Alumna Samantha Horacek Wilson, a native of Moundsville, W.Va., was recently hired by West Liberty University to assist with web design and graphic needs in the Department of Institutional Advancement at West Liberty University.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to return to my alma mater and work in the creative field of web and graphic design,” Wilson said.
She is a 2012 graduate of WLU, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design from the College of Arts and Communications. She participated in several of the University’s MAD Festivals (Media, Arts and Design).
Wilson was previously employed in retail and prior to that, she worked at UPMC doing customer service, while she lived in Pittsburgh, Pa.
She has been active in freelance design, creating logos and graphics for area businesses and nonprofits, including the Harbor of Hope Church, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Wilson also is a graduate of Bishop Donahue High School and is married to WLU alumnus Albert Wilson, ’09. She enjoys all kinds of art in her spare time, including painting, drawing and jewelry making.
The Department of Institutional Advancement includes the offices of alumni relations, broadcasting, creative/web services, development, marketing, media relations and WLU-TV. It works to sustain and enhance efforts toward reaching the university’s mission of providing an opportunity for a high-quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education; thus positively impacting the local community, the region and the state of West Virginia.
BILL BEATTY ’66
Alumnus William Beatty was recently inducted into the Lee County (Florida) Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. The August 2013 ceremony was the first induction held for the conference. The inaugural honorees included 36 athletes and supporters from the county’s 13 public high schools, including big sports names like Deion Sanders. Beatty was inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame for his work as the first Athletic and Activities Director at Cape Coral High where he developed high school athletic programs and was instrumental in the construction of the football stadium.
JANE ATKINS SARGENT ’63 & ’13
One of the most touching stories from our Alumni Office recently is the story of loyal Hilltopper, Jane Atkins Sargent. A 1963 graduate, she earned an associate degree in Dental Hygiene then went on to a successful career working in dentistry. A resident of Fairfax, Va., she maintained an active relationship with her alma mater, eventually establishing a scholarship in her family name.
We were saddened this fall to learn of her failing health and expected demise. WLU is grateful for her support and presented her with an honorary Bachelor of Arts in Dental Hygiene degree in recognition of her support and excellence in the field of dental hygiene, just before she died on Nov. 26, 2013.
Alumni Director Shane Stack drove to her home and met her family to present the degree. Her husband Bill, daughter Paige Sargent Legenhausen and son Paul greeted him, along with close family friend Dr. John Barclay Burns, the family’s former minister.
Stack had learned of Jane’s illness and desire for her bachelor’s degree from her daughter in early November. Paige, being a devoted child, wanted to comfort her mother in any way possible. It occurred to her that one of her big regrets in life was not earning her four-year degree.
“My mother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in September. She pursued treatment for about 45 days, but unfortunately the cancer was winning. When she began to receive hospice care, I began to think long and hard about what might bring her joy and comfort in her final weeks, I remembered that she told me many times when I was young about the importance of a good education and that while she successfully completed the dental hygiene program, her biggest regret in life was that she ran out of money about nine credit hours short of earning her Bachelor’s Degree.” (Jane actually attended WLU for 31⁄2 years.)
“My mother’s West Liberty education remained very important to her, which led her and my father to establish the Sargent Dental Hygiene Scholarship several years ago. As her daughter, I wanted to be able to grant her what she wanted more than anything else – a college degree. I contacted the Alumni Office and they agreed.”
At the time of the onset of her illness, Jane had worked in dental hygiene for 50 years. She also assisted dental assistant Jacquelyn Miller, who worked in her Jane’s office, to enroll at West Liberty as a student in the dental hygiene program. Miller went on to graduate from the WLU’s associate program in 2008.
West Liberty University was honored to present Jane Atkins Sargent an honorary Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene in recognition of her more than five decades of superior work in the dental hygiene field and her ongoing dedication to helping young dental hygienists fulfill their aspirations.
Though it took Jane 50+ years to complete her formal education, she inspired an entire University forever with this request just days before her death.
