The Association of Southwestern University Alumni

It was a great night for stories. Here are two:

Brent Bledsoe ’92 was an economics major. As he approached graduation, he realized that he was not going to enjoy a career in economics. Brent had been very impressed with a course that he took under Dr. Thomas Howe. He recalled that enjoyable experience and contacted Dr. Howe who took the time to counsel and mentor Brent. Subsequently, Brent redirected his studies to architecture. Brent is now a practicing architect in Saint Louis and loves it. Had it not been for Dr. Howe’s influence and assistance, Brent might be caught up in a profession that he would not enjoy. Brent studied two years in London.

Lauren Coker ’05 was strongly influenced by Southwestern faculty. She says they exposed her to the excitement of “academic adventure.” She expressed gratitude for two professors specifically - Dr. David Gaines and Dr. Michael Sanger. Dr. Gaines steered her toward English. She earned her master’s degree and is now working toward a Ph.D at Saint Louis University. Dr. Sanger encouraged her to be creative and unique in her academic pursuits, which has guided much of her research. Lauren studied two years in Madrid, Spain.

Michael Disch ’99 and Katie Popp ’00 hosted a wonderful event at their home. They prepared a great Tex-Mex dinner that could only come from folks with strong Texas roots. A number of those in attendance shared some touching stories.

Michael Nguyen ’03 claimed that he came to Southwestern a “total nerd.� At Southwestern he learned that he could feel comfortable in his own skin, be himself and find friends and acceptance. Michael had a double-major in chemistry and music and now is working on his law degree.

Host Michael Disch ’99 told us, “I owe everything to Southwestern.� It was at Southwestern that he was startled into learning to think critically when a professor threw his chalk on the black board and proclaimed that “the brain is crap.� Mike also related how his experiences at Southwestern made it possible for him to attend and excel in graduate school. Mike holds a Ph.D. and is an assistant professor of psychology at Holy Names University.

There were a couple of things about this meeting that I would like to draw upon to help to paint a vision of a nationwide network of alumni organizations and what they can mean…

The dinner in Los Angeles was well-attended. One of the alumni present was Eric Batch ’97. We are so fortunate to have Eric as a Southwestern graduate and advocate. Eric grew up in Los Angeles. When he inquired about Southwestern as a high school student, one of the Southwestern AREA (Area Recruitment Effort by Alumni) volunteers contacted Eric and immediately realized Eric and Southwestern would be good for each other. The volunteer made a number of calls and even assisted Eric in making a visit to the campus. As we have heard so many times, the visit to campus did it. Eric decided, while visiting, that Southwestern was where he wanted to attend college. Eric had a great Southwestern Experience and is back in Los Angeles employed as a vice president for the American Heart Association. He is a strong advocate for Southwestern in southern California.

With active local associations around the nation, we can replicate Eric’s story many times over. This will result in Southwestern having a stronger national presence and contribute to building an even greater Southwestern for the next 167 years.

Two surprise visitors attended the meeting. Matt and Donna Carter Worley, both ’80, from Round Rock, were in Los Angeles to attend a 50^th birthday party of another Southwestern alumnus. They read about the Los Angeles gathering in News from SU and decided to attend. They came and had a great time and all were delighted that they were there. I left at 10:20 p.m. and Matt and Donna, who had not previously known the Los Angeles alumni, and several of the locals were still talking and having a great time. A good network of local associations provides a broad social network for all alumni.