West Liberty University alumnus John Walters has dedicated himself to service to the community and to young people since his graduation in 1972.
After earning his B.A. degree in physical education, health and recreation with a minor in social studies, he taught in the Ohio County Schools for 14 years. He also earned a master’s degree in education from West Virginia University.
“I enjoyed every day at West Liberty,” Walters said, adding that Greek Day (he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha) was “a fantastic time.”
“The professors were wonderful, and the personal attention we students received was the greatest.”
Through his membership in Osiris Shriners, Walters actively supports the provision of healthcare for children in need. The “Illustrious Potentate” of the Wheeling Osiris Shriners explained, “All Shriners have the common goal of helping children. Our fraternity, founded in fun, is committed to helping children with burns or orthopedic problems, regardless of their ability to pay.
“There are 22 Shriners hospitals throughout North America and each Shrine center is dedicated to a particular hospital. Ours is in Erie, Pa., and it serves around 2,000 children per day. All services – orthopedics, prosthetics, cleft palate surgery and burn treatment – are provided free of charge,” he said.
The district in which he serves is comprised of 22 counties in West Virginia, extending to the eastern panhandle, and two counties in Ohio. He has been a member of the organization for 22 years.
Walters’ focus on meeting the community’s healthcare needs extends to his recent service with the Northern West Virginia Rural Health Education Center, where he coordinated the placement of students from the state’s three medical schools into small hospitals and clinics in rural areas.
He also is a member of the board of the Health Science and Technology Academy, a math and science enrichment program for West Virginia’s high school students in rural, disadvantaged and underrepresented areas. Starting in ninth grade, Walters explained, students who maintain their grade level meet weekly, work on science projects and, if they successfully complete the program, may qualify for a tuition waiver at state colleges and universities, including WLU.
In addition, he has served as vice president of the State Health Education Council, which provides educational programs for students in the health sciences and social work.
His service to the Shriners and other health and education endeavors, along with running his own business in Valley Grove, keep him busy, but Walters and fellow WLU alumni Terry Williamson and Janet Sparks still are able to share their musical talents as members of the Dog Hollow Band. “Honorary West Liberty alum” Jeff Strautman rounds out the bluegrass group. Walters and Williamson also have visited some 300 schools in the state under the auspices of the W.Va. Department of Culture and History’s “Mountain Pride” program, teaching children about the people and history of West Virginia.