Ashley Hardesty said she learned more about the world while studying at West Virginia University than she had ever dreamed.
“I was educated by profoundly intelligent and caring people, and I made amazing, life-long friends,” she said.
She graduated from WVU in 2000 with a degree in political science with a focus in business and government. She received her law degree from WVU in 2003. She is currently a partner at Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP.
Hardesty will be speaking at Eberly College’s annual Certificate of Achievement Ceremony to be held on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. in the Mountainlair Blue Ballroom.
This event recognizes Eberly students who have completed at least 45 credit hours at WVU and have obtained an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Hardesty said she encourages graduates to look for employment in West Virginia upon graduation because there are opportunities here, and West Virginia is a wonderful place to live.
“If you must leave – always look for the opportunity to return home to West Virginia,” she said. “There is much you can offer the State of West Virginia, and there is much the State can offer to you.”
Hardesty is very involved in Generation Morgantown, an organization that has monthly social/business networking events in different venues on the first Friday of each month.
The organization also hosts educational and community service events throughout the year. Generation Morgantown’s leaders participated in the development of Generation West Virginia—a program that does similar events for areas all around the state.
“In 2006, a couple of my friends and I thought Morgantown needed to develop an organization that focused on people who were somewhere between finishing their education and being an established, successful leader,” Hardesty said.
This group thought it was important for people in that stage of their lives to have a strong connection to a network of peers and mentors, as well as opportunities for community service and investment in the community.
For instance, Generation Morgantown has hosted educational events focused on debt management, etiquette and dressing for success. In addition to Generation Morgantown’s annual Dog Fest 5K race, that raises money for local animal organizations, the organization coordinates periodic food and clothing collections.
Other cities in West Virginia observed a need for the same type of organization.
“About 18 months after we got Generation Morgantown off the ground, we met with the leaders of the other organizations around the State, including leaders from Parkersburg, Charleston and Huntington, and we all participated in a retreat and planning session at Stonewall,” Hardesty said.
Since that time, organizations have been initiated in the Northern Panhandle, Eastern Panhandle, Harrison County, Greenbrier County, Beckley, and other locations.
“Wherever you go in West Virginia, there is an organization like Generation Morgantown prepared to help you bridge the gap between life as a student and life working in a career,” she added.
CONTACT: Rebecca Herod, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
304-293-7405, ext. 5251, Rebecca.Herod@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.