For more information:
Bob Edwards
Public Relations Department Assistant
Glenville State College
Glenville, West Virginia
(304) 462-7361x7610

Glenville, WV—Glenville State College President, Dr. Peter Barr, hosted the first GSC Hidden Promise Scholars dinner on Thursday, October 4th, in the Mollohan Campus Community Center Ballroom. The first thirteen recipients of the GSC Hidden Promise Scholarship, their families, and representatives from their high schools including superintendents, principals and teachers were the honored guests. After enjoying a delicious, dinner each of the individual scholars were introduced along with their guests as Dr. Barr awarded them their Hidden Promise Scholarship.

President Barr told those in attendance that when he was in high school, one of his teachers told him that she thought that one day Peter Barr would be the Governor of West Virginia. He said that that made him feel special, and inspired him to want to succeed. Up until that time, Barr said he thought he would drive a bread delivery truck as his dad did. “I hope that the Hidden Promise Scholars Program can reach and inspire students in the same manner that that one teacher did for me,” said Barr.

The first Hidden Promise Scholars include: Josey Zelinsky from Phillip- Barbour High School, Jamie Kennedy from Calhoun County High School, Kasey Kelley from Doddridge County High School, Alicia Rose from Gilmer County High School, Lisa Shamblin from Lewis County High School, Christopher Baber from Nicholas County High School, Marlon Henry from Elkins High School, Jessica Currence from Tygarts Valley High School, Iva Adams from Ritchie County High School, Kayla Smith from Roane County High School, Michael Livesay II from Buckhannon-Upshur High School, David Cogar from Webster County High School, and Andrew Schreckengost from Wirt County High School. Each of these students was awarded a $1,000 scholarship, which is renewable for each of their four years at GSC.

Hidden Promise Scholar Jamie Kennedy of Grantsville, West Virginia was surprised and grateful when she found out that her Calhoun County High School Principal Karen Kirby had selected her to receive the scholarship. “For me, it made the difference. Without the Hidden Promise Scholarship, I may not have been able to come to Glenville State College,” said Kennedy who is majoring in Accounting.

Roane County Schools Superintendent Steve Goffreda also thinks the Hidden Promise Scholars Program will make a difference, “I feel these initiatives are the most progressive and promising project that I have seen in the last decade to help increase the college going rate. Glenville State College and President Barr have certainly stepped up to the plate and hit a home run for the students of Central West Virginia,” said Goffreda.

President Barr’s Hidden Promise Scholars program is a collaborative effort between Glenville State College and thirteen surrounding counties in Central West Virginia to increase the number of High School graduates who go to college. Under the agreement, each participating county identifies and encourages one student with ‘Hidden Promise’ to attend GSC and receive the scholarship. The collaboration calls for each school system to try to identify one student each year in grades eight through twelve that show potential to be Hidden Promise Scholars and to work with them to improve their opportunity to become college graduates. The agreement between GSC and thirteen county school systems was signed in June.