Dr. Linda Dunn (President of Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College), joined the organization’s Executive Board, and the Advisory Board welcomed Dr. Thomas Powell (Glenville State College President), Dr. Hazo Carter (West Virginia State College President), Dr. Daniel Bradley (Fairmont State College President), Jo Ann Harman (retired public school teacher), and Tammy Wells (Valley/Wetzel High School Principal).

Dr. Albert Walker, recently named president of Bluefield State College), also attended. He will serve as chairman of the WVACHE Board of Directors. Wayne White, Executive Director of the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education and vice president/WVACHE, and Sarita Gattuso, Executive Director/WVACHE, welcomed the new Executive Board and Advisory Board members.

The WVACHE program has enjoyed significant success through its Access Project grants. WVACHE funds selected K-12 schools in West Virginia to conduct activities that help students overcome barriers to college. These activities include career planning and financial aid information, as well as field trips to businesses and college campuses, guest speakers, and additional resources that encourage students to further their education beyond high school.

During its 2001-03 grant cycle, WVACHE has provided Access grants to eight West Virginia schools, including Mount View High School, Princeton High School, James Monroe High School, and Richwood High School. At Wirt County High School (another Access grant recipient school), the college-going rate has improved from 39 percent to 70 percent in two years.

Recently, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation awarded a grant of $110,000 to support WVACHE’s effort to raise the educational attainment of West Virginia’s young students. This award leverages another sizeable donation from restauranteur Bob Evans had his wife, Jewell, whose gift to WVACHE carried the stipulation that its funds be matched by other sources.

Gattuso also noted that West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Dr. J. Michael Mullen will present the WVACHE grant awards to selected high schools from throughout the Mountain State during the OACHE/WVACHE Annual Conference, October 10-12, 2002 in Hillsboro, OH. “This conference is open to everyone interested in education, and registration forms can be obtained by visiting the website www.oache.org” Gattuso said.

September 17, 2001