West Liberty University graduates from the Gary E. West College of Business are finding success post-graduation. For many of these May graduates, the transition into the working world is seamless.
“We are pleased that most of our students find their next career step quickly and begin their professional journey well-equipped for success,” said Michael Turrentine, dean of the College of Business.
The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration is a broad-based degree that offers many applications in business and commerce, according to Turrentine.
For example, two recent graduates have landed positions in the field of sports management with big names in athletics, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the West Virginia Golf Association.
Patricia Conn of Avella, Pa., began her position with the Cleveland Cavaliers in June. Conn, a sports management and computer information systems major, is now employed as a manager of organizational business development.
Conn also was a member of the Phi Beta Lambda business fraternity while a student at WLU.
Another sports management major, Cory Hoshor of Buffalo, W.Va., is now working with the West Virginia Golf Association in Charleston as manager of operations.
A rare four-time NCAA Division II All-Atlantic Region standout with the Hilltoppers’ regionally-ranked golf team, Hoshor also excelled in the classroom. The perennial Dean’s List student earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District laurels with a 3.92 GPA and had the honor of carrying the College of Business’ banner at WLU’s commencement as the graduating senior with the highest GPA in the College.
Hoshor also was active on campus in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Delta Mu Delta and the Alpha Chi honor society.
Finance and marketing major Marcus Malara of Mount Pleasant, Pa., is beginning a position with Mutual of Omaha and will be working in its Pittsburgh office after traveling to Kansas City, Mo., for six months of training. He is a sales trainee.
Malara played four years of football at West Liberty and was a three-year letterman as a tight end.
Malara went through an intensive screening process with three phone interviews followed by a Skype interview. Ultimately, he was one of only 20 candidates Mutual of Omaha flew to Kansas City for four open positions.
“My experience at West Liberty helped prepared me for the interview process,” Malara said. “The finance capstone class was a good reference point for me.”
Closer to home, Hayden Blazer of Glen Dale, has landed a position as auditor with Zeno, Pockl, Lilly and Copeland A.C.
Blazer played tennis for the Hilltoppers and was responsible for starting the WLU Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda. Blazer also was a member of Phi Delta Theta, WLU’s largest fraternity.
West Liberty University offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs including masters degrees in education, physician assistant studies, biology, professional studies and two online degrees — a master’s in criminology and the MBA.
For more information, call 866-937-8542 or visit westliberty.edu.