Bethany Career Week to Connect Students and Alumni

BETHANY, W.Va. – Several alumni are returning to Bethany College next week to participate in the school’s first Career Week, a series of events designed to encourage students to prepare for their future careers.

The signature event of Career Week is an alumni and student networking dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the back dining room of the Ogden Dining Hall.

At 5 p.m., Jeffrey Woda ’87, president, managing director and principal of Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., will deliver the keynote address.

After graduating from Bethany with a degree in accounting, Woda worked at Ernst & Young in Charleston, W.Va., before starting Woda Development and Construction Inc. in 1990.

In 2018, the company was restructured and became the first vertically integrated affordable housing firm in the United State to implement an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, according to its website.

Since 1990, the company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has created more than 12,000 housing units in 15 states. Woda Cooper Companies has six offices and more than 550 employees. It is consistently among the country’s top 10 largest affordable housing developers.

After dinner, students will be able to network with the alumni in attendance. Earlier Monday, alumni will take part in one of two meet-and-greets with faculty.

Career Week kicks off Monday, Nov. 11, with a series of workshops on creating a LinkedIn profile, exploring career paths based on one’s interests, and creating a resume. Students will also have the opportunity to have a professional portrait taken at the Career Center in Morlan Hall.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, students are invited to take part in an internship and job fair in the back of the Ogden Dining Hall. Full-time, part-time, shadowing, and seasonal opportunities will be available.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria, GOing PROfessional will spotlight Bethany experiences to promote on a resume.

From 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at The Hub in Morlan Hall, students will learn how to dress for success with the help of Bethany’s Professional Image Center. The center, which accepts donations of professional clothing and accessories, began in 2014 as a joint effort of the Office of Career and Professional Development and the Kalon Scholars.

In addition to Woda, alumni who are participating in Career Week are:

• Kathleen Brosh ’86, Ph.D., research naturalist, Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
• Robert M. Brosh, Jr., ’85, Ph.D., chief, Section on DNA Helicases at National Institutes of Health Biomedical Research Center.
• Bethany Caldwell ’05, licensed professional counselor and certified brain injury specialist, clinical director and rehabilitation counselor at Resurrection Counseling Ministries.
• Joyce Dumbaugh-Chernenko ’78, judge, First Family Court Circuit of West Virginia.
• Marc Chernenko, attorney at William E. Watson Associates and Bethany College trustee.
• Meghan Philp ’12, digital asset coordinator at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
• Christopher Seabright ’00, director of sales and strategy for Retail National Experience Lead, PNC Bank.
• Cory Wilson ’07, regulatory project manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, Regulatory Division.
• Frank Yankovich ’86, senior vice president, Corporate Banking, First Commonwealth Bank.

Other participating companies are the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce; Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal; Eurofins Scientific; MassMutual Pittsburgh; YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh; Catholic Charities West Virginia; Tri-State PGA; Oglebay Resort; PPD; Horseshoe Leadership Center & Recreation Area, Camp Horseshoe; YMCA of Wheeling; and Williams Lea.

ABOUT BETHANY COLLEGE

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.