“It’s important to try to find a niche in your community that you can fit into. Get involved with the First Ascent and Ascend West Virginia programs as well as outside community organizations. ” This is sage advice from Eliza Siefert, West Virginia Native and First Ascent Member, commenting on her personal experiences navigating her career and life in West Virginia. The First Ascent program helps recent graduates from West Virginia universities launch their careers and build meaningful connections in the Mountain State through mentorship, professional development, and community engagement. JPEG
“For me, leaving college was a little difficult. I went from a community with all my friends to almost feeling alone,” says Eliza. First Ascent helped her find and meet people who had similar interests and shared passions. Additionally, she was matched with a mentor (a perk of the First Ascent Program) who has industry experience that she could bounce ideas off of. Her mentor has also helped her better understand the professional and organizational realities behind environmental work, giving her a broader perspective on how projects are funded and implemented.
Eliza grew up in Parkersburg, spending lots of time at Mount Wood and North Bend State Parks and on the Rail Trails in that area. Eliza’s efforts for a safe and clean West Virginia stem from her love of nature. She recalls her time spent in the Mid-Ohio Valley and how her experiences shaped her passions. “I remember having chemical spill drills in elementary school and the PFAS epidemic occurred right there at Parkersburg. So, going into college, I was thinking I was going to study the medical side of these issues that I cared about. To investigate the health impacts of different environmental pollutants on people across the state and in Appalachia,” Siefert said. She eventually majored in environmental microbiology, “It is a mix of environmental global change, current conditions, and microbes both natural and unnatural. I found my passion there.”
Siefert’s environmental focus shines through her ongoing work with the Water Research Institute at WVU and the now annual Mon River Sweep cleanup project. The Mon River Sweep is a passion project that Siefert helped to spearhead when the opportunity arose. It is a way to both make an impact on the environment and do grassroots community building around issues she finds essential.
“The Ohio River Sanitation Commission conducts a sweep every year. So, three years ago, I received information that they were looking to partner with other groups to do more sweeps.” Siefert explained. The WRI had just been given an endowment from the Qualcomm Foundation, for our Three Rivers Quest program, which focuses on the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny Rivers,” says Eliza. On April 18th, over one hundred volunteers showed up for the Mon River Sweep at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park in Morgantown. This project is a huge undertaking involving partnerships between the Water Research Institute, Three Rivers Waterkeepers, The Army Corps of Engineers, Adventure West Virginia, and the Ascend WV/First Ascent WV programs. Volunteers were mobilized in kayaks, canoes, and on the riverbanks where 5,418.5 pounds of trash was removed.
“I would say plastic drink bottles were one of the most common things pulled from the river. We also had a decent number of basketballs. Oh, somebody pulled out a rubber ducky, which was pretty fun,” Siefert said. Eliza was overjoyed with the support she received from local community members, especially from fellow First Ascent members. Thirty-four tires and twenty- one 55-gallon barrels were hauled out during the sweep. When asked what she thought were some of the most important things the average person can do to help protect our rivers and streams, Eliza explained, “I highly recommend that folks get involved with their local watershed organization. Locally we have Friends of Deckers Creek, Friends of the Tygart and Friends of the Cheat, all of which are happy to have volunteers. I also think it’s important when you are outside to pay attention and alert the proper authorities when something seems off. Don’t rely on other people to do it. ”
For Eliza, protecting West Virginia’s rivers and streams is about more than environmental stewardship; it is about caring for the communities that depend on them. From organizing river cleanups to researching water quality and stream restoration, her work reflects a deep commitment to the state she has always called home. That same sense of connection is what she found in First Ascent. Like many recent graduates, Eliza faced uncertainty after college. Through the program, she found mentors, friendships, and a community of young professionals who shared her desire to build meaningful lives and careers in West Virginia.
As she continues her efforts to restore streams, improve water quality, and engage communities across the state, Eliza remains guided by the same advice she offers to others: get involved. Whether through a local watershed organization, a community group, or a program like First Ascent, finding your niche can lead to opportunities, friendships, and a deeper connection to the place you call home. For Eliza, those connections helped turn the uncertainty of life after college into a sense of purpose and belonging. Her story is a reminder that West Virginia’s future is shaped by people who choose to invest their talents where their roots run deepest, and by the communities that help them thrive.