Fifty-three out-of-state residents have been selected in the inaugural class for Ascend West Virginia. The remote workers program aims to bring people into the Mountain State and the first group will be moving to Morgantown to live and work. Gov. Jim Justice said those in the first class come from as far away as Berlin, Germany, and 21 other states and the District of Columbia. More applicants will be coming from California than any other state. The average annual income for the new residents is about $105,000, with their work ranging from technology and health care to management and manufacturing. Those who were not accepted into the initial group were still offered $2,500 in mortgage assistance if they make the move to West Virginia. In total, about 7,500 people applied for the program.