logo
Bluefield State University hosts Spring Career Fair

Bluefield State University hosts Spring Career Fair

Yahoo10-04-2025

BLUEFIELD, WV (WVNS) — Bluefield State University hosted its 36th Annual Spring Career Fair on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, drawing attendance from employers from around the state.
Organized by Rebecca Hatch with the Bluefield State University Office of Career Services, this year's career fair provides an opportunity for students and prospective employees to establish relationships with employers in a variety of fields including energy, education, law enforcement, and more.
Recent Bluefield State University graduate and event volunteer, Khadija Abdul-Wahid told 59News that the event brings opportunities to the community which may not have otherwise been available to local residents.'At the career fair you get to see a bunch of industries and career opportunities that you may not know were in the area,' she said. 'So this really kind of helps to open your eyes and helps with networking to get out there and get used to talking to people.'Director for the BSU Office of International Initiatives, Dr. Sudhakar Jamkhandi, Ph.D. noted the direct correlation between the university's mission and the success of its graduates in the workforce.
'In the end, whatever education Bluefield State has to offer is meant to take care of the needs of future employers in the public sector, in the private sector, and the non-profit sector,' said Dr. Jamkhandi.
With another successful career fair in the books for Bluefield State University, another round of students are one step closer to finding their calling.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Effort to improve transportation in Bluefield moving ahead
Effort to improve transportation in Bluefield moving ahead

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Effort to improve transportation in Bluefield moving ahead

bluefield – A town hall meeting set for June 12 will give the Bluefield community opportunities to share ideas and ask questions about a road project aimed at making travel smoother and safer from Bluefield State University's entrances to the city's northeast side. City Manager Cecil Marson said Friday the meeting will start at 1:30 p.m. June 12 on the Bluefield State University campus. It will be conducted in the Othello Harris-Jefferson Student Center. Information gleaned from the town hall will help determine how to spend a $1.2 million federal Reconnecting Communities grant. Reconnecting Communities is a program under the U.S. Department of Transportation. 'About two years ago we submitted an application for the Reconnecting Communities Grant,' Marson said. 'It's laser-focused on the northeast end of the city and what that does, it basically takes you from (Route) 52 where the Bluefield State University entryway is and takes you all the way through the northeast end past the Grant Street Bridge down past the Hotel Thelma.' The project's goal is to improve transportation and safety between the university and Hotel Thelma, which is an historic Green Book lodging where Black travelers stayed during the segregation era. 'The whole premise behind this project is to connect that part of the city to the downtown and also rework the road infrastructure and streetscape, really clean up a lot of the stuff that borders Norfolk Southern (railyard) along that main drag of Pulaski Street, Hardy Street all the way up to Rock Street and up to the campus,' Marson said. The city will work on the project in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Highways. People attending the June 12 town hall will meet with highways officials and engineers working on the plan. Marson said the city wants as much community participation as possible. 'Because we're going to go in there, take all of the suggestions that have gotten us to this point, have some designs and schematics of what these roads could potentially look like and really, this plan grant is to get some of the engineering done and get everything prepped so this fall, we can submit for the implementation funding,' he said. 'And that's where we get the big money and hopefully, God willing, really get some of these projects down and revamp the northeast part of town and get the roads and infrastructure everybody deserves over there, and also help reinforce the college and give them a better entryway.' Darrin Martin, president of Bluefield State University, said the project would make travel to and from the campus safer. Both the Route 52 and Rock Street entrances are difficult to use and hazardous at times. 'Obviously, you think about the entrance way to campus on both sides,' Martin said. 'This is going to make it safer for us and improve the flow of traffic.' Students, faculty and visitors entering campus at Rock Street have to navigate a sharp turn. One goal would be make this curve 'softer,' Martin said. One part of the plan which includes a roundabout at the busy Route 52 entrance would make that entry point safer as well. 'It can get dicey,' he said. 'You can look and all of a sudden a car is on top of you. This should help and make that safer.' In September 2024, the City of Bluefield was awarded a $25,748,152 in federal grants through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. Marson said that the $1.2 million Reconnecting Communities grant is from a different federal program. 'Like the Safe Streets, all these grants kind of work this way,' Marson said. 'First, you apply for the grant because you have a project. The first portion is the planning, so you'll get a funding amount — that was $1.2 million for us — then you have to resubmit again for implementation. Implementation is where construction comes in and we're not there yet on this grant.' The project is big because it has been a long time since the city's northeast side has seen a major investment, Marson said. 'It's deserving. It needs it,' he said. 'We need to help the college, assist the residents, make it safer over there and clean up.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@

