Distinguished Alumni Award winner Fred Mossler and three others to be honored

SOU Distinguished Alumni Award recipients to be recognized

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An entrepreneur and former Zappos executive, a chemist working toward a cure for Duchene muscular dystrophy, a conservation and youth program leader, and the architect of an award-winning band program will be honored Thursday during a Homecoming Weekend luncheon to recognize Southern Oregon University’s annual Distinguished Alumni Award winners.

Fred Mossler, who earned his bachelor’s degree from SOU in 1990 and helped lead upstart online retailer Zappos to prominence, will receive this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award and Susan Ramos-Hunter, Ph.D., who earned her SOU bachelor’s degree in 2010, will receive the Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

This year’s Stan Smith Alumni Service Award will go to Greg Wolley, who received his master’s degree in environmental education at SOU in 1981 before embarking on a career in conservation management with a focus on opportunities for youth and people of color. The Excellence in Education award will be presented to Scott Kneff, who earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance at SOU in 1999; he has nearly tripled band participation in the Southern California community of Santa Paula since 2008 and built the program into a consistent award-winner.

The four award recipients will be honored Thursday at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Ashland Springs Hotel that launches this year’s Homecoming Weekend. The award luncheon is by invitation-only, due to COVID-19 protocols.

Mossler worked his way through SOU at a local shoe store and as a resident advisor in the dorms. He went to work for Nordstrom after graduation, first in Seattle and then San Francisco – which is where he was recruited in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn to lead customer service and day-to-day operations at a newly-launched online shoe retailer – which became Zappos.com. The company had more than $1 billion in sales when it was acquired 10 years later by Amazon. Mossler left the company in 2016 to focus on other entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures – from revitalizing downtown Las Vegas to launching après ski-inspired shoe brand Ross & Snow and Vegas-based restaurant chain Nacho Daddy, which donates a portion of every purchase to children in need.

Ramos-Hunter, originally from northern California, transferred to SOU from Rogue Community College to study psychology and was mentored by faculty member Mark Krause – who recommended the Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program for potential graduate students. She graduated as a McNair Scholar, majoring in psychology with a chemistry minor, then earned her master’s degree and doctorate in chemistry from Vanderbilt University. She is now a senior scientist at Entrada Therapeutics in Boston, and part of a team synthesizing cutting edge bio-therapeutics and working toward a cure for Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.

Wolley came to SOU to earn his master’s degree in environmental education after receiving his undergraduate degree from University of California, Berkeley. The local beauty combined with energetic, thoughtful teaching helped him lay the personal and academic foundation for a career that would include management roles with the Nature Conservancy, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Mt. Hood National Forest, the city of Portland and TriMet. His volunteer service includes co-founding the African American Outdoor Association and membership on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Kneff visited SOU as a senior in high school and fell in love with the university and the Ashland community. He attended community college in California for two years, then found his way back to SOU to complete his bachelor’s degree in the music program, participating in the university’s jazz band, symphonic band, saxophone quartet and the Raider Band. He then returned to Southern California to earn a bachelor’s degree in history, his teaching credentials and an eventual master’s degree. His teaching career began with stints in Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California, before he returned to Ventura County, where he grew up. Isbell School in Santa Paula had just 57 band students spread through three classes when he began in 2007; within 12 years the program had 175 students reached consistent “superior” ratings in regional band and orchestra competitions.

Trustees appointed to SOU board

Interviews of SOU presidential finalists wrapping up

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Four of the five finalists to become SOU’s next president have visited campus – including two over the past week – with one more candidate scheduled to visit later this week. All of the candidates are visiting for two days of interviews and presentations with various constituent groups and community members.

Curtis Bridgeman, Ph.D. and J.D., currently the Roderick and Carol Wendt Professor of Business Law at the Willamette University College of Law, was on the SOU campus Oct. 21 and 22; and Junius Gonzales, M.D. and MBA, currently provost and vice president for academic affairs, and a tenured professor in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences at New York Institute of Technology was at SOU Monday and today.

The last of the finalists to visit SOU – this Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 27 and 28 – will be Richard J. Bailey, Jr., Ph.D., the president of Northern New Mexico College.

“We are hoping that not only our campus community, but the entire SOU community and its partners throughout the Rogue Valley will get involved in this process and see these candidates,” said Danny Santos, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees and of the Presidential Search Committee. “We will be seeking valuable feedback from all who engage in these two-day visits, and that input will be very important in the board’s decision-making process.”

Bridgeman held various positions in higher education teaching and administration prior to his current role at Willamette, including dean of that university’s College of Law from 2013 to 2020; associate dean for academic affairs from 2011 to 2013 at the Florida State University College of Law; and a professor of law at Florida State from 2004 to 2014. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and received his master’s degree and doctorate in philosophy, and his law degree, from Vanderbilt University.

