Fincham speaks before Rotary Club

ELKINS – Derek Fincham, director of the Naylor Learning Center at Davis & Elkins College, addressed the Rotary Club of Elkins, giving the group an overview of the services offered by the center. Joining Fincham were students Mackenzie Lyons, Shelley Steff and Humza Akram.

The Naylor Learning Centr is located in Albert Hall on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. It was established in 2011 through a gift from the A.D. Naylor family, allowing for the renovation of center's space and the launch of its academic support programs. The center is focused on the success of all D&E students through academic support.

"We are a holistic program. Prior to the formation of the formal center we had the William James Center which offered academic support as well as some career services and our nationally ranked Supported Learning Program," said Fincham. "The Supported Learning Program takes our services for students with neurodiversities and disabilities, beyond our legal requirements. That's something we're extremely proud of at D&E. In fact, we're ranked 9th on Prep Scholar's Best 21 Small Colleges for Learning Disabilities and 10th in the nation for ADHD programs by Affordable Colleges."

The center provides writing support through the Writing Center as well as support for international students in their first year. Students who are in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program can received support for their tests and with academic course work. The center also provides academic coaching and provides disabilities services and legal accommodations. The Supported Learning Program provides one-on-one support for students' academic and social needs as well as their independence needs that include a range of support from how to do laundry to how to apply for graduate school.

"I tied a tie for a student last year for his first job interview, he got the job, so the tied worked," quipped Fincham.

Lyons is a 2022 Tucker County High School graduate who is majoring in special education and art. "I would like to go to graduate school but right now, I'm trying to graduate and get through student teaching. The Naylor Learning Center has been such a blessing for me," said Lyons.

Steff is a non-traditional, veteran student who hails from Virginia.

"I am with the Veterans Readiness Employment Program. I have ADHD which I got diagnosed with when I was in my twenties. It kind of makes me understand why I struggled a little bit in school when I was younger. With the Naylor Learning Center, they're able to accommodate me. My biggest issue is that I just need some quiet time and I get to take my tests by myself instead of having anybody around me. I really love it here and I'm graduating. I'm majoring in psychology and criminology with a minor in philosophy and religious studies. When I graduate, I'm planning on going and getting my Master of Divinity and my dream is to become a chaplain," said Steff.

Akram is a senior from northern Virginia who is majoring in hospitality management.

"Naylor, for me, is like a home. I come there to chill out, get away from people and do my work. I use it as a space to get my work done but if I have challenges, my Supported Learning Program Instructor is there to help me no matter what," said Akram. "For me it's a place I can go to talk but also to be productive in life, school, social life anything in general. Everybody who works there has made it a special place in my heart."

In 2027, eleven students from the Naylor Learning Center will graduate, marking the largest graduating class in the history of the center. In addition to the identified learning center students, approximately 62% of all students at D&E receive some sort of services from the center which can include tutoring or academic coaching. Accommodation services are provided to approximately 24% of the D&E student body, which is within the national average for students having disabilities and the Supported Learning Program has between 50 and 60 students each year.

Students who require accommodation work with Fincham to complete all necessary documentation, having their accommodation formally identified, then establishing the supplemental support that is needed. Tutoring and Writing Center services are available to all students on a drop-in or schedule basis. Instructors may also refer students for academic coaching, which can help with everyday concerns such as time management or how to tackle a specific assignment. The center also provides make-up testing for athletes who miss an exam due to their competition schedule.

There is also an early start program for Naylor Learning Center students.

"Students can come one week early, get used to D&E, get used to the City of Elkins. We do a lot of networking and field trips around Elkins and the Randolph County area," added Fincham.

Students are accepted into the Naylor Learning Center through a variety of avenues. Many students utilizing the Supported Learning Program come to D&E from specialty high schools that focus on students who need a supported learning environment. Students from schools in Washington, DC and upstate New York as well as Baltimore have come to D&E and found success through the Naylor Learning Center.

"The pipeline from those schools has allowed the college counselors to know us and for us to know their schools and the students who come from those schools are highly successful and stay in the area which has been great," concluded Fincham.

More information about the Naylor Learning Center, as well as Davis & Elkins College, can be found at www.dewv.edu, or by contacting Fincham at 304-637-1435.

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 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 2026-2027 club president Karen Wilmoth at wilmothk@gmail.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.