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West Virginia University Student Success

Mountain Scholars

Mountain Scholars helps West Virginia students transition to college throughout their first year on campus while building a sense of community, helping them find their fit and exploring possible career pathways.

What to Expect and Eligibility

All students from the state of West Virginia are eligible to participate in the Mountain Scholars program.

  • Students are connected to a team of regional recruiters, financial aid counselors, advisers, success coaches and peer mentors. 
  • Students work with WVU staff to create a personalized academic plan that works for them and discover their passions and strengths to leverage in and out of the classroom. 
  • Students learn more about career pathways in West Virginia and the Appalachian region that match well with their interests. 
  • Students meet with peer mentors, led by students from West Virginia. Students benefit from resources and special programming that will help empower students to do their best and find success academically and personally. 
  • Students who are declared as Exploratory will also have the opportunity to be in a dedicated section of WVUe191 - First Year Seminar to support their transition to WVU, community building, and major and career exploration.

To express interest in programming and/or the Mountain Scholars WVUe191, please complete this form

Complete the form

Meet Your Peer Mentors

Brayden

Brayden

Hi, I am Brayden Hornsby and I’m a double major in Accounting and Marketing.  I have been a peer mentor for the Office of Student Success for three years now!  I am originally from southern West Virginia, particularly the Summersville area. 

This semester, I am looking forward to football games and in-person classes!  In my free time I enjoy having fun with my friends, watching movies, and listening to music.  My advice to incoming freshman is to explore as many different paths and experiences that you can, there is always something exciting and new to check out!

When I graduate I plan on attending graduate school and obtaining a masters in public administration.

Photo of Alyson Robinett, Peer Mentor

Alyson

Hello, my name is Alyson Robinett. I am a sophomore finance student and the WV GEAR UP peer mentor! I am from Princeton, WV in Mercer County.

In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends on campus and binge watching my favorite Netflix shows. This semester, I’m looking forward to going to WVU baseball games and meeting new people.

My advice for students is to take advantage of all the free resources you have. In addition to all the academic ones like tutoring, success coaching, advising, etc., there are a ton of fun ones like a free membership to the Student Rec and fun events happening all over campus. These are also great opportunities to meet new people!

When I graduate, I plan to attend optometry school and later return to WVU to pursue my MBA and open my own optometry practice.