CPASS student Brady Nolan of Reader and Joy Wang of Charleston were announced as this year’s honorees during halftime of the WVU vs. Texas Tech football game on Nov. 7 at Milan Puskar Stadium. The awards are given each year as part of WVU’s Mountaineer Week festivities.
“I applied to be Mr. Mountaineer because I have respect for the award which is given to a male student who shows outstanding academic achievement and extracurricular involvement. I have represented the University in several ways throughout my undergraduate career and I thought my involvement and academic success would make me a good candidate for the award,” Nolan explained.
Nolan is a senior athletic coaching education major and Honors College student. Nolan served as a New Student Orientation leader and a member of the Mountaineer Marching Band for three years. Nolan was named as the alternate Mountaineer Mascot for 2014-2015. He was sponsored by the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.
“To win such a prestigious award at West Virginia University puts a perfect finish to my undergraduate career. Being named a finalist was also a great feeling. I feel that all of the finalists are very qualified and deserving of the award. I take great pride in West Virginia University and the state of West Virginia, so being named “Mr. Mountaineer” means a lot to me.WVU has rich culture and tradition and I am proud to represent this University as Mr. Mountaineer,” Nolan added.
As Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer, Nolan and Wang will help host and participate in a number of University activities throughout the year. In addition to the Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer presentation,WVU’s ‘Most Loyals’ were honored. The 2015 honorees are: Mike Ross, Most Loyal West Virginian; Woody Thrasher, Most Loyal Alumni Mountaineer; Melissa Morris, Most Loyal Faculty Mountaineer; and Joe Dennis, Most Loyal Staff Mountaineer.
The award recipients are chosen by a joint committee representing the WVU Foundation, WVU Alumni Association and the Mountaineer Week organizing committee. Mountaineer Week is an annual celebration of West Virginia’s rich Appalachian heritage and traditions. The activities serve to remind and educate WVU students about the culture that has made West Virginia what it is today. The festival commemorated its 68th year this fall.