State Fair of West Virginia moving forward with $30 million master plan
State Fair of West Virginia moving forward with $30 million master plan

Yahoo

time29-05-2025

  • Yahoo

State Fair of West Virginia moving forward with $30 million master plan

FAIRLEA, WV (WVNS) – As the State Fair of West Virginia celebrates and reflects on the past 100 years, they are gearing up for the future. State Fair CEO Kelly Collins told 59News they are moving forward with a $30 million master plan over the next several years. What does the State Fair of West Virginia Endowment Fund do? This money will help upgrade and modernize the fairgrounds. She said they have to make concessions in regards to logistics and infrastructure, much like cities do every day. 'Our first project is going to be restoration of the grandstand. It is in great shape, but we want to make sure that it stays that way. We want to increase our campaign and fix some of our camping lots and make them more accessible for folks. There is not a lot of hotel rooms. We have great hotel partners in Lewisburg, but we need more. So, we hope to enhance our campground. We have got some livestock facilities we also want to fix over the next couple of years,' said Collins. Collins said they will have to raise funds to make this plan a reality through methods such as private donors. Some of the other ideas for this money includes more handicapped accessible restrooms and other things to accommodate those with sensory issues. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Gov. Morrisey speaks on issues affecting southern West Virginia
Gov. Morrisey speaks on issues affecting southern West Virginia

Yahoo

time07-05-2025

  • Yahoo

Gov. Morrisey speaks on issues affecting southern West Virginia

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – Governor Patrick Morrisey recently hit the 100 day mark as the state's top elected official. On Monday, May 5, 2025, he came to Beckley to discuss what he has done, and what he plans to do, for folks in the southern part of the state. About a month after his inauguration, Morrisey was thrown into the deep end as southern West Virginia was rocked by flooding that devastated communities across multiple counties. The Governor said he is proud of the response his team put together in the immediate aftermath, but the work is far from over. 'We know that there are opportunities for risk mitigation into the future. I'm hopeful that a lot of the localities are going to take advantage of that, because when you get the Federal approval for disaster relief, it's not just the individual and public assistance. You might have the ability to mitigate and get grant money for the future so that you can erect barriers and walls and things that might keep the water out a little bit more,' the Governor told 59News. Morrisey said he feels his office's response to the flooding was swift and effective. He reported that more than 17 tons of debris have been cleared out of the flood-affected areas. However, for folks in hard-hit areas – the recovery effort is far from over. Many people in southern West Virginia remain in flood-damaged homes, and lots of areas are left without clean drinking water after the floods damaged underground pipes. The Governor told 59News it is important to him to invest in the economy of southern West Virginia, in particular. One of the ways he plans to do that is with the Microgrids Bill, which aims to bring data centers here to the Mountain State. '[The Microgrids Bill] is going to be able to help data centers move in. Speed to build? Number one. Check. Reliable energy resources? Check. The most favorable energy environment? Check, and a workforce that is ready to go to work on day one. So this is going to be very good for southern West Virginia and the entire state,' said Morrisey. The Governor said he plans to address the state's declining population issue and attract more workers to the state by creating jobs in these data centers – an initiative that he also believes will be beneficial in decreasing the rates West Virginians pay for power, which studies show are the highest in the nation. 'We need more people to come so that spreads it out, that's first and foremost. Second, that's more customers for the power companies and that should lead to lower prices overall,' said the Governor. Morrisey added that he looks at every bill related to manufacturing to make sure that customers in West Virginia are not the ones who are left paying the price for the state's investments. Earlier this year, a study on water quality violations found that Wyoming County's public water utility had the highest number of violations in a single water system in the entire country. Mercer County was just behind Wyoming County on the list – with the third most water quality violations in the country. Governor Morrisey was asked about why the state legislature did not address the issue of unsafe drinking water in the southern part of the state during the recent legislative session. 'I think it's important that we always continue to have resources for water infrastructure,' said Morrisey. 'I know some of the money got deviated in the past administrations for other purposes. So I think there are other opportunities that will be coming up. We want to make sure we are addressing the needs of the citizens so I am definitely looking at that.' The Governor added that the budget was extremely tight this year because his administration inherited what he called a 'financial mess' from his predecessor Jim Justice. However Morrisey did not rule out addressing the water quality concerns in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store