

\"Haley<\/p>\n

Marshall has been more than a university\u2014it has been a family, a community, and the foundation for everything I will be after graduation. Graduating won\u2019t be easy, because Marshall has truly been the best chapter of my life.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m incredibly grateful that my story at Marshall isn\u2019t ending just yet. I recently began my first full-time position as a Special Events Coordinator for the Office of Recruitment, an opportunity that allows me to continue giving back to the place that has shaped me in every possible way. I can\u2019t imagine a better way to begin my next chapter than by helping future students experience the same sense of belonging that made Marshall home for me.<\/p>\n

If I could tell an incoming student one thing, it would be simple: get involved. Step outside your comfort zone and let Marshall surprise you. Marshall isn\u2019t just where you get an education, it\u2019s where you find a home, a purpose and a story you\u2019ll carry with you forever.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I came to Marshall in the fall of 2022 with a lot of uncertainty. My mom graduated from Marshall in December 2000, and my dad followed in spring 2001. But growing up in Morgantown, I was surrounded by WVU\u2014it seemed like going there would be the natural path. Yet, even with all the blue and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-moments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1492"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1521,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492\/revisions\/1521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}