{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8da8d43c-9703-4c15-b49f-1a2f1240317d", "Manchin visits TCHS seniors, Parsons Advocate", "2014-09-04", "2014", "2014-09", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "September 04, 2014\n\t\t\t Manchin visits TCHS seniors | Parsons Advocate \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tHAMBLETON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Manchin told Tucker County High School seniors an education is the greatest equalizer and the best investment they will ever make in their lives. Manchin met with TCHS seniors last Monday during his visit to the region.\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Manchin visits with Tucker County High School seniors last Monday at the school.  U.S. Senator Joe Manchin visits with Tucker County High School seniors last Monday at the school.\r\n\u201cThere will be times when you say it isn\u2019t worth it and times you say you cannot afford an education,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cYou may have every excuse in the world why you don\u2019t want to get an education. But it is the greatest equalizer you will ever have.\u201d\r\nI was born and raised in Farmington and there were about 500 people in the town,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cThere were about 75 seniors in my high school and went to West Virginia University to play football. I understood the importance of an education and was the first person in my family to get an education.\u201d\r\nManchin said getting that education came with challenges.\r\n\u201cMy father had a little business and it burned down,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cWe lost everything. I dropped out of college to go back and help my family. I could have said that was it but I knew it was important to go back and finish.\u201d\r\nManchin said he could not imagine someone growing up in a small town having so many opportunities.\r\n\u201cI came from a little school and have the opportunity to be in the public process \u2013 government services,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cI became the governor of West Virginia \u2013 I did not come from big time, big money. I lived between the creek and the tracks and was raised in a three-room garage apartment.\u201d\r\nManchin said he has been through it all.\r\n\u201cThe bottom line is education was the great equalizer for me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gave me the opportunity to be on equal par with everyone else. I can compete at any level \u2013 I felt very confident of that. That\u2019s because of education. So I cannot say enough about the opportunity you have.\u201d\r\nManchin said he because involved in politics when he was 35 because he thought he could help the public.\r\n\u201cI got involved because I thought it could be better,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cI thought public service was serving the public not serving myself.\u201d\r\nManchin also encouraged the seniors to leave a little meat on the bone for the next dog.\r\n\u201cThat means, in the real world, in the business world, in the world of life, leave a little bit for someone else,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t try to take it all. It\u2019s hard to get people to think that way because we are in a millennial generation where it\u2019s all about me.\u201d\r\nTucker County High School Principal Jay Hamric said Manchin\u2019s visit was prompted after he Skyped with several students and was impressed their responses.\r\n\u201cWe are happy to have Senator Manchin visit our school and spend time getting to know our students,\u201d Hamric said.\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t    Beth Christian Broschart \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8da8d43c-9703-4c15-b49f-1a2f1240317d"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9425291791558266, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}