BECKLEY, W.Va. — State Treasurer Larry Pack is giving back to his alma mater to support education in the region.
Pack and his wife Lisa visited the WVU Tech campus in Beckley Tuesday afternoon, joining school and education officials to announce a new scholarship program to benefit high-performing southern West Virginia students.
“Lisa and I are going to fund 52 scholarships over the next seven years to allow southern West Virginia students to come to WVU Tech, and after they get their degree and leave, they’ll leave without any debt,” Pack said on MetroNews “Midday” after the announcement. “We’re very blessed to be able to do that.”
Pack has many fond memories from his time as a Golden Bear. He said that his time on campus fostered his love for accounting and set him on the path he’s on today. Because of that, he said, it’s important to give back.
“It’s all related to where I went to school many years ago, the education that I got, the direction, the mentoring that I got at West Virginia Tech,” Pack said. “It’s something that we’ve been talking with (WVU Tech President) Dr. (T. Ramon) Stuart, (former WVU President) Dr. (E. Gordon) Gee, and now (current WVU President) Dr. (Michael T.) Benson over the last couple of years of just how can we help students in southern West Virginia, how can we help students in the coalfields to get that college education?”
The environment at WVU Tech made all the difference in his life, Pack reflected. He said that other students will get an opportunity to experience that, too.
“It started with people taking an interest in me, and making me be accountable,” Pack said. “That’s what you get at a small school, right, you can’t hide. You’re not a number; you’re a person. I can think of all these different people that nudged me on, that paid attention to me, that gave me advice, and every once in a while, kicked me in the butt, and I needed it, because I wasn’t prepared.”
Pack said they announced the first recipient of the Golden Scholarship on Tuesday, a Fayette County native. Pack didn’t give the student’s name, but said that the boy wasn’t initially going to pursue a college education. Having a single mom, the student was going to get a certification because he thought college would bring about undue financial stress to his mother.
“He’s a young student who was going to go to get his certification in HVAC and again, there’s nothing wrong with that, because he didn’t believe that his mom could afford to send him to college,” Pack said. “He didn’t want his mom having to pay those bills after the fact. When he was told that he could get a scholarship, get a free ride to West Virginia Tech, all of a sudden, he’s changed his career plans. He’s going to study construction management.”
Pack noted that Tech has a “great” construction program, and the McDowell County student will get to experience it for himself.
This investment is meant to spark others, the state treasurer said. He added that there’s already been interest in such giving.
“We just want to do our part to see if we can help with 52 students over the next few years,” Pack said. “We’re hoping that other people will jump on. We already understand there are some people that are going to jump on and add to what they’re calling the ‘Golden Scholars’ program here at WVU Tech.”