Jake Oyler enjoys being a Texan. Living in the sprawling city of Houston has its benefits and for the past year it has proven to be a good place to raise his family and start his career in management.

But its his experience at West Virginia University that he has to thank for the opportunities that life along the Gulf Coast is now providing him.

Oyler owes his new found bliss, in part, to a scholarship he earned during his final year in the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics masters of business administration (MBA) program. The scholarship was provided by The Neal and Sherrie Savage Family Foundation with the involvement of their son and trustee, Nathan Savagea graduate of the WVU MBA program himself. To receive help in placing the scholarship, Savage enlisted the help of his former MBA professor, Dietrich Schaupp in identifying a deserving MBA student. After reviewing essays submitted by several qualified students, Schaupp suggested Oyler.

My first class in MBA school was taught by Dietrich Schaupp whom I have always remembered as having a great impact on me. With that in mind, it seemed natural to have Dr. Schaupp involved in helping my siblings and I place a scholarship,said Savage.Our parents have always taught us the principle of giving back and it is something we are trying to do whenever possible my making a difference in the communities where we live or work.

I am a first generation college student, and my family is just hard-working Americans,said Oyler.Unfortunatelyand fortunately for methere never was a big college nest egg for me to rely on once I made it to graduate school. So to us, the money was heaven sent.

Wanting to thank the foundation for their generosity, Oyler contacted Savage and through their conversation discovered some striking similarities between them.

Both men are originally from the mountainous state of Utah where they completed their undergraduate degrees thirteen years apartSavage at Brigham Young University in 1993 and Oyler at Utah State University in 2006. Both men also wanted to attend graduate school in the eastern U.S. and after careful consideration decided upon the WVU MBA program. And finally, both had asked their wife and one-year old child to join them in moving across the country to Morgantown so they could pursue their educationa difficult proposition for a young family.

Upon learning of their similar backgrounds, Oylers qualifications and his impending graduation, Savage invited him to learn more about the company that he served as a senior vice-president. Founded in 1946 by three brothers, Savage Companies is now recognized as a leader in materials management and transportation systems consisting of over 100 locations and 2,000 employees in 30 states and five Canadian provinces. The company could provide great opportunity for the soon-to-be MBA graduate seeking employment.

The two exchanged a few e-mails over several months until Oyler found himself in Utah for a wedding and took advantage of an opportunity to travel to the companys headquarters in Salt Lake City. There he met with Savage in person and tried to ascertain if the company may hold some promise for his future.

When I arrived, Nathan was in the middle of a conference call with a number of the senior executives, but instead of making me wait outside, they brought me in and sat me down with the CEO , CFO, legal council and a number of other managerstalk about intimidating,said Oyler.But by the time I was done there I was excited about the opportunity of working there.

And the opportunity soon followed. The day after Oyler graduated from the MBA program, Savage called to ask how he felt about working in Houston. The following week, Oyler was flown to Houston and offered the position of Mid-West and Gulf Regions Hiring Manager.

Employers are often looking for people they believe are a good fit for the company and as a job searcher I was looking for the same thing,said Oyler.I knew that Savage was a company that will take care of its employees and I knew it was the type of job that was small enough to get noticed, but big enough to do amazing things and encounter amazing opportunities.

While Jake and I both come from similar backgrounds, he had to prove himself through the interview process,said Savage.Jake is doing a good job and is making a positive differencewe are glad that he joined our organization.

Oyler reflects fondly for his experience at WVU . Although he had moved his family to Morgantown to increase his education, it also resulted in them strengthening their bond and provided an opportunity for them to continue their story closer to home.

I appreciate the irony of the story, and the good fortune that became of it,he said.With our headquarters one hour away from my hometown, I often think its amazing that because of a decision that took me to Morgantown, West Virginia, I am now working for a company that brought me back home.

Country roads do indeed take us to the place that we belong.