The generations of Marshall: How one university has shaped lives through the decades

March 2, 2026 The Parthenon

The bricks may be the same, but the stories are not. At Marshall University, each generation leaves its mark, shaped by the world beyond campus and the moments that define its time in Huntington. From handwritten notes to digital dashboards, from packed dorm halls to evolving student spaces, the university has transformed in ways both visible and subtle. Beneath those changes lies something constant: a shared pursuit of growth, belonging and identity.

Each class arrives with different challenges. Each decade carries a different tone, but every student walks the same paths, searching for their place. As alumni reflect on the Marshall they once knew and today’s students describe the campus they are shaping now, their voices intertwine, revealing how one university can hold generations of change while still feeling like home.

For Dominick Barham, attending Marshall University was never just a college decision; it was a family legacy. Even in his first year, Barham wasted no time immersing himself in campus life. He is actively involved in the Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board, helping shape the student experience while learning to navigate his own. 

Balancing academics with leadership roles has been both exciting and challenging, but he describes his time so far as rewarding. From late nights studying to planning campus events, Barham says the transition into college has been an eye-opening experience and one that has pushed him to grow quickly. 

His biggest piece of advice for incoming freshmen is simple: “get involved,” Barham said. He believes joining organizations not only builds resumes, but also builds community. For Barham, involvement has made a large campus feel smaller and turned unfamiliar faces into long-lasting connections. 

A fourth-generation Marshall student and freshman majoring in cyber forensics and security, Barham is carving out his own identity while continuing a tradition that spans decades. Though the campus may look different from the one his family members once knew, the sense of connection remains strong. 

“When I first moved in, I was, ‘Wow,’ like, ‘This is really it.’ I remember just walking around campus and that’s all I kind of said to myself,” Barham said.

For Alec Hess, graduating from Marshall University in 2023 marked the end of a chapter he did not fully realize he would miss so quickly. A health services and allied health sciences major, Hess spent his college years balancing academics with leadership and brotherhood. 

As vice president of Alpha Sigma Phi, he helped guide his chapter while building friendships that extended far beyond the classroom. Looking back, Hess described his Marshall experience as one filled with growth, connection and opportunity. From long nights of cramming material to time spent with his fraternity brothers, he said those moments shaped not only his college career, but the person he is today. 

“We’re all family here,” Hess said. 

Now a graduate, Hess said perspective changes with time. While he valued his experience as a student, he admits he wishes he had slowed down and appreciated the small moments more, those ordinary days that, in hindsight, carried the most meaning to him. 

His advice to current students is rooted in reflection: “be present,” Hess said. 

“College moves quickly,” he said, and the routines that once felt normal become memories faster than expected. For Hess, Marshall was more than a place to earn a degree; it was a formative chapter of his life, one he now looks back on with gratitude and a deeper appreciation.

For Ronda and Michael Moncada, returning to Marshall University was not about starting adulthood. It was about strengthening it. 

Ronda earned her master’s degree in journalism and mass communications in 2012 while Michael completed the executive MBA program in 2011. Both entered their programs balancing full-time careers and raising two daughters, experiencing Marshall from a different stage of life than most students. 

Ronda was drawn to the university’s personal atmosphere, describing the campus as welcoming and walkable: a place where professors felt accessible and classes felt intentional. Michael chose the executive MBA program for its weekend cohort structure and location within Marshall’s South Charleston campus, which allowed him to pursue his degree while maintaining his professional and family commitments. 

Though their time on campus looked different from the traditional undergraduate experience, it was no less meaningful. They described graduate school as both challenging and rewarding, a period of growth that strengthened their confidence and perspective. 

“Choose your major based on passions,” Michael said. “If you love what you do, you never work a day.” 

Their advice is simple: remember why you are there, take advantage of the resources, learn to work well with others and pursue something you are truly passionate about. For the Moncadas, Marshall was more than a degree. It was an investment into lifelong growth.

When Sandra Gunter attended Marshall from 1967 to 1969, it was still Marshall College, a smaller campus rooted deeply in community. 

Gunter earned her master’s degree in business education, commuting from Charleston at a time when the interstate had not yet been built. Getting to class meant carpooling, navigating narrow backroads and allowing extra time for a drive that would look very different today. 

Her commitment to higher education required dedication long before convenience became part of the equation. Academically, everything was handwritten. Papers were drafted by hand, revisions were manual and research took patience. There were no laptops, no online submissions, only careful penmanship and persistence, something students today might find taboo. 

Despite earning her undergraduate degree from Concord University, Gunter says she resonates more deeply with Marshall. She remembers the culture, the energy surrounding football games and the strong sense of belonging that defined the campus experience. For her, Marshall was more than a place to attend classes. It was a community of people who supported one another. 

Her advice to students today is grounded in the discipline that shaped her own success: “Do your homework before you have fun with your friends,” Gunter said. Looking back, Gunter’s experience reflects a generation that worked hard for every opportunity, proving that while campuses evolve, dedication and pride remain constant.

The buildings have changed, the roads are smoother and the papers are no longer written by hand, but across every decade, Marshall University has remained something more. From carpooling down backroads when it was still Marshall College to weekend MBA cohorts, to freshmen navigating campus with smartphones in hand, each generation has experienced the university in its own way. Different classrooms, different technology and different challenges, yet the common thread is unmistakable: community, growth and belonging.