She’s a smart lady. Used to be in banking. And she was a Law Clerk in federal court, too. Plus, she was on the state board for the National Girls Scouts Association for six years.
Yeah, that smart.
Lea Ridenhour arrived in Wheeling in 1996 to work for U.S. District Judge Fred Stamp, and then she served as senior vice president for Wesbanco Bank. Just five years ago, she accepted the chief advancement officer position at The Linsly School and often refers to herself as, “a grateful immigrant to the state of West Virginia.”
Ridenhour’s finest achievement, however, might not be a resume thing at all. See, this feat of hers has nothing to do with the court system, and involves no money whatsoever. Instead, it seems somehow, this mother of two daughters has come to answer THE generational – and impossible – question …
“What’s wrong with these kids today?”
And her answer?
How did you and your daughters come to find Wheeling and The Linsly School?
I moved to Wheeling in August of 1996 to serve as a law clerk to Judge Stamp at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia after graduating from law school at The University of Richmond. My appointment was for two years and after its completion. I stayed.
Twenty-seven years later, I’m still here! Wheeling truly is “the friendly city,” and I consider it a privilege to live and work in this community. I’ve now been here long enough that people ask me which high school I attended, assuming that I grew up here.
My daughters were introduced to The Linsly School at an early age. As a working mom with no family in the area, childcare in the summer was always a puzzle to be assembled by a mosaic of summer camps. The month of June was always filled by Linsly Day Camp. The girls loved it and when they were old enough to enroll, it was an easy choice.
As parents, I think we always try to give our children opportunities that we didn’t have, to make their paths a little easier. Growing up in rural Hanover, Pa., I didn’t have access to a college preparatory education like the one they received at Linsly and I am grateful that they had the opportunity to be educated here.
How do you believe young people see adults these days?
I’ll preface my comments by saying that Linsly students are a fantastic, well-mannered, respectful group of young people and I love coming to work to be around them every day. I do think, however, that young people today have a different relationship with adults than my generation did.
A generation ago, respect for your elders was expected, no questions asked. Today that respect needs to be earned. Our relationship with young adults is a two-way street. If you treat young people respectfully, you’ll get the same in return. They question more and because they question more, they are able to form well-reasoned opinions. “Because I said so” isn’t going to cut it.
If you have an opinion, be prepared to defend it logically. And listen to them. I’ve had so many great conversations with my advisees at Linsly and I am constantly stunned by their insight, their empathy, and their intellectual curiosity. Young people today have so much to offer us if we give them that opportunity.
What are the selling points about Linsly that you use when raising development dollars for the private school?
The one thing I hear consistently from our alumni is how Linsly provided a foundation for their future success, both academically and personally. Most of our fundraising success has come from the generosity of our alumni and our Board of Trustees, all of whom are either alumni themselves or alumni parents. Realizing that the connections formed here, and the lessons and habits they learned have profoundly impacted them, our alumni are enthusiastic about giving back to Linsly, both financially and of their time, to ensure that future generations of students can have the same experience.
When considering education options for my own daughters, what motivated me the most was Linsly’s focus on college preparedness.
They are both in college now and I can say with certainty they were academically prepared for the rigors of college academics. They left Linsly knowing how to study, how to ask for help when they needed it, and how to research, write, and cite correctly. Having a dedicated college counselor at Linsly and access to Naviance (our application management software) helped immensely in the college application process.
Small classes, faculty and coaches who truly care about our students, and the opportunity to learn and work and play with students from all over the world all contributed to their experience here.
What I can’t monetize, however, is our alumni network and the willingness of our alumni to engage with and mentor current students and young alumni and to support each other. That’s priceless.
Tell us about your very favorite spot in Oglebay Park.
That’s easy: the bell at Camp Russel. I married my husband there.
What is your cheat snack and why?
Potato chips. My hometown of Hanover, Pa., is home to Utz Potato Chips.
There may be potato chips embedded in my DNA.
