- ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE PROJECT -
CONCORD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI CAREER CONVERSATION
Concord University (Athens, West Virginia)
Undergraduate Population: 1,644 undergraduate students
U.S. Department of College Scorecard: Graduation rate, majors, costs, salaries
Official Website: https://www.ferris.edu/
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
QUICK CLIPS: Concord University Alumni Career Conversation
How Student Support Services helped Tinina find success
How Tiffany used campus resources to pursue her dream
Richard share why he loves helping students
Johanna shares the power of telling your story
How Dr. Yost decided to go into medicine
How Ricki went from West Virginia to South Korea
Dr. Lane's unusual professional road and where it led him
Corrina's challenges and how they never stopped her
THE ALUMNI PANEL:
Dr. Mark Yost
Hometown: Athens, WV
High School: Pike View High School
Date of Graduation: Concord: 2012
Education after Concord: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Major: Biology
Occupation: Family Medicine
Mark’s Places: Concord PATH (pre-professional association towards healthcare)
High School Places: Theatre, student government: Class vice-president
Reach out to Mark on Facebook: MarkAllen Yost
Corrina Robertson
Hometown: Beckley, WV
High School: Woodrow Wilson High School
Graduated: Concord University 2013
Education after Concord: Duke University
Major: B.S. in Biology from Concord University; ongoing Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Duke University
Occupation: Graduate Student at Duke University
Corinna’s Places: PATCH--a club for students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, ACS (American Chemical Society), but many of my friends came from both the biology and chemistry departments, in general--both were great environments for meeting like-minded individuals.
High School Places: National Honor Society
First-Generation Student: Yes
Reach out to Corinna on Instagram @corrinarobertson
Dr. Brad Lane
Hometown: Herndon, WV
High School: Mullens High School
Graduated: Concord College 2003
Education after Concord: Pennsylvania College of Optometry 2007 (Doctorate), American Public University 2016 (MBA), Western Governors University 2021 (MEd)
Major: Concord: Psychology, Sociology, Preprofessional Biology
Occupation: Optometrist
Brad’s Places: I worked full-time through college
High School Places: Various club, volunteer work. Future Business Leaders of America, Hi-Y,
First-generation student?: Yes. Father was a coal miner, mother a emergency response dispatcher
Reach out to Brad on Facebook
Tiffany Everette
Hometown: Buckhannon, WV
High School: Buckhannon-Upshur High School
Date of Graduation: Concord 2012 BSW, and 2014 MSW. I'm hoping to pursue a DSW or Ph.D. soon.
Occupation: I'm currently an Instructor of Social Work at Concord University.
Major: Social Work
Tiffany’s Places: Nu Zeta Chi sorority that was built around community service, family, and helping others. Bonner's Scholar program which also focuses on community service. I also participated in the McNair Scholar program for a period of time. I was also a member of Student Support Services. I was also a part of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), actually one of the original members for starting the group. I was a member of the Concord Social Work Organization (CSWO). I held office positions in GSA, CSWO, and NZX. All these great organizations helped make my time at Concord memorable and enjoyable.
High School Places: TRIO program called Upward Bound. Upward Bound taught me it was possible for someone like me to go to college. Upward Bound taught me about scholarships, student loans, how to complete college applications, how to complete the FAFSA, etc. I can't imagine college being a reality without Upward Bound.
First Gen student? Yes, I am a first-generation college student.
Reach out to Tiffany: Facebook as Tiffany Everette
Richard Jarrell
Hometown: Beckley, WV
High School: Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, WV
College: Beckley College, Concord College
Graduated: Beckley College 1982, Concord College 1984
Major: BS in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing
Occupation - Owner Operator of Chick-fil-A's of Beckley
Richard’s Places: While in College I was part of the New student Orientation Team, American Marketing Association, Phi Beta Lambda, Bowling team. Plus, I worked a retail job.
High School Places - Played in the band for one year then I got my first job. I was active in my Church youth group and was also part of the Key Club.
First Generation Student: Yes
Reach out to Richard on Facebook
Tinina McCourt
Hometown: Webster Springs, WV
High School: Webster County High School
Graduated: Concord 2019
Education After Concord: Ohio University, but did not finish the Master's program
Major: Sociology
Occupation: Program Coordinator at WV Drug Intervention Institute
Tinina’s Places: I was briefly involved in Greek life (this can be great for meeting new people, but did not end up working out for me personally!). I was also involved with Student Support Services, I was not very active in the organization for the most part, but I did work there as a Peer Mentor and really enjoyed being able to help some of my younger college-attending peers! I was also involved in the McNair Scholar program.
High School Places: Marching Band, National Honor Society
First Generation: Yes
Reach out to Tinina at tinina05@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook
Ricki Watson
Hometown: Glen Daniel, West Virginia
High School: Liberty High School
College: Concord University (undergrad)
Graduated: 2014-2018 - BSW2018-2019 - MSW
Major: Social Work
Occupation: ESL(English as a Second Language) Teacher for Kindergarten/Elementary in South Korea
Ricki’s Places: Bonner Scholar Program- I entered this program on a scholarship basis, however, I found a place I could come to and find like minded people who love to help others. The basis of this scholarship was volunteer work and giving back to the community. I served in this program for 4 years and was able to build leadership, communication, and job skills I needed for the future. International Club- The international club is a diverse community that allows students to meet others from all around the world. It was an interesting place for someone like me, a small town girl from Glen Daniel, WV, where the minority population was very low. Interested in learning about different cultures, I often found myself joining events and wanting to just have a conversation with someone that experienced life a lot differently than I did.
High School Places: Key Club, Tennis
First-Generation Student: Yes
Reach out to Ricki on Facebook Ricki Nicole Watkins
Johanna Smith
Hometown: Athens West Virginia (Elgood)
High School: Pikeview High School
Date of graduation: Concord University BSW: Class of 2011, and MSW: Class of 2014
Major: Social Work
Occupation: School Based Therapist
Johanna’s Places: Phi Alpha Honor Society, Alpha Chi National Honor Society
High School Places: Theater, Choir, Swim Team (school and community), Natural Helpers Organization, Peer Mediation
Reach out to Johanna: johanna.jeannette.smith@gmail.com
ABOUT THE ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE PROJECT
New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen talks with current and recent students about life in college. For more videos visit BeforeCollegeTV on YouTube. For more information about Harlan Cohen visit him online at: www.HarlanCohen.com or follow him on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok | LinkedIn | Snapchat (helpmeharlan).
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by panelists and participants are their own and are in no way endorsed, officially affiliated, or representative of the institution, Harlan Cohen, or BeforeCollegeTV. All views expressed on panelists social media are not endorsed or affiliated with Harlan Cohen and BeforeCollegeTV. Students views, opinions, and advice are their own. ALWAYS contact official representatives to verify and validate any information provided