UVU Alumni

There is so much going on in the UVSC Alumni right now that I could write all day!  Yesterday I voted on the new logos and trademarks for UVU.  We are in the middle of producing the January issue of Sequel while planning the April issue, which is going to be about the transition from UVSC to UVU.  Homecoming is just four weeks away, and we are throwing a huge tailgate/reunion party.  And, on top of all of that, our online community is being updated and will go live tomorrow.

I’m excited about the updates on the website.  The new program has a lot more flexibility and versatility than the old site had.  I’ve added some features, like Wolverine Tales, and have changed a few of the old features. We’ve also linked the alumni websites together to make navigation easier.  The most frustrating thing about the new website is that it has so much potential and I have so little time to work on it!  I’m just hoping that people will keep coming back as it develops because it will get better and better.

I’ve had the greatest conversation today with one of our alumni who contacted me about getting involved somehow.  Jacob Sommer graduated from UVSC in 2003 and went on to law school.  He settled in the Fallon, NV area and opened his own practice.  He asked me what he could do to support the association and I asked him to write class note and read the blog.  He did exactly as I asked and in the process we’ve had a great running conversation about the practice of law and what he’s doing now.  I just love this part of my job. There is nothing better than meeting other UVSC alumni and sharing their experiences.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but UVSC/UVCC/UTC alumni are everywhere!  Last week I had to take my car to Gene Harvey service department in American Fork because it was making a different engine sound.  I dropped off the car after being told that I could call them for a shuttle rider to retrieve the car when it was finished. 

So, six hours later, I called Gene Harvey and requested a shuttle to pick me up from UVSC and take me back to the dealership.  At 5:00 I met the Gene Harvey shuttle and driver in the Admin building parking lot.  We exchanged pleasantries and of course, he wanted to know what I did for UVSC.  Then he mentioned that he attended the Trade Tech long ago.

“You’re an alumni!”  I announced to him. “And one of the alumni we are most wanting to find, one of our UTC alumni.”  I quickly got his name and address and will make sure he is entered into the database.  But, of course, that was only the beginning of our conversation about his experiences at UVSC.

Paul Jasperson enrolled in drafting courses at the Provo Campus after graduation from high school.  Once he started taking classes at UTC, he switched to auto body classes, which he put to good use throughout his career.  However, he had one incident in class that almost made him famous or infamous, depending on one’s view.

He was in a welding class, working busily away at arc welding one piece of metal to another.  Next to his work station was a garbage can and window draperies.  Suddenly he was interrupted from his work by other class members who informed him that the class room was on fire.  He looked up to see that the draperies and the trash in the can were burning, probably started by sparks from his welding.  The class quickly put the fire out, and things returned to normal, but Paul’s created a reputation for himself that was remembered long after.  

We had a great ride back to the dealership and once again, I was reminded that UVSC alumni are everywhere, especially in here in Utah County.  However, I’ve traveled quite a bit since coming here, and I’ve met UVSC alumni almost everywhere I’ve gone.  From now on, I’ll be writing about them, so you can share my experiences too.