When Brenda Johnson ’95 was growing up, her mom had a strong feeling she’d become a nurse—and as it turns out, her mom was right. After moving to Medford with her family and graduating from North Medford High School, Brenda already had her sights set on Southern Oregon State College (now SOU). Living nearby, she had spent time on campus as a teen and always felt at home there. “It just felt right,” she said. “It was accessible, it was welcoming, and it gave me the opportunity to pursue something meaningful.”

Born in Ashland then raised in Springfield through his freshman year in high school, Alex Grimaldi ’09 was able to return to Ashland and graduate a Grizzly in 2005. For Alex, looking at opportunities across Siskiyou Boulevard at SOU meshed well with his idea of a great education in an intimate and personal setting.

Growing up in the Rogue Valley, many local high school students head to college to get away from home. From the start, Amanda Grove ’10 knew she would study locally at SOU.

Emma Gasman ’17 grew up in Clovis, California and visited SOU as a high school student while being recruited for volleyball by SOU head coach Josh Rohlfing ’07. When she crossed Siskiyou Summit on I-5 and drove down into Ashland, it was immediate love. “I was sold on the beauty of the Siskiyou Mountains and this being my home for the next several years,” she said.

Dr. Jessica Prenni ’98 had a straightforward reason for attending Southern Oregon University (SOU) after graduating from Roosevelt High School in Portland. “I chose SOU for the in-state tuition and planned to major in pre-engineering, then transfer to Oregon State University in Corvallis,” Dr. Prenni explained. However, during her freshman year, she enjoyed her general chemistry class so much that she changed her major to chemistry, which allowed her to complete her degree at SOU.