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Glenville State University Welcomes Six New Home Grown Scholars
Tue Oct 7, 2025
Glenville State University Fall 2025 Home Grown Scholars (l-r, descending) Ryan Johns, Parker Wood, Raegan Sisk, Alyssa Skinner, Miranda Gum, and Bethany Payne.

Six new students are completing their first semester at Glenville State University (GSU) as part of the University’s Home Grown Scholar Program.

The program is focused on prospective teacher identification in the county schools partnered with scholarship support for candidate attendance at GSU, practical experiences, and mentoring during teacher preparation into the start of full-time teaching. 

The Home Grown Scholarship Program is open to students in all 55 West Virginia counties. Superintendents identify what is a “high need” teaching position for their districts and notify GSU. Qualified students are then nominated by the superintendent or their designee for a scholarship in that teaching area. The goal is for those students to return to their home counties to complete year-long residency and, if available, be able to apply for open positions in their home district. Accepted students receive a scholarship up to $3,000 per academic year.

Dean of Teacher Education and Associate Professor Connie Stout O’Dell shared her thoughts on the current status of the program, “The scholarship program is in its seventh year and remains one of the highlights of the education program. The Home Grown Scholarship provides opportunities for teacher education majors to work closely with education faculty and to return to their home counties for the year-long residency. The continued support of university administration, faculty and staff, and public school superintendents and counselors is appreciated and vital to the success of this program. We welcome our newest scholars and are excited that they have chosen to become future teachers.”

The Home Grown Scholars for the 2025-2026 academic year include: Miranda Gum (Pocahontas), Ryan Johns (Raleigh), Bethany Payne (Braxton). Raegan Sisk (Marion), Alyssa Skinner (Upshur), and Parker Wood (Nicholas). 

West Virginia students who are interested in applying for 2026-2027 class of Home Grown Scholars should contact their high school guidance counselor or principal. 

For more information about earning a degree in education from Glenville State University, contact the Admissions Office at admissions@glenville.edu or call (800) 924-2010. 

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