BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) has named the recipients of its 2026 Alumni Awards, recognizing extraordinary leadership, service, and accomplishments that reflect the spirit and values of the College. An additional award will be presented to the Upshur Parish House in acknowledgment of its service to the Wesleyan and Buckhannon communities. 

Honorees will be recognized during the Founders Day Convocation at Homecoming on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Wesley Chapel. The event is free and open to the public. 

The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni who have achieved notable distinction in their profession or demonstrated exceptional leadership in service to their communities.

Dr. H.G. Young III ’73

Dr. H.G. Young has distinguished himself through a remarkable career in music education, choral conducting, and service to the arts. A native of Clendenin, West Virginia, he came to WVWC on an academic scholarship and earned a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in music. While at Wesleyan, he was active in the musical life of the College and was elected to Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society.

Dr. Young went on to earn a Ph.D. in music from the University of Florida, completing his dissertation on the sacred choral music of American pianist and composer Dave Brubeck. For 50 years, he has served as Professor of Music at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, where he teaches music theory, history, and appreciation and conducts the College Chorale.

Across his career, Dr. Young has brought musicians, composers, students, and audiences together through performance, music, and multicultural arts programming. As an advocate for the creation of new music, he has commissioned and premiered works by ten American composers, including two Continental Harmony projects, funded by the American Composers Forum and the National Endowment for the Arts. His teaching, leadership, and service have been recognized by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia, the American Choral Directors Association, and the National Society of Arts and Letters. Dr. Young remains connected to his alma mater as a member of the Wesleyan Society and Emeritus Club and, in the words of his nominator, “He inserts a piece of his Wesleyan heritage in everything he does.”

The Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes graduates of the last 15 years who have demonstrated early professional accomplishment or meaningful leadership in community service.

Dr. Zachery Lonergan ’14

Dr. Zachery Lonergan is an accomplished biomedical researcher and scholar whose pioneering work continues to advance his field. Born in Elkins, West Virginia, Dr. Lonergan graduated summa cum laude from WVWC with a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemistry. While at Wesleyan, he was a member of the first Service Scholars class and was active in WE LEAD, Student Senate, and biology research under Dr. Melanie Sal. He also participated in summer research programs through WV-INBRE and the National Science Foundation REU Program.

After Wesleyan, Dr. Lonergan earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Vanderbilt University. His research and scholarship were recognized through numerous publications. He was the recipient of a fellowship from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as Vanderbilt’s Sidney P. Colowick Award for Outstanding Student Research.

Dr. Lonergan later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, supported in part by a competitive fellowship from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research. While at Caltech, he published numerous research findings and secured an NIH Career Transition Award that helped him establish a research program at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers, he leads an independent lab, teaches, and mentors graduate and undergraduate students. His nominator emphasized that Dr. Lonergan is “leaving a mark for himself by training new students and making new discoveries.”

Lucy Swecker Godwin ’11

Lucy Godwin is a devoted advocate for education, literacy, and community engagement in West Virginia. She earned bachelor’s degrees from WVWC in Elementary Education and Communication Studies, along with an Honors minor. After graduation, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Daegu, South Korea, where she taught English. Returning to Upshur County, she taught elementary school while also completing her master’s degree as a Reading Specialist at Wesleyan. For the past 12 years, Godwin has taught in Randolph County, West Virginia, where she currently teaches fifth grade at Tygarts Valley Middle High School. 

In 2017, Godwin founded the Beverly Bookmobile, transforming a school bus into a mobile library and farmers market designed to bring educational and community resources directly to local families. To make this vision possible, she wrote grants and built partnerships with more than 40 community organizations and businesses. Godwin remains actively involved in literacy, student-enrichment, and community-based learning as president of the Russell Memorial Library Board, a member of the Randolph County Reading Council, and manager of her school’s Makerspace and STEAM initiatives.

Godwin’s service has been recognized through her National Board Certification and numerous honors, including Alpha Delta Kappa’s West Virginia Educator in Excellence Award, the West Virginia Jefferson Award, Randolph County Young Leader of the Year, the Elbert K. Fretwell Outstanding Educator Award, and the West Virginia Beacon Award. She lives in Huttonsville with her husband and fellow Bobcat, Jordan Godwin ’11, and their two children, Arthur and Anna Claire.

The Alumni Service Award recognizes alumni whose generosity and volunteer leadership have made a meaningful and lasting contribution to Wesleyan.

Bill Pepper ’61 and Nancy Jo Funk Pepper ’59

Bill Pepper and Nancy Jo Funk Pepper have demonstrated a deep and enduring commitment to WVWC through decades of loyalty, service, and support. Nancy Jo, originally of Lake Floyd, West Virginia, majored in Library Science at Wesleyan and was president of Alpha Delta Pi. She went on to teach for 33 years as an elementary librarian. Her Wesleyan roots extend across generations: her grandfather, Clyde A. Law, was the first president of the College’s Board of Trustees, and her parents, her brother, and all three of the Peppers’ children attended WVWC. 

Bill, a native of Selbyville, Delaware, majored in Business at Wesleyan and was a member of Theta Chi. After graduation, he returned home to work in his family’s poultry business before founding Pep-Up, Inc., a petroleum company that he grew from five trucks and seven employees to 14 locations across Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. When Pep-Up was sold in 2023, the business included 160 trucks and more than 200 employees, with the Peppers’ children and several grandchildren also having been involved in its work.

Together, Bill and Nancy Jo have been faithful supporters and ambassadors for the College. They are members of the Wesleyan Society, the Reger Society, and the Emeritus Club, and their generosity is felt across the WVWC community through their ongoing engagement and unique acts of service. Their nominators celebrated the couple as “more than just supporters of Wesleyan,” adding that “their love of Wesleyan is evident in everything they do.”

The Young Alumni Service Award recognizes recent graduates who have remained connected to Wesleyan through dedicated service and support.

Seth Blake ’18

Seth Blake is an educator and dedicated mentor to young athletes and musicians. Growing up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, he attended Buckhannon-Upshur High School, where he was active in the band program and served as a two-year captain of the swim team. As a Music Education major at WVWC, Blake participated in multiple ensembles and was a section leader for the tubas in the Bobcat Marching Band.

After graduation, Blake began his career as an elementary school music teacher in Randolph County and later joined the coaching staff of the Elkins High School Swim Team in Elkins, West Virginia. He now also serves as Elkins High School’s Director of Bands. Blake completed an M.S. in Curriculum Design and Instruction from Western Governors University in 2024, and his culminating research on diverse learners in the performing arts classroom has been presented at conferences and referenced in other academic research.

Blake’s leadership has helped bring continued success to Elkins High School’s band and swim programs. The Elkins High girls swim team won state championships in 2024, 2025, and 2026, while the boys team won a state title in 2025 and finished as runner-up the following season. The Fighting Tiger Band has also earned numerous honors, including a state champion drumline in 2024. Blake has remained an active supporter of Wesleyan’s music programs, helping with instrument repairs and encouraging participation in the Bobcat Marching Band. His continued contributions to the College, along with his commitment to the young people he leads as a teacher and coach, reflect the spirit of service and mentorship at the heart of a Wesleyan education.

The Extra Mile Award recognizes non-alumni individuals or organizations who have gone above and beyond in service to Wesleyan, their community, or their country.

Upshur Parish House

The Upshur Parish House is a community-supported nonprofit organization that helps neighbors in Upshur County meet basic needs and navigate times of crisis with dignity and care. Through its food pantries in Buckhannon and Rock Cave, carryout meal program, Crosslines financial assistance, the Clothes Closet thrift store, and seasonal programs, the Parish House provides practical support to individuals and families throughout the community.

The Parish House was founded in 1992 by retired WVWC professor Rev. Dr. Marvin Carr and his late wife, Sarah Carr, to help meet community needs in the wake of severe flooding and the closure of local coal mines. Guided by its mission “to work together, as neighbors, to help one another thrive,” the Parish House brings together local church congregations, businesses, organizations, volunteers, and donors in shared service. Wesleyan has long been part of that community of care, with generations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni contributing to its work. The organization is being recognized with the Extra Mile Award for its outstanding service to Wesleyan and Upshur County, including its meaningful response to recent flooding, which mobilized urgently needed supplies and support.

Led by Executive Director Isaac Casto ’06, M.Ed. ’13, the Parish House continues to strengthen and affirm the shared spirit of service connecting WVWC and the broader Buckhannon community. 

 

Alumni and friends are invited to return to campus for Homecoming to celebrate this year’s awardees, attend a wide array of scheduled events and activities, reconnect with classmates and friends, and take part in the traditions that continue to shape the Wesleyan community across generations. For a complete schedule and registration information, visit wvwc.edu/homecoming.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.