Submitted photo Sidney Megna, second from right, D&E’s president-for-a-day, visited Rotary along with, from left, Rotarian and D&E Vice President for Advancement Scott Goddard, Rotary President Tammie Rizzio and D&E Board of Trustees member and Rotarian Joyce Allen.

ELKINS — Sidney Megna, a junior at Davis & Elkins College visited with the Elkins Rotary Club to give insight into her role as president of the pollege on “Switch Day.”

In preparation for her day as president of D&E, Megna got a “crash course” in how to be president of the college for a day from President Chris Wood.

“He mentioned all the constituencies he serves. There are, of course, the students, the board, faculty and staff and there’s also the community. I think it’s really important that the campus and the town are intertwined and feed off one another,” said Megna. “It’s a great relationship that works for both sides.”

Megna, a junior who hails from Fairmont, is pursuing a double major in political science and English with a minor in pre-law. Her journey to D&E started when she was selected to attend Rhododendron Girls’ State, that is held on the D&E campus.

Rosemary Thomas, then D&E vice-president and head of the Girls’ State program, encouraged Megna to apply for the inaugural Emerging Leaders Scholarship, a four-year scholarship that includes tuition, room and board with an approximate value of $160,000.

“I was so nervous and prepped so much for it and it ended up going quite well. I got a full ride scholarship to D&E and I’ve been so blessed to have that,” said Megna.

“(The scholarship) was a surprise. The news came into my school, and we didn’t know they were there, and they called all the seniors to an assembly. We thought it was for a new testing thing for the seniors. I was student body president, and I got up there because they said I had to demonstrate how to log onto the testing thing first. I was wearing a Grinch sweatshirt; it was close to Christmas and being quite annoyed by the testing idea, I encouraged the senior class to walk out of the assembly. I got up there, they opened the curtains and there was Chris Wood and the rest of the D&E crew!”

In addition to her studies, Megna currently serves as president of the D&E student government, is a member of the Morrison-Novakovic Center for Faith & Public Policy and the Phi Omega Mu Sorority, works as an ambassador in the D&E Admissions Department, and serves as a consultant in the Writing Center, providing support for her peers with academic writing. Megna also penned the play “Geani” that was performed in January during D&E’s “Game Over, A Night of Student One-Act Plays.”

Megna credits the Morrison-Novakovic Center with helping her grow and find her community and push her boundaries.

“I’ve met some lifelong friends and mentors and I’m really grateful to them and we’ve gotten so many opportunities. This last summer I did an internship on Capitol Hill in D.C. and that was through connections I made though the Morrison-Novakovic Center,” Megna said.

“Up until I joined the Center I was interested in politics and faith, and they intertwined in the sense that they were both a part of me, but they never purposefully intertwined until I joined the Center and realized how much those two things are related.”

Serving as president of D&E’s student government has been a phenomenal experience for Megna, she said. The members of her cabinet speak to the diversity and richness of D&E. The vice-president and treasurer are from Venezuela and the secretary is from Preston County.

“It’s awesome to be at a place where we, the students, have a voice at the table. That’s a really special thing to take the things that we know and meet with President Wood,” said Megna.

Magna is also active in local community activities, serving as a YoungLife leader at Tygarts Valley High School and as a princess during the 2024 Mountain State Forest Festival.

“Being able to be president for a day is really awesome,” she said. “Telling my friends from other colleges that this is what I’m doing today is such a strange experience. For example, I told some of my friends from other colleges, and they said they had never been in the same room as their college president. Well, today I am in the president’s office as the president. That is a really special thing.

“It speaks to the value that D&E puts on students, and we’re really lucky to be a part of that. I’m really grateful at D&E to be in a place that celebrates opportunities likes this and is helping me gear up towards the next steps.”

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves.

Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club’s Facebook page — Rotary Club of Elkins — or contact club president Tammie Rizzio at tammierizzio@gmail.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.