Although West Virginia promises high quality of life through vibrant communities, low cost of living, and access to world-class outdoor landscapes, some of our university graduates tend to look elsewhere for their first career after college. This mindset is shifting thanks to the relentless effort of First Ascent, the nation’s first-of-its-kind talent retention program.
West Virginia native Jake Ellis is an example of the many success stories of the
First Ascent program. “Just growing up in the rural outdoors was awesome. It allowed
for fun childhood activities. I grew up in the woods,” Ellis said. Born and raised
in Fairmont, WV, Ellis spent his summers building forts and his winters skiing
at Snowshoe.
After gaining a degree in accounting from West Virginia University, Jake had plans to move outside the state but later changed his mind as he realized the great hidden potential the state had to offer. “I'll be honest, like most people that grew up in West Virginia, I seriously considered leaving the state. I was under the impression that the opportunities aren't here to do better in life. You have to move. So that was kind of in the back of my mind while growing up and going to school.” Ellis studied at WVU for its affordability and close proximity to home. But after college, he realized that career opportunities in West Virginia do exist and accepted an offer for a position in Morgantown that was comparable or even better than out of state offers. “So I decided to stay in West Virginia and I was very happy with that because it was close to home. I love the state. There's a lot to do. A LOT to do. It's an affordable place to live and grow in your career. And then when I took a remote role, it just made sense to stay,” he said.
It was a pivotal moment with a friend that introduced Ellis to First Ascent, a discussion that would positively change the trajectory of his career. “I first heard about it from a friend who was with Vantage Ventures. She's also a graduate assistant and she had heard about Ascend WV. I think we were talking about that and she said, “there's a program they're opening for recent college graduates, maybe you could look into that” Ellis had already graduated, but First Ascent was created to appeal to upcoming graduates and recent Alumni, which led him to apply for the program.
Since then, Jake has been a dedicated member of the program utilizing the essential
resources the program has to offer including creating a community that he holds
dear to his heart. “I wanted to be a part of First Ascent for the community. The
connection between other remote professionals, as well as getting together for
events, particularly outdoors events, as well as professional networking. So that's
a big reason why I wanted to join,” Ellis said.
As Ellis continues to thrive in his social relationships, he also takes the necessary
steps to prioritize his professional growth by taking advantage of the great benefits
First Ascent offers to help him succeed. “I think it's expanded my professional
network. Even in the Slack channels, there's an opportunity to meet people and
learn about people and things to do,” Ellis said, “The co-working space is a big
one. I would not have access to something like this, nor would I be able to afford
it month to month. So having something like this is awesome. I mean, the facility
is great.”
As a result of this flexible work-life balance, Ellis’s love for West Virginia grew and he never misses any opportunity to enjoy his favorite fun activity, restaurant or just spending time with other First Ascent members. “I love to go skiing. Morgantown has several different mountains within close distance. So that's one thing I love to do in the wintertime,” he said. “For restaurants I really like Muriale's in Fairmont, Cody's in Bridgeport. It's a very good, small little place that's not a chain, but it has really good food and an interesting menu. Then it's right next to Bonnie Bell's, which is a little small town bakery and they have amazing cookies. So I would definitely recommend those two places.”
As Jake enjoys the mountains of West Virginia, he advises new graduates to take advantage of the First Ascent program and enjoy the benefits it offers them in all aspects. “I'd say definitely take advantage of everything that's offered. I mean, the resources are here. You just have to join in and use them. The co-working space, career mentorship and development, networking opportunities, and the outdoor experiences, all that's free and available to anybody that joins the program. So that's just some of the things that I would recommend taking advantage of when you join and just become involved.”