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Elijah Jones

PSA Elijah Jones looking at camera

Why did you choose WVU?

While applying to colleges my senior year of high school, West Virginia was the only school that really showed that it offered the opportunity that I was looking for without an over expensive price tag. On top of that my family has lived in West Virginia since before it was established as a state in 1876. It’s home, and it always will be.

What is your favorite Mountaineer memory?

During a training trip in preparation for becoming a leader for Adventure West Virginia, the sense of community was overwhelming. One specific memory was while we were on the via ferrata at NROCKS. The entire trip was just sharing memories, playing games, bonding, and enjoying the sights: the experience was surreal.

Why did you want to become a PSA?

I wanted to become a PSA because it was a program based on community and community is something that I hold close to my heart. It’s what holds us together as a college, state, and nation. The program seemed like an opportunity where I could be a part of, and more importantly foster, healthy communities.

What did you learn from the PSA experience?

The PSA program was an eye-opening experience. Not only was I in a class to learn, but I was also pushed to put what we learned into practice. While being exposed to all different kinds of leaders and stories, my classmates and I were required to write, record, and present four speeches throughout the semester. We had learned and honed multiple skills, like speech writing, public speaking, and close captioning. That was only one part of the course. The other part of the course was leadership. We had discussed leadership and put it into practice through 20+ hours of community service and 20 leadership events. This program was an amazing experience. It helped me learn and achieve my goal of being a more competent and well-rounded leader. It also connected me with different parts of the University, like Student and Engagement Leadership which offers the Certified Student Leader program this class was developed around. 

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