ROAR Attends West Virginia GEAR UP Program

Concord’s mascot, ROAR,  represented Concord University to  high-school students from all over West Virginia.
Photo By Kimberlin Massie

On Wednesday October 21, thirteen hundred students visited The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, Maier Foundation Performance Hall, in Charleston, West Virginia for GEAR UP. 

    West Virginia GEAR UP is a federally-funded, six-year program aimed at “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.” The program helps students in 10 high-need counties plan, apply and pay for training beyond high school.

    The program stresses the importance of earning a two or four-year degree after high school, and provides students with resources to help them obtain those degrees. The program’s goal is to build a sustainable education program that can be implemented statewide.

    West Virginia GEAR UP serves students in ten counties: Boone, Fayette, Mason, Mercer, Mingo, Nicholas, Summers, Webster, Wirt, and Wyoming counties.

    Wednesday’s event featured speakers such as Josh Shipp, a nationally renowned youth leadership coach, Paul Hill, chancellor of the state Higher Education Policy Commission, and Sarah Tucker, chancellor of the state Community and Technical College System. The event also featured a dance off with college mascots. The mascots presented routines incorporating college information during the “Mascot Mania” dance-off contest.

    Our very own ROAR decided to head up to Charleston on Wednesday to represent Concord University. “Mascot Mania was a ton of fun! I’m not the best dancer, but the kids seemed to love me,” said ROAR. ROAR was not only there to dance and bring attention to Concord University, but to help students out from around the State of West Virginia. “I was able to help give out $10,000 in scholarships to 10 kids, which was awesome. They were so excited,” said Roar.

    Even though ROAR didn’t win the dance off, he left with his head held high. “I feel like I represented Concord University well and I would love to help more children in the future.”