Gold and Blue Student Ambassador Program
From the University Welcome to Commencement, guests on the campus of West Virginia University will be greeted by the smiling faces of our Gold and Blue Student Ambassador Team.
Designed in 2007 by then WVU senior Ashley Riley, the GBSA program helps students develop leadership skills in a variety of settings. Students must apply to become an ambassador and go through an interview process to be selected. Ambassadors are held to high standards of guest service and professionalism as they represent the University in everything they do.
There are 23 ambassadors, and the group is composed of students from almost every school and college at WVU and are involved in other campus organizations and activities, such as student government, honoraries and Greek life.
Gold and Blue Student Ambassadors are also encouraged to take the accompanying academic course and become involved in scheduled enrichment opportunities to enhance their leadership skill development.
2009-2010 Ambassadors
Hilah Zia
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Business Marketing
Minor: Leadership and Communications
Favorite Thing About WVU: The best part about this university is the students. As the years pass, the university continues to grow larger and the student spirit increases. No matter what county, state, or country, the students at WVU are all the same Mountaineers.
Jason Bailey
Hometown: Ripley, WV
Major: International Study and Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: Gamedays!
Jessica Bailey
Hometown: Ripley, WV
Major: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: The school spirit and the immense state pride the students have!
Hilary Barger
Hometown: Washington, PA
Major: Biology
Favorite Thing About WVU: I love how the University is the life of the town.
Evan Bonnstetter
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Accounting and Spanish
Favorite Thing About WVU: The way campus looks and feels in the fall!
Jason Butts
Hometown: Martinsburg, WV
Major: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: The small-school feel in the large-school setting. I think that can be partially attributed to the amount of Mountaineer Pride the school exemplifies.
Hallisey Estes
Hometown: Culpeper, VA
Major: Exercise Physiology
Favorite Thing About WVU: The pride that all students feel in being a Mountaineer.
Rebecca Funk
Hometown: Big Pool, MD
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries
Favorite Thing About WVU: The pride the students and the state has in this university, especially on game day.
Adam Harris
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite Thing About WVU: Gameday: Any Sport or venue
Chelsey Hathaway
Hometown: Weston, WV
Major: Public Relations
Favorite Thing About WVU: The blend of people from different places and different backgrounds coming together to create a close-knit community on campus.
Jamie Lemon
Hometown: Elizabeth, WV
Major: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: The downtown campus with the university building for class, the Mountainlair, and High Street nearby, there is always something to do. Mix hundreds of excited WVU students and the result is priceless.
Melissa McDida
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Public Relations
Favorite Thing About WVU: The small town feeling and family atmosphere at a large university
Michael Meola
Hometown: Denville, NJ
Major: Advertising
Favorite Thing About WVU: Saturdays in the fall in Morgantown really are something special. The entire town becomes a different place on football game days and singing County Roads after a victory is unparalleled.
Macy Miller
Hometown: Romney, WV
Major: Nursing
Favorite Thing About WVU: Woodburn Hall in the winter time and outstanding professors.
Sally Miller
Hometown: Crossroads, WV
Major: Athletic Training
Favorite Thing About WVU: The spirited fans that come out and support Mountaineer athletics
Sydney Morris
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
Major: Philosophy
Favorite Thing About WVU: The small town feeling surrounded by a large university
Katie Niland
Hometown: Piedmont, WV
Major: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: I love the small school atmosphere at WVU; even though there are nearly 30,000 students at WVU you can’t walk across campus without seeing someone you know.
Taylor Richmond
Hometown: Beckley, WV
Major: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: My favorite thing about West Virginia University is the pride that is shared in this school. Nothing feels better than to see the stands packed at sporting events with students, alumni, and people who have never gone here but simply love the school. I love seeing blue and gold or WVU on every other shirt on campus. I love the family that is West Virginia University.
Amy Rogers
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Major: Speech Pathology and Audiology
Favorite Thing About WVU: Football and Mountaineer Pride
Betsy Shaw
Hometown: Williamsport, MD
Major: Speech Pathology and Audiology
Favorite Thing About WVU: I really enjoy the vast number of organizations that WVU has for their students. It doesn’t matter what a person is interested in, there is almost always a fit for them.
Katlin Stinespring
Hometown: Hurricane, WV
Major: News-Editorial Journalism
Minor: Political Science
Favorite Thing About WVU: Running through the tunnels in front of a crowd of 65,000 on game day and subsequently performing the pre-game show with the Pride of West Virginia.
Cameron Taylor
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Business Marketing
Minor: Leadership and Public Relations
Favorite Thing About WVU: I love the Pride that our students and alumni have to be Mountaineers. Once you become a student at WVU you enter the West Virginia family and find out what it means to be a part of Mountaineer Nation. The flying WV is a nationally known symbol and our students and alumni wear it proudly.
Peggy Tomko
Hometown: Aurora, OH
Major: General Studies
Favorite Thing About WVU: The people! Everyone is so hospitable. People hold doors for each other, smile at each other in passing, and everyone is eager to help if someone asks for direction.
Omar Wazir
Hometown: Charleston, WV
Major: Biology
Favorite Thing About WVU: Friends, Athletics and Gold and Blue Student Ambassadors
Molly Wilson
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
Major: Philosophy and Economics
Favorite Thing About WVU: I love that WVU has a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff!
Sarah Beth Yoder
Hometown: Moundsville, WV
Major: English and Communication Studies
Favorite Thing About WVU: You make the WVU experience your own. You enter WVU as a student, and leave a Mountaineer.
Gold and Blue Student Ambassadors participate in the WVU Challenge Course to build team relationships at the start of the fall semester.
Photos by Brian Persinger, WVU Photographic Services