West Virginia Executive Fall 2019 | Page 57

West Virginia’s Homegrown Talent Pipeline West Virginia has an abundance of resources, but its most important, by far, is its people. From border to border, the state is filled with passionate, hard-working folks, and there’s one school that educates a higher percentage of native West Virginians than any other: Fairmont State University. Eighty- eight percent of Fairmont State’s student body is comprised of West Virginians—a higher percentage than any other school in the state. It’s easy to see why Dr. Mirta Martin, president of Fairmont State, is so excited about West Virginia’s future. “I’ve never seen a people more hard-working and resilient than those who make up this great state,” she says. “West Virginia is on the precipice of a renaissance, and Fairmont State is investing in its future. That’s why we’ve created—and are continuing to develop—cutting-edge, high-need programs. We’re building a talent pipeline that educates our amazing homegrown talent and gives them the skills to participate in the knowledge-based economy.” A few of the academic programs Fairmont State has designed to meet the needs of the state include engineering technology, national security intelligence, and aviation, the latter two programs being the only academic programs of their kind in the state. This talent pipeline funnels skilled Fairmont State graduates into growth industries that strengthen the state and provide those graduates with rich, rewarding careers. Programs like these not only help keep one of the most valuable resources—young people—living and working in West Virginia, but because the university reaches and teaches beyond the traditional college-bound population, it offers practical avenues for veterans and other adults to earn degrees that can carry them down the pipeline to successful careers in West Virginia. (304) 367-4000 | www.fairmontstate.edu 1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION