First in Family to Attend College and First of Siblings to Graduate High School, Takes Life by Storm

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For Carl Green, Jr. ‘09, just graduating high school was a first in his family on Kodiak Island, Alaska. With his mom caring for four children, Carl admittedly was a bit on the obstinate and wayward side during his junior high and early high school years. He didn’t really know what his options were after graduating. It was a commitment to joining the Alaska Army National Guard that really set him up for success.

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Bilingual Experience Helps Alumna Land at Phoenix Elementary

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For Estrella Medrano ‘19, staying home for her college education wasn’t her first choice but it ended up being her best choice. Estrella grew up in Ashland then Medford, graduating from North Medford High School in 2016. Because of her close-knit family, she felt it best to attend SOU so she could be near them. She earned scholarships though, which allowed her to live on campus in Raider Village for three complete years. It ended up being a great experience that she would never trade. “I was able to meet so many unique and different people staying on campus. It really allowed me the freedom to experience life and find out who I was,” she said.

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Alum’s Teacher Education Experience Built His Classroom and Coaching Career

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Nathan White ’98 & MAT ’99 grew up in rural Canyonville, just over an hour north of Ashland. He had aspirations of attending the U.S. Air Force Academy but really wanted to continue playing football beyond high school so he honed in on what SOU had to offer academically and athletically. He credits former SOU faculty member and assistant football coach Tom Powell with helping him to narrow his options down to the Raiders.

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Alumna’s SOU and Chilean Exchange Experiences Reap Benefits for the Rogue Valley

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Andie Anderson ’13 grew up in the small town of Eureka in Humboldt County in northern California, amidst the redwoods. She really didn’t know much about Southern Oregon University until an admissions representative came down to visit at a high school college fair.  She had a distinct interest in studying Spanish language but was intrigued by SOU and made the point of visiting campus. She came to Ashland on a beautiful day and loved the small-town feel, which was similar to her hometown, minus the gray fog. She was hooked!

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Liberal Arts Degree Pays Off with Emmy Award

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Evan Bell ’07, worked his way into a great job and cites his degree in history from SOU for launching his career. While growing up in the small I-5 town of Wolf Creek, just north of Grants Pass, Evan was a self-proclaimed history junkie and often had to get pried away from the History Channel to do chores.

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Alum’s Optimism and Enthusiasm is Contagious

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They say that optimism and enthusiasm is contagious. Well, in the case of Ben Fiscus ’10, optimism is at the forefront of his attitude and outlook on life. Ben grew up in Grants Pass, the son of a law enforcement officer. He was around police all the time as a youngster and knew that someday, that would be his route in life as well.

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Alumna’s Ashland to Stanford Experience Secures Silicon Valley Career

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Heather Bailey ’12 grew up in Ashland and even had SOU alumna Carol Moody MS ’69 as her second and third grade teacher at Bellview Elementary School. Many young people avoid attending college in their hometown, seeking instead, to get away from where they grew up. But Heather knew about the strong reputation of the chemistry department at SOU then applied and earned a Presidential Academic Scholarship and just like that, she was staying home for her collegiate undergraduate experience.

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Alumna is a Dual Citizen Who Leads in the Community

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You know an SOU international student loves the unique nature of the region when they stay after graduation and become an integral part of the community. For Karolina Lavagnino ’03 & MiM ‘06, it was a decision that she has always embraced. Karolina grew up in Bydgoszcz, Poland, a city of around 500,000. There, she studied English at the local university (Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego in Bydgoszcz) as an undergrad, earning a BA then earned her MA at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun.

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Alum Crossed the Pacific to Find A Life Changing Experience

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Born and raised in Hong Kong, Fred Choi ’92 was about as far away from Ashland and Southern Oregon State College (SOSC) as one could get. But an acquaintance at home, who had attended SOSC, told him about the place and how special it was. At age 18, Fred took the plunge an ocean away and made the long journey to Ashland. It literally changed his life.

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Raider Alumna Returns to the Rogue Valley

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For Angie Meza ‘15, growing up just outside of Los Angeles in Santa Clarita, CA, provided her enough curiosity and inquisitiveness to look beyond her own region to attended college. Angie graduated from high school at age 16 and was admitted to the University of Oregon and SOU. Both she and her family thought SOU would be a better fit because of its size and the quaint location in Ashland, particularly because she was younger than most high school graduates.

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