Gonzales also held various positions in higher education teaching and administration prior to his current role at NYIT. He served in roles including senior vice president for academic affairs and interim president at the University of North Carolina; as provost and vice president for academic affairs, and a tenured professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso; and as founding dean and tenured professor in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University, his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and his master’s degree in business administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Bailey’s other positions in higher education teaching and administration, prior to his role with Northern New Mexico College, include being the first-ever dean of students at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Air University in Alabama, and an associate professor of strategy and security studies at the university’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from the U.S. Air Force Academy, his master’s degree in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and his doctorate in government from Georgetown University.

The first finalist to visit SOU, on Oct. 14 and 15, was Chris Gilmer, Ph.D., the president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg; he was followed on Oct. 18 and 19 by Brock Tessman, Ph.D., the deputy commissioner of higher education for 16 campuses that comprise the Montana University System. Gilmer’s and Tessman’s educational backgrounds and roles in higher education were detailed in an SOU News story last week.

An 18-member Presidential Search Committee – a diverse group made up of members of SOU’s Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, local community members and an Oregon university president – recommended the five finalists after receiving more than 100 applications for the position.

SOU students and employees, and members of the community, have an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the finalists during an open forum and Q&A session at 3:15 p.m. in Room 151 of the Science Building on the first day of each candidate’s campus visit. Day two of the schedule also includes an opportunity for community members to interact with candidates – an 8:30 a.m. session at the Higher Education Center in Medford.

More information about the finalists, their schedules and links to recordings of their open forum presentations are available on the presidential search website.

Bobby Arellano elected Oregon Humanities chair

SOU creative arts professor elected chair of Oregon Humanities board

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Robert Arellano, a professor in the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University, was elected board chair for Oregon Humanities on Oct. 16. As the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Oregon Humanities’ mission “connects people and communities through conversation, storytelling and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change.”

The nonprofit sponsors hundreds of community forums all over Oregon in an average year. Last year, the organization rapidly adapted its “Consider This” conversation series to a remote format called “Connect in Place,” drawing hundreds of online participants from across the state.

“In the summer of 2019, I got to moderate an in-person conversation at Grizzly Peak Winery for Oregon Humanities in partnership with SOU that brought Richard Blanco, President Obama’s inaugural poet laureate, to Ashland,” Arellano said. “Over 200 southern Oregonians came out to connect with this renowned poet and teacher.”

Bobby, as he’s known to his students and coworkers, will chair a board of 22 volunteer members for the next two years. Beginning in 2016, he served previous terms as chair of two Oregon Humanities subcommittees – programs and communications.

Arellano is a founding director of SOU’s Emerging Media and Digital Arts program, and teaches courses in design, production and writing. He has done pioneering work in electronic publishing, and has published graphic-novel editions and five other novels. He received both his bachelor’s degree and master of fine arts degree from Brown University.

“I would not have been able to take on a leadership role at Oregon Humanities without the unequivocal support of my division director, David Humphrey, and SOU Provost Sue Walsh, who have also both participated in events we’ve hosted here in the Rogue Valley,” Arellano said.

More ways to get involved with Oregon Humanities include free college-credit classes through the Humanity in Perspective program, summer youth courses and award-winning publications, podcasts, and video productions. The organization also offers free subscriptions to its Oregon Humanities Magazine.

“If there’s one thing you do to learn more about Oregon Humanities, take a minute to subscribe to our magazine,” Arellano said. “We publish stories and photos by people from right here in our community, and it’s delivered free, three times a year to anyone with an Oregon mailing address. It’s just one more benefit to being an Oregonian.”

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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Finalists to be SOU's next president are being interviewed

Interviews of SOU presidential finalists are underway

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The first two of five finalists to become SOU’s next president have visited campus over the past week, with the three remaining finalists scheduled to visit later this week and next. All of the candidates are visiting for two days of interviews and presentations with various constituent groups and community members.

Chris Gilmer, Ph.D., currently the president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg, was on the SOU campus on Oct 14 and 15; and Brock Tessman, Ph.D., currently the deputy commissioner of higher education for 16 campuses that comprise the Montana University System, was at SOU on Monday and today. The other candidates – whose names will be announced a day before their respective visits – will come to SOU on Oct. 21-22, Oct. 25-26 and Oct. 27-28.

“We are hoping that not only our campus community, but the entire SOU community and its partners throughout the Rogue Valley will get involved in this process and see these candidates,” said Danny Santos, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees and of the search committee.“ We will be seeking valuable feedback from all who engage in these two-day visits, and that input will be very important in the board’s decision-making process.”

An 18-member Presidential Search Committee – a diverse group made up of members of SOU’s Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, local community members and an Oregon university president – recommended the five finalists after receiving more than 100 applications for the position.

Gilmer held various positions in higher education teaching and administration prior to his role at WVU-Parkersburg, including executive