“What I love about Marshall is the family environment. The slogan, ‘Sons and Daughters of Marshall’ truly speaks louder than words. I feel like I can talk to any student on or off campus, regardless of how young or old they may be, and feel perfectly comfortable because we’re all one big family,” said Chase Coe, a senior from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The accounting major will graduate this December and plans to move to Charleston, West Virginia, and become a full-time associate in a public accounting firm, while studying to sit for his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in January 2020. Once Chase passes his exam, he intends to enroll in Marshall University’s online Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program and continue working full time. He plans to remain a lifelong learner and earn various other accounting certifications, including the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Global Certified Management Accountant (GCMA) accreditations, while continuing to work in the public sector. Choosing to attend Marshall because of the faculty-to-student ratio, Chase is appreciative of how the faculty always help and encourage students to succeed. “A lot of other students, in other colleges within the university, underestimate the value of accounting. Not everyone can make it through the program, and unfortunately, I’ve seen other students fall behind along the way,” he said. “The faculty in the program will challenge you, but if you put forth the effort, the reward of knowledge that you’ve gained from them is unparalleled to any other program I’ve seen within the university. That’s what I love most about it (the program).” Chase specifically recognizes the encouragement Amanda Thompson-Abbott, his former tax professor, provides to her students. She also urged him to become involved in Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting, finance and MIS fraternity at Marshall. “What makes her stand out over the rest is the time she takes in her teaching. She takes the time to get to know each one of her students. She cares about them and their futures. When she got me involved with Beta Alpha Psi, it allowed me to network with professionals in public accounting that earned me my internships,” he said. In addition to Beta Alpha Psi, Chase is an active brother of Alpha Sigma Phi, where he has served as the former treasurer, house manager and fundraising director. He currently sits on their alumni relations and finance committees. He is also a member of National Society of Leadership and Success, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Neuroscience Club and Med Life Organization. Chase’s internships include spending the fall 2018 semester at Cabell Huntington Hospital in the finance department, the spring 2019 semester as an intern in the tax department at Brown, Edwards & Company L.L.P. in Charleston, West Virginia, and he has signed with Gray Griffith & Mays in Charleston to be an audit intern in the summer of 2019. Looking forward to learning anything that can help someone, Chase is excited to help others with their financial situation, and that is not just because of how his scholarships have helped him. “Scholarships mean care and charity to those who have proven to earn the scholarship, and the opportunity to take the next step in their education; to have the opportunity to lead the career that they desire,” explained Chase. “I would like to say (to donors) thank you so much for sticking with me for the past few years and helping my family and me financially so that I may continue to further my education.” He believes that alumni should give back because without the professional preparation they received from their education at Marshall, they would not be in the positions they are in today. “My hope for Marshall is that it will continue to expand,” said Chase. “In ten years, I hope to see at least a 20 percent growth in student population, as well as the campus size to accommodate the growth, so that Marshall can continue to teach the young bright minds of tomorrow.” The Reward of Knowledge “I am extremely grateful for these incredible individuals that have helped me move forward with my educational journey. Thank you so much for providing a means of support for students like myself. Your kindness does not go unnoticed!”- Courtney Harrison Pictured with Jackie Frazier (left) and Julie Drummond (right), Courtney receives the Kristin McComis Parsons Memorial Award and Sally Garrett Walters Memorial Scholarship. THANK YOU to our donors.