UC’s Tradition of Excellence Continues as Two Seniors Earn Coveted Herndon Fellowship

December 5, 2025 - Continuing a tradition of excellence in academics and community service, two University of Charleston seniors - Maliah McCann-Coles and Abbi Roberts - have a front-row seat to West Virginia politics as 2025 Judith A. Herndon Fellowship recipients.

The highly competitive program selects 10 undergraduate students from colleges across West Virginia each year to participate in the 60-day legislative session. Students are assigned to support a legislator from either the West Virginia Senate or House of Delegates.

McCann-Coles, from Hurricane, WV, will graduate this spring with degrees in Political Science and Business Administration, majoring in Management with concentrations in Business Analytics and Accounting. She is a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, a Presidential Scholar, a member of the UC Honors College, the cheerleading squad, a sprinter on the track and field team, and a student government representative. Last spring, she was named the inaugural Rita Avashia Fellow in Honors, recognizing her academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to community.

Roberts, from Proctorville, Ohio, will graduate with a degree in Political Science, concentrating in Pre-Law, and a minor in Communication. She serves as the president of the Pi Gamma Mu Social Science Honor Society. Roberts is a Labor of Love student leader, secretary of the Theta Kappa Pi Sorority, treasurer of the Black Student Union, and a member of the Gamma Beta Phi Honorary Society and Christian Campus Ministry.

Over the past decade, the University of Charleston has had nine students selected for the coveted Fellowship, including Emily Rector (2015), Luke Yingling (2017), Kelli Chattin (2017), Isaiah Smith (2018), Paige Carpenter (2020), Ryan McFarland (2022), Justin Webster (2024), Tim Wise (2024), and Kelton Boblits (2025).