Two Northern Panhandle high school seniors recently provided a shining example of what an education in this region can produce.

Wheeling Central senior Liam Kruse and John Marshall senior Sarah McBee have been named two of the five 2026 West Virginia University Foundation Scholars, the university announced this week. The Foundation Scholarship is the most prestigious the university awards to incoming freshmen each year.

Valued at more than $100,000 total, the Foundation Scholarship covers college costs for four years of undergraduate studies, including tuition and fees, room and board, and a book stipend. Each Foundation Scholar will also receive a $4,500 stipend to help diversify their academic journeys through study abroad, internships or research.

And 40% of that list comes from Ohio and Marshall counties.

This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication Liam and Sarah have put into their studies since elementary school, as well as a testament to the work their teachers have put in through the years, molding them, inspiring them, guiding them and preparing them for this moment.

There are no limits to the pride that Kruse, McBee and their families should feel at this moment. WVU has chosen these two as some of the brightest examples of what the Mountain State can produce among its youth. And, when they ultimately walk across the stage to receive their degrees, they’ll do it with the comfort of knowing they’ll be free from debt in obtaining them. Anyone who has seen the cost of higher education these days knows how important that is.

Congratulations again to Liam and Sarah. You have done this Northern Panhandle proud, and if you continue the dedication to studies you already have exhibited, you’ll continue making us proud.