https://www.wvnews.com/fairmontnews/opinion/why-higher-education-matters-not-just-for-graduates-but-for-west-virginia/article_c20a3b36-b569-4d60-a512-cd2ff83f8cc6.html02/03/2026 09:05:39 AMAs president of Fairmont State University, I spend a lot of time talking with students and families about what college means for them — for their careers, their finances, and their futures. Those conversations matter. But they are only part of the story. Higher education is not just a private investment. It is a public good; and in West Virginia, that could not be more important.Editorials