THE OPPORTUNITY MAKER

Pamela Alderman

President and Professor, Nursing of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College

SUPERPOWERS: Passion for education and creating new opportunities

Pamela Alderman never dreamed she would end up in education. A firstgeneration college student, she earned the nursing degree that would kick off her career at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. “I loved being an ER nurse.”

Alderman practiced for nearly a decade before finding herself back at Southern in 1987 to teach, filling in occasionally on weekends in the ER while also balancing her home life and working toward a master of science in nursing at West Virginia University. Though life carried her off on other pursuits, she returned to Southern once again in 2020 when she was named president of the college—the first graduate of the institution to serve in that capacity. “Southern is a part of me,” she says. “As a student, I was very active in the school, but I never dreamed I would come back like this. I am seeing my third generation of students come through—mothers and fathers, their children, and now their grandchildren. It’s making such a difference.”

In this role, Alderman is dedicated to making sure everyone knows that anyone can always come back to school. “You can do anything you set your mind to,” she says. “It’s not how smart you are, but how determined you are. You just have to have the passion and drive.” Alderman loves going to work and creating new programs, watching the students learn, and seeing Southern graduates go out into the workforce. “I am giving back to the community because the community has given so much to me.”

When looking toward the future, Alderman knows that this—Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College—is it. “This is my last job, whether it ends three or 10 years from now. I just want to make this the best job I’ve ever had. I want to do the best job I ever have. I want to leave a legacy behind for someone to pick up and move forward with it.” 

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