There are probably staff members across campus that you work with a lot, or even depend on, but actually know very little about or have never even met in person. Well, to remedy that situation, the Staff Council will spotlight a member of the staff so you can get to know them a little bit better. Our current Spotlight is...
Dr. Godbey is the Director of our Civics Institute and Director of Debate! Her office is located on the 1st floor of Hardway Hall.
What do you like most about working at Fairmont State? What I like most about working at Fairmont State is the privilege of doing work I
believe truly matters. I think strengthening civic education and bringing civil discourse
back to college campuses are among the most important things we can do right now.
Our students are future voters, neighbors, and community leaders, and they deserve
the knowledge and skills to participate fully in our democracy. I get to spend my
days helping them understand how government works, learn how to disagree well, listen
to understand, and engage with ideas they don’t share. Coaching debate is a big part
of that. Many of our students are first-generation college students and West Virginia
natives, and giving them access to competitive debate opens doors to opportunities
they might not otherwise have. Watching a student find their voice, build an argument,
and grow in confidence is incredibly rewarding. It’s rare to get to do work you find
valuable that also has the potential to change lives, and I’m grateful Fairmont State
gives me that opportunity every day.
What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time, I love to read, normally averaging about 50 books a year. I also love to travel with my husband Josh. I also enjoy playing golf, though I’m still very much working on being good at it.
Where are you originally from? I am from a very small town called Walton, WV which is in Roane County.
If money was no object, what would you do with it? If money were no object, I’d like to travel the world checking off our wish list. I’d also make sure every student who wants to debate has the chance to, by funding travel, tournaments, and scholarships so that cost is never the reason a student misses out. And I’d probably still be bad at golf, just on much nicer courses.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was younger I wanted to be an orthodontist, that changed pretty quickly when I realized that I have a very strong aversion to teeth particularly loose teeth!
What is an interesting or fun fact about yourself? I was crowned Miss Photogenic at the 1992 WV State Majorette festival.
