07/23/2026
🩵Throwback Thursday🩵
Earlier this year, while our team was filming Ellie's story for her Award Dinner, someone captured this quiet moment between Ellie (right) and Katie (left).
At the time, no one realized this candid photo would tell a story of its own.
Katie was recognized last year as Goodwill's 2024 Achiever of the Year, and Ellie was honored earlier this year as Goodwill's 2025 Graduate of the Year. Their stories are different, but they're woven together through SW Resources. Today, Katie helps others find the same hope she once found. Years after beginning her own journey at SW Resources, she had the opportunity to walk alongside Ellie as she pursued meaningful employment in the community. Looking back at this photo, it's hard not to see the ripple effect of believing in people.
At first glance, it's just a conversation.
But to us, it's something much bigger.
It's a snapshot of everything SW Resources stands for.
It's resilience meeting resilience.
It's hope standing beside hope.
Their stories have inspired thousands, but together they remind us of something that's always been true about West Virginia: we're at our best when we believe in one another. We celebrate perseverance, we show up in life's hardest moments, and we understand that success isn't defined by where someone starts. It's defined by the courage to keep moving forward.
The cameras were there to tell Ellie's story, but this photo reminds us that stories like hers don't happen alone. They're woven together through people who believe in one another. 💙