Josh Starner earned an Agribusiness Career Studies Certificate from SVCC. While taking online classes he accepted a management position with Home Depot in West Virginia. He departed that career to become a full-time student, transferring from SVCC to Virginia Tech, completing a  bachelor's degree in Applied Economic Management.  He has since been accepted into the Masters of Geography program at Tech.

In addition to being a full-time student, Josh is also self-employed, doing contract work as a GIS analyst and cartographer.  As if he wasn't busy enough, he recently completed an endurance race on the Tahoe Rim Trail in Nevada, having views of Lake Tahoe while following trails through the backcountry of the Toiyabe National Forest. 

Josh's future goals include becoming an instructor in economics or geography and serving as a consultant for planning physical development using economic and geographic tools.

Of his time at SVCC he says, "My time at SVCC literally changed my life. The education and level of care for my education that I received from several individuals opened my eyes to possibilities that I was previously unaware of. The best advice I have is to take every opportunity you can to build relationships and discover how you, as a unique individual, can learn material in a way that can be applied. This type of learning will stay with you forever. Every little piece matters, no part of the last several years of my life would have gone the route that it did if.....
Dean Chad Patton hadn't taken the time to get me excited about structured learning or convince me to speak with an advisor,
if Judy Shepherd, the advisor I met with, hadn't taken the time to see the opportunity to seize my potential for excitement and introduce me to Dean Dalton and Professor Overby,
if Professor Overby hadn't taken the time to help me learn to translate course curriculum into real world solutions, or if Dean Dalton hadn't taken the time to be an amazing educator, advisor, counselor, champion of students, and phenomenal motivator."