Alumni News

Matt Essieh ’82 MBA’ 83 and Emmanuella Essieh ’82 share a history at Southern Oregon University that opened the doors for thriving business careers, philanthropy, and a lifelong romance.

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.

With a father who attended Southern Oregon College in the 1967-68, it seems fitting that Gabe Howe ’12, would eventually become a Raider. Initially, he came to SOU in 2002 and met his future wife but left the spring of 2003. He moved back to the Portland-metro area and would bounce around jobs for several years while also earning an associate’s degree from Mt. Hood Community College. By 2009, he was ready to return to Ashland and once there, he’d never look back.

Angelica Ruppe MS ‘86 said it has always been her calling to be of service to others and that coming to SOU helped make that possible. “SOU gave me the opportunity to grow and to change my life and to help change the lives of other people,” she said.