News

Yeager Scholar Class of 2022 – Yeager Seminar 01 Fieldtrip to Washington, DC

The Holcomb Class of Yeager Scholars (2022) at Marshall University had their first field experience in the context of their two-year, Yeager Seminar sequence of four intensive courses. Their fieldtrip, as a part of the first of their Yeager Seminars, entails exploring industry, defense, civil rights, history, and politics in our nation’s capital. The jam-packed trip kicked off with an exceptional meeting at Boeing, led by Marshall alumnus, General Tony Crutchfield. (Ret.) Gen. Crutchfield, in his new role with Boeing, introduced the students to the vast operation that is Boeing, facilitated an interactive panel discussion with his colleagues and the Yeager Scholars, and led the students to the Pentagon. While at the Pentagon, they met with Gen. Brian Winski, the Army’s legislative liaison to Congress.

The rest of the weekendYeager Scholar Class of 2022 - Fieldtrip to Washington, DC as part of Yeager Seminar 01 consisted of stops at the US Capitol, the Library of Congress, National Archives, Newseum, the National Museum of Natural History, and time with the beautiful and meaningful monuments that stretch along the National Mall.

Each of the four Yeager seminars include a field experience that allows students to relate real world experiences and scenarios with their regular assignments.

NEWS > Erica Burns completes Hanyang International Summer School in South Korea

Erica Burns completes Hanyang International Summer School in South KoreaErica Burns, a rising sophomore from Hurricane, West Virginia, graduated from Hanyang International Summer School in South Korea. Erica, a member of the Society of Yeager Scholars Class of 2021 majoring in Statistics, used her summer break to learn more about Korean language and culture, earning credits toward an Asian Studies minor. Look for more details from Erica’s experience when she returns to the States this fall.

NEWS > Sonia Chandi – SYS Class of 2018 – Wins Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

Sonia Chandi, Society of Yeager Scholars, Class of 2018Sonia Chandi of Huntington, West Virginia, a Yeager Scholar and graduate of Marshall University’s Honors College, has been awarded a fellowship worth $5,000 by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Chandi is one of 57 recipients nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi fellowship. She received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Marshall. As a Phi Kappa Phi fellow, Chandi will pursue an M.D. at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Read more here.

NEWS > Brooke Estep – SYS Class of 2018 – At work in the community

“People love Huntington so much they’re willing to fight for it and make it a better place.” Yeager Scholar Brooke Estep shows us how she fights for her Huntington through exceptional work with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and various nonprofits in the city. Brooke is a senior Public Relations student in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

As a student at Marshall, Brooke has grown to love the community and feels Huntington is more than just a home–it is a place that encourages and inspires Marshall students. She knows that no matter where she goes, the people of Huntington and Marshall University will always be there to support her, like family. #MyHuntington #MarshallUFamily

NEWS > Society of Yeager Scholars Class of 2022

The Society of Yeager Scholars has announced its 32nd class of students, who will begin their studies at Marshall University this fall.

The Yeager program, under the auspices of Marshall’s Honors College, provides numerous benefits to students, including full tuition, room and board; a summer study at Oxford University; a laptop; and additional academic, leadership, and enrichment opportunities.

“Our newest class of incoming Yeager Scholars were chosen from an amazingly talented pool of high school seniors,” said Dr. Nicki LoCascio, dean of the Honors College. “It was a very difficult task for our selection committee to identify only eight students. My expectations are that these new scholars will continue the Yeager legacy for success and I look forward to welcoming them to Marshall this fall semester.”

Students participate in four rigorous seminars in their first two years as Yeager Scholars, in addition to the courses they must take for their majors. Students are expected to maintain a 3.5 GPA while developing social and leadership skills on campus and in the Huntington community.

Each Yeager class is named after an individual, family or company who has supported the program. The 32nd class will be named the J. Marshall and Patricia Harris Holcomb Class of 2022. In addition, Yeager Scholars receive support from a board of directors and an active alumni network.

The eight students who will begin the program this fall are:

  • Alexis Conley, Wayne, West Virginia, Wayne High School, Biology
  • Adria Fox, Huntington, West Virginia, Cabell Midland High School, Nursing
  • Zack Ihnat, Charleston, West Virginia, Capital High School, Civil Engineering (emphasis Environmental) and Spanish
  • Ian McKnight, Davisville, West Virginia, Parkersburg South High School, Biomedical Engineering
  • Julia Minigh, Ashland, Kentucky, Paul G. Blazer High School, Biology and Spanish
  • Logan Rose, Sutton, West Virginia, Braxton County High School, Mathematics
  • Rileigh Smirl, Huntington, West Virginia, Huntington High School, Online Journalism
  • LeTrae Wilborn, Princeton, West Virginia, Princeton Senior High School, Biology

The application cycle for the next class of Yeager Scholars will open Oct. 1.

Society of Yeager Scholars Class of 2022

Originally published in the We Are Marshall Newsletter of 23 May 2018.

NEWS > Yeager Scholar Coordinator Serves as Co-Dean for Governor’s Honors Academy

For the first time in 15 years, the Governor’s Honors Academy is returning to Huntington. Made up of 170 outstanding West Virginia high school scholars who will be seniors in the fall, the three-week academy will be at Marshall July 1– 21.

The 2018 GHA program at Marshall will concentrate on “Your Digital World.” Instructors will combine STEM topics with the arts and humanities. They’ll examine different academic areas that benefit from today’s technology and meld that into curriculum and activities. GHA will promote critical thinking as students define their paths as digital citizens.

The co-deans for GHA 2018 are Cara Bailey, Coordinator of the Yeager Scholars Program, and Mallory Carpenter, Program Manager for the Office of National Scholarships in the Honors College.

Read more in the Marshall University press release of February 2018.  See a July 2018 update in the Herald-Dispatch.

NEWS > Yeager Scholars win with others in Intuit Competition

Congratulations to Yeager Scholars Liz Adams and Hunter Barclay, along with their teammates in 42 Peaks, for advancing in Intuit‘s first Innovating for Impact design challenge. Innovating for Impact, a collaboration between Marshall University and Intuit, included seven teams that received training on innovation from Intuit leadership, and applied key principles to three spec Intuit's first Innovating for Impact design challengeific challenges facing West Virginia today: providing educational opportunities for youth in rural communities, battling substance abuse and creating technology-based jobs in the state.

Members of 42 Peaks designed an app to connect people to resources, support groups, community events, peers with similar experiences, real-time video mentors and other resources. Liz, Hunter, and the other members of the top three teams, will receive a trip to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, where they will receive a two-day immersive experience to explore some of the top technology companies, and gain hands-on experience collaborating with an Intuit Design for Delight team and receiving additional coaching.

Actress Jennifer Garner, NFL football legend and Marshall alumnus Chad Pennington and Intuit CEO Brad Smith coached and selected the three teams during a finale event held at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards Playhouse. “At Intuit, our mission is to power prosperity around the world, and youth are a large part of building a more prosperous future. By sharing our tried-and-true Design for Delight innovation principles with some of the bright, young minds at Marshall, we are taking a step forward to make a lasting impact in this community,” said Smith.

For more information, please visit http://www.marshall.edu/ucomm/2017/04/27/marshall-students-work-solve-west-virginias-biggest-challenges/