Established by Dr. Mathew “Matt” and Mary Lauren Weimer, the endowment will support the Society of Yeager Scholars. Housed within Marshall University’s Honors College, the Society of Yeager Scholars is a prestigious scholarship and leadership program. Named for Gen. Chuck Yeager, the highly competitive program selects a small cohort of students each year to fully support their four-year undergraduate education.
For the Weimers, the gift reflects both gratitude for the opportunities the Yeager program provided and a desire to help extend those opportunities to future generations of scholars.
“We are honored to support the Society of Yeager Scholars in this way,” Dr. Weimer said. “This program shaped the course of our lives in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I accepted the scholarship in 1997. We hope this endowment helps ensure that the program continues to attract outstanding students from West Virginia, the region and beyond, and gives them some of the same opportunities that have meant so much to us.”
Weimer is president and CEO of Valley Health Systems, which serves patients throughout southern West Virginia, southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. A Yeager Scholar, he graduated from Marshall in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. After earning his medical degree from the University of Toledo, he returned to Huntington to complete his family medicine residency at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.
He has served on numerous local, state and national boards, including Hospice of Huntington, the Huntington YMCA, Facing Hunger Foodbank, the Huntington Homeless Services Hub, the West Virginia Primary Care Association, the Aledade West Virginia Health Center Accountable Care Organization and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Mary Lauren Weimer graduated from Marshall in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in counseling. She previously worked as a social worker and freelance writer and currently volunteers with Cabell County Schools. She has also served on the boards of several local organizations, including Huntington Dance Theatre, Cammack Children’s Center and Trinity Episcopal Church.
“The Weimer family’s gift will strengthen the Yeager Scholars program and create opportunities for students for years to come,” said Cara Bailey, assistant dean of the Honors College and director of the Society of Yeager Scholars program. “Their connection to Marshall University spans many years, and their support reflects a deep belief in the transformative power of the Yeager experience. We are sincerely grateful for their generosity and partnership in advancing the mission of the program.”
To learn more about the Society of Yeager Scholars, visit https://www.marshall.edu/yeager/.