MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Among those honored at West Virginia University’s December Commencement was MetroNews’ own Hoppy Kercheval.
Kercheval was bestowed a Presidential Honorary Degree by WVU President Gordon Gee for his lifelong contributions to the state. Along with Hoppy, one other West Virginia University graduate and an educator were also bestowed honorary degrees. David Riggle, a special education teacher in Tyler County, and Nitin “Nick” Kumbhani, a leading executive in software development and investment management.
Kercheval, a native of Summit Point, W.Va., holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from WVU.
Gee said he called Kercheval a few weeks ago to talk about the honorary degree. The university president said he started by making reference to a commentary Kercheval wrote last summer in which he described skipping his own college graduation.
“I must tell a story about Hoppy very quickly and that is the fact that he wrote an article in the newspaper in which he talked about the fact that he loved the university but he didn’t make his graduation that day,” Gee said.
So I called him up that day and we’d already determined we were going to give him a degree. I called him that day and I said ‘Hoppy, I want you to come to graduation with me.’ And he said, ‘Well, I’d like to do that.’ And I said, ‘Well, the only thing is you’re going to have to speak because we’re going to give you an honorary degree.'”
Kercheval acknowledged the graduating class on Saturday and congratulated them on a milestone achievement.
“Most of you left home to come to the university and you made this your home. If you’re like I was, this is where the arc of your life began to bend in a particular direction,” he said.
“Now you’re anxious to leave, to go do remarkable things and have great adventures to follow the curve of that arc that started here. But know this, West Virginia University is your home. You’re always a Mountaineer.”
Kercheval this week announced on his show MetroNews Talkline his plans to retire. His last show will be January 3rd.