Moundsville’s Kelsie Meintel Named Bethany College’s Top Graduate | News, Sports, Jobs

Kelsie Ann Meintel, of Moundsville, W.Va., receives the Oreon E. Scott Award from Bethany College Interim President Jamie Caridi.

BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College on Saturday announced the recipient of the college’s prestigious Oreon E. Scott Award, which recognizes the student who has the highest academic standing in the graduating class.

Provost and Dean of Faculty Joe Lane bestowed this year’s honor upon Kelsie Ann Meintel, of Moundsville, W.Va., during the college’s 182nd commencement ceremony.

A Presidential Scholar, Meintel graduated Saturday with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and completed a minor in criminal justice.

Throughout her Bethany career, Meintel became an accomplished researcher, presenting research on race and gender in children’s behavior disorder diagnosis at the Eastern Psychological Association.

She also interned with the Bethany College athletics department, running the Bison 360 program, which helps student-athletes develop leadership skills and habits that lead to academic and career success.

Meintel was involved in Psi Chi international psychology honor society, Black Student Union and Society of Distinguished Campus Leaders. She also was the public relations chair for the Psychology Club.

“She has accomplished all of this while excelling as a four-year, two-sport scholar-athlete who has played for the women’s basketball team and thrown discus for tracking and field,” Lane said.

Meintel plans to continue her studies in graduate school in sport and exercise psychology.

The Oreon E. Scott Award singles out the graduating seniors with the highest academic standing over the entire period of study. The namesake of this historical award was a longtime Bethany trustee and a graduate of the class of 1892.