A West Virginia University student from Clarksburg, W.Va., whose mother died when she was young, credits her father and grandparents for instilling in her a sense of self-respect, ambition and Mountaineer pride.

Theresa Post, daughter of Clarksburg resident John Post and granddaughter of Minnie Post, has won this years Mountaineer Parents Essay contest held in conjunction with annual Fall Family Weekend activities on campus.

Theresa, now a third-year law student, and her father were recognized during halftime of Saturdays WVU -Idaho game at WVUs Mountaineer Field.

Theresas mother died when she was eleven days old. Her father, then a 24-year old widower, chose to keep his daughter and raise her with the assistance of his parents. This was despite efforts of a local wealthy couple who had hopes of adopting her.

“My dad told me he would never give up his little girl,”Theresa said.”He convinced me that I was someone very special and that his love was unequivocal Through the years, he has been my teacher, my role model, my guide and especially, my friend.”

In addition to the love and support she received from her father, Theresa said her grandparents also took on parental roles.

“My grandma Minnie assumed the role of my mother,”she said,”and until I was 10 years old when my grandfather died, I was lucky enough to have two fathers my father and grandfather.

“They were always there for me,”she said,”celebrating my victories with me and wiping away my tears and pushing me to try again after my defeats. Words cannot describe the love, admiration and gratitude that I feel for them.”

Growing up in a”die-hard WVU Mountaineer family”also had a significant impact on her life, she said.

She recalls attending her first WVU football game.

“I never was so excited in my entire life,”she said.”Decked out in my miniature WVU cheerleader uniform, I was ready to become a Mountaineer fan.”

Through the years, Theresa said she shared thousands of Mountaineer football memories with her family.

“The magic and excitement of Mountaineer football,”she said,”has created an unforgettable treasure of memories for the Post family, and I wouldnt trade them for any other treasure imaginable.”

After high school graduation, Theresa said she was destined to be a Mountaineer.

“Dad would expect nothing less,”she said.”I knew from the time I was very small that I wanted to be a Mountaineer.”

As a result of her WVU education, Theresa is optimistic about her future and realizing her dream to become a lawyer upon her graduation in May.

“The values of honest, responsibility, hard work, determination, ambition and above all, love, that I have received from my parents has brought me this far on my journey,”she said.”Now, the rest is up to me.”

As part of the honor of being the 2000 Mountaineer Parent, her father received tickets to the game, a university tailgating pass and a commemorative Mountaineer statue.

More than 1,200 parents were on campus throughout the special weekend, attending events ranging from buffets, receptions and tailgating parties to special performances and Parents Club meetings.