Emma Gasman ’17

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. 

She came to Ashland in the summer prior to her first term to train for fall volleyball camp when there were no students around. Thus, she got to explore and get to know the community and region somewhat ahead of schedule. She even found part-time work at the Ashland YMCA. She committed to majoring in business accounting but a love of mountains since childhood got her interested in SOU’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership program, which she chose as a minor. She immediately connected with business professor Dennis Slattery ’96 MBA ’98. “Dennis was so supportive of me and I felt a real friendship there as a student that I still feel to this day. He was funny and personable and made me feel supported at all times,” said Emma. She also enjoyed her OAL courses with Adam Elson including rock climbing and wilderness first aide. Her junior year she was able to land a two-year internship at Lithia of Medford, which would bode well for the first step in her career journey.

Emma graduated June of 2017 with her bachelors in business administration accounting. She briefly tried living in Portland but found that urban living was not pleasing to her. She went to work for Lithia full-time as an accountant for two years including one year remotely where she travelled in a van that included solar panels to support her computer work. “Lithia gave me a lot of flexibility and encouraged me to stand up for myself and state what I wanted in my career. I pitched them an idea about sustainability and they listened and honored my ideas. I’ll always be grateful to them for the opportunity,” said Gasman. 

By 2020, Emma was ready to move into a community. She had spent many days in Bishop, CA, a mountain town on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, climbing, hiking and backpacking. She took a few months off, adopted a rescue dog and by word of mouth, found that there was an office manager position open at a local mountain shop, the Sierra Mountain Center (SMC). She got the position and after one year, was essentially running the business. When the longtime founder and owner Robert Parker decided to sell SMC, she jumped at the opportunity. “By that time, I was running the business and knew it as well as anyone. I knew it was an opportunity I should not miss, so I offered to buy the business.” On August 23rd, 2023, after a yearlong process and a lot of work, Emma became the owner. “Being a business owner is a ton of work and initially, I was trying to do everything myself. Now (October, 2024) that I am a year in, I have had the opportunity to hire an office manager. This has freed up my time and energy, allowing me to focus on my long-term vision for SMC. Initially, I was worried about how the community of mountain guides would respond to a young woman owning SMC but so far, I have received nothing but support from the community. Sierra Mountain Center is currently the only female-owned mountain shop in the United States accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association. Quite an accomplishment for a first-time business owner!

“I found community, support, new hobbies, and creativity at Southern Oregon University. The professors, community members, and students welcomed me with open arms and helped to make my four years in Ashland very memorable.”  

Learn more:  Sierra Mountain Center