WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — Long before Theresa Gretchen was helping lead Topper Station, she was a West Liberty student learning the craft that would eventually become her career.

A 1996 graduate of West Liberty University, Gretchen spent the next decade working in television at WTOV-TV, gaining experience in broadcasting, storytelling and production. When the opportunity came to bring that experience back to her alma mater, the decision felt like a natural next step.

What began as a return to West Liberty has grown into a career spanning two decades — and a front-row seat to the evolution of the University's television and multimedia operation.

Today, Gretchen serves as Executive Producer of Topper Station and Director of University Media , where she continues to help tell the West Liberty story while creating opportunities for students to learn the business by doing it.

"My journey to West Liberty really started as a student," Gretchen said. "I graduated in 1996 and went on to work in television. I spent 10 years working at WTOV-TV, and that experience gave me a strong foundation in broadcasting, storytelling and production. When the opportunity came along to bring that experience to West Liberty University, it felt like a natural next step."

What ultimately convinced Gretchen to stay and build her career on the Hilltop was the opportunity to grow something.

Over the years, WLTV evolved from a traditional campus television station into Topper Station, a multimedia operation producing live sports broadcasts, original programming, promotional and educational videos, and content for streaming and social media.

"When I first came to West Liberty, WLTV was in its infancy," Gretchen said. "We were doing good work with the resources and technology we had, but our capabilities were very different from what they are today."

The technology has changed dramatically, but Gretchen said the mission has remained the same — tell stories and provide students with meaningful, hands-on experience.

"A lot has changed in broadcasting over the past 20 years, and we've worked hard to change along with it," she said. "What started as a traditional campus television station has really grown into a full multimedia operation with Topper Station."

That evolution has allowed West Liberty to tell its story in ways that were difficult to imagine when Gretchen first arrived.

"Today, we're producing live sports broadcasts, original programming, promotional and educational videos, and content for streaming and social media," she said. "We're able to tell West Liberty's stories in so many more ways and reach audiences well beyond campus."

But for Gretchen, the technology and productions are only part of what makes Topper Station special.

The students are at the heart of it.

One of the most rewarding aspects of her career has been watching students arrive with little experience and gradually develop the confidence to take on increasingly important roles in a live production.

"A student might come to Topper Station with very little experience and be nervous about getting behind a camera, stepping in front of one, or taking on a role in a live production," Gretchen said. "Then, over time, you see their confidence grow and their skills develop."

Students don't simply learn the technical aspects of broadcasting in a classroom. They put those lessons into practice.

"They're producing live sporting events, operating cameras, directing, creating graphics, doing interviews, reporting from the sidelines and learning how to handle the unexpected things that happen during a live production," Gretchen said.

Those experiences can also lead students to discover talents they didn't know they possessed.

"Sometimes they come in thinking they want to do one thing and end up finding a completely different area of production that they really enjoy," she said.

That transformation is something Gretchen has been fortunate to witness countless times throughout her career.

And while the equipment, technology and responsibilities have evolved, so have the relationships that have made her time at West Liberty meaningful.

Over two decades, Gretchen has worked with faculty and staff across campus, coaches and student-athletes, students who have become part of Topper Station's production crews, and alumni who return to share the stories of where their West Liberty experiences have taken them.

"Those relationships are probably one of the things I value most about my time at West Liberty," Gretchen said. "Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with so many people across campus, and many of those professional relationships have turned into friendships."

That broad reach is one of the unique aspects of Topper Station, she said.

"We work with faculty and staff to tell their stories, with coaches and student-athletes to showcase our athletic programs, and with students who become part of our production team," Gretchen said. "We also get to reconnect with alumni and hear what West Liberty has meant to them."

After 20 years, those connections have helped shape her definition of the Hilltop.

"I think those relationships are what make West Liberty feel like a community rather than just a place where you come to work every day," she said. "After 20 years, there are so many people who have been part of my journey here, and I'm grateful for the trust they've placed in me to help tell their stories."

Asked to name her favorite memories, Gretchen found it difficult to limit two decades to just three.

Some of those memories come from the athletic moments she and her crews have helped capture.

"There's something special about being behind the scenes for a big game or championship run and knowing that our crew is responsible for capturing that moment and sharing it with people who couldn't be there in person," she said.

Other memories come from watching the operation itself evolve.

"When I think about where we started, the equipment we had, and what we were capable of producing compared to what our students and staff are doing today, I'm incredibly proud of that evolution," Gretchen said.

That evolution, she noted, did not happen overnight. It came through years of learning, adapting, trying new things and continually looking for ways to improve.

But when Gretchen looks back at her career, the memories that mean the most aren't necessarily the biggest productions or most memorable games.

They're the students.

"Seeing a student walk into Topper Station unsure of themselves, watching them develop their skills and confidence, and then eventually seeing them graduate and move on to the next chapter of their lives never gets old," she said.

Former students sometimes return to campus or reach out to tell Gretchen about what they are doing professionally.

"Those are the moments that remind me why I've loved doing this for so many years," she said.

For Gretchen, that's what makes her West Liberty story so meaningful.

It's the big moments captured on camera. It's the evolution from WLTV to Topper Station. It's the relationships built across campus and throughout the Hilltop community.

But most importantly, it's the students who have passed through the doors of Topper Station — students who arrived looking for an opportunity and left with experience, confidence and a clearer picture of where their talents could take them.

"So for me, it's really the big moments we've captured, the growth of Topper Station, and most importantly, the students who have been part of it along the way," Gretchen said.



West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.