Board of Governors member Shawn Ball’s dedication to the West Virginia education system
By Kasey Stevens
MU 72 | FALL 2024
When Shawn Ball stepped onto Marshall’s campus in the fall of 1991, he never imagined he’d be back on campus more than 30 years later serving on the Board of Governors.
However, Ball’s story isn’t about his professional accomplishments — it’s about his heart for giving back.
Ball’s career path took shape against the backdrop of his father’s small used car and mobile home dealership in Boone County, West Virginia. At the time, Boone County was known for coal mining, but Ball said he never felt called to coal mining. Ball’s goal was to take over the family business, so he went to Marshall to earn his undergraduate degree in business as a first-generation college student.
In 1993, two years into his degree program, Ball’s father became ill. He ultimately passed away shortly after Ball graduated from Marshall. Ball recalled a conversation about two weeks before his father passed away. His father was worried about Ball’s future employment and set up a job interview for him at the post office.
“I really wanted to get into the car business and own my own car dealership one day,” Ball said.
He started washing cars and driving cars to auction at a car dealership in South Charleston at 23 years old with $200 and making about $300 per week.
“I thought, ‘As long as I can pay rent, I’ll be OK,’ and that’s what I did,” Ball said. “I was really poor and had nothing. I really kind of thought, ‘If I ever do this, helping kids is what I’m going to do with it.’ ”
Ball worked his way up in the company and eventually purchased a dealership in Beckley. He was later able to buy a dealership in Huntington and another in Charleston.
As a business owner, Ball noticed an increasing number of requests for financial assistance from local organizations. Frustrated by the inability to meet every need, he started to give money to local schools.
“If a kid needs a size 8 boy’s tennis shoe, teachers or guidance counselors need to be able to go to the store to buy the shoes,” he said.
The first year he was inspired to give back, Ball asked Raleigh County Schools for a list of the coat size and shoe size for every student in need. He got the list of about 1,000 pairs of shoes and coats, went to Walmart and nearly bought the entire shoe section. He then loaded the shoes and coats into his truck and personally delivered them to every school. The project cost him approximately $15,000.
When his car dealership business expanded to Huntington about eight years ago, he knew he wanted to do more — and he couldn’t do it alone.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ball was surprised to discover despite the increase of government grants toward education, many children still lacked necessities. That’s where Communities In Schools West Virginia (CIS WV) stepped in.
CIS WV now operates in all 55 counties in West Virginia. Since 2018, CIS WV has connected students and families with community resources, helping students get their basic needs met so they can focus on learning. Communities In Schools also operates on a national level, with the tagline, “In schools to help kids stay in school.”
In October 2023, Ball and his brother David donated $1,500 to 247 public schools in West Virginia to establish “virtual pantries” to provide students with essentials — coats, shoes, food, school supplies and more. Ball noted about 10% of students in West Virginia schools benefit from the Communities In Schools program. CIS WV has improved school attendance by 68% as of January 2024.
“They have no chance of getting out of their situation if they don’t get an education,” Ball said. “I want to be able to change the rut that these kids are in, and it has to start at the school level because that’s the only place some of these kids are going to get fed and be safe.”
Ball partners with the West Virginia Board of Education to distribute the funds, then he receives a monthly report of how schools are spending the money, ensuring every dollar spent makes a difference.
He encourages community involvement, urging anyone who is able to contribute to school pantries. He said even small donations can significantly impact a child’s life, fostering a culture of giving and support within the community.
“If you really pay attention, you can change the world if you look at what the major problems are. You don’t have to have a lot of money to do it, but it helps,” Ball said.
Ball also established the Ball Family Scholarship through CIS WV to cover the remaining cost of college tuition that the West Virginia Promise Scholarship does not cover for four years of study. Of the eight students receiving the scholarship this year, three students are attending Marshall University.
When there was a proposal to expand Marshall’s Food Pantry, Ball stepped up to the plate again and assisted in funding the project. The renovated space will be a combined food pantry and thrift shop, called Marco’s Market and More, and will be 3,083 square feet. It is set to open later this year.
For more information on CIS WV visit www.ciswv.org.
