Crystal Cook Success Story

CRYSTAL COOK

Crystal Cook started taking classes at Southern in the Spring of 1994 when she was a Junior in High School. Her father, Bill Cook, had been laid off from the Coal mining industry and decided to take classes as well.

They had their very first class together and when they both finished their degrees in 2021, they shared their final class together.

Life, jobs, and other obligations seemed to get in the way of the Cooks finishing their degrees.  Crystal Cook says, without the assistance of Southern’s Foundation, she would not have been able to afford to go to college.  “They have covered my tuition costs for me in the past and when I could afford to go to college but could not afford my books, they paid for my books to ensure I was able to get a proper education.”

“Southern always held a place in my heart, it was home to me,” Crystal Cook said. “I never did want to go away to college, I wanted to stay at home and attend Southern.”

Years later, her dad was offered a campus Director position with Southern.  “When I witnessed the atmosphere of his work environment I made a career goal that Southern would be my dream job and one that I would retire from.”

After Bill Cook retired from Southern, Crystal was finally was able to reach my career goal and I was offered a position with Southern as a Program Assistant I at the Boone campus.  Less than a year later I was offered the Development Coordinator position at the Logan campus for the opportunity to work with Southern’s Foundation.

In Spring 2021, she took the one remaining class that she needed to graduate with my Associate in Arts and a General Studies Certificate.  In the Fall of 2021, I began attending West Virginia University online to complete my Bachelor in Multidisciplinary Studies to further my career with Southern.

“I would not be where I am today without my education from Southern,” Cook claims.  “I am now in a position with Southern where I can assist students with their financial needs so they may graduate from Southern as I did.”