Timothy Neely
Major: Management, Human Resources and Organizational Behavior
Hometown: Ivydale, WV
Graduating: Spring or Fall 2027
Tell us about your background.
I originally lived in Florida before moving to West Virginia with my mom when I was 10 years old. I grew up from there in Clay County and graduated from Clay County High School in 2017. Being from a single-parent household, it was hard to afford tuition at the time, so I decided to join the U.S. Army as a water treatment specialist. I served five years on active duty, including a deployment to Iraq in 2019 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. I achieved the rank of sergeant before leaving the military in 2022.
Since then, I have had many jobs across different industries to include roadwork and car sales. With the help of my significant other and some encouragement from family members and her family members, I decided it was time to go back to school and seek higher education. It was from there that I ultimately decided on Marshall University and that I wanted to focus on management with its focus being on human resources and organizational behavior. I am almost halfway through that journey now and I am loving every step, and I truly feel that it is for me.
How did you choose your career path?
I chose my major of management, focused on human resources and organizational behavior because of my time later on in the service as I started to supervise and guide soldiers under me to include paperwork and setting a good example. I really enjoyed doing these things. I will be able to keep team members on the right path and guide them in their endeavors throughout their time at an organization while also taking care of administrative responsibilities so that they can do their job without adding the stress of those responsibilities on top of that.
Why did you choose Marshall?
I chose Marshall because, out of all of the schools that I was looking into, Marshall was the only school that felt that they were looking out for me from the get-go. I felt that they cared about me wanting to go back to school, and I felt that I would have an easy transition back into a school setting — and I was right. As a veteran, I have always had someone to talk to if I needed help with anything from VA-related issues to everyday conversations with professors and classmates. Although I am not a traditional student, I feel welcome and comfortable with staff and students alike, and I truly feel that I fit in.
What helped you get here?
I have had help from scholarships like the West Virginia Higher Education Grant and the Glenn and Melba Sellards Bjornson Scholarship. These generous scholarships and grants are part of the reason why I am here, and I am forever grateful for that. Another major reason I am here is the support of friends, family members, and my significant other and her family. Without them, I don't even know where I would be in life, let alone in higher education. I am very grateful for those who have supported me, and I will certainly pay it forward in the future.
What is your favorite Marshall experience so far?
I would say my favorite experience so far at Marshall University is making the President's List my first semester at Marshall, in the fall of 2024. I was nervous before starting higher education, and I was afraid I would not be able to keep up or do well. Once I saw that I had made the President's List, it gave me the confidence that I needed, and it felt good seeing hard work pay off. Since then, I realized that I can do anything I set my mind to, and I encourage anyone to do the same. If you truly try, you can do anything. If I can do it, you certainly can, too.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about fairness and respect. I believe that everyone should be treated fairly and respected before anything else, both inside and outside of your career. I have seen the adverse effects of people being treated unfairly and without respect. It discourages them from moving forward. Respect and fairness for someone can go a long way. At the end of the day, we are all human and looking for a purpose.
Future plans?
I plan on receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus on human resources management and I am seriously considering a master's degree in business administration, and I may not stop there either. No matter where my academic journey takes me, I hope to be a part of a winning team and change lives and careers for the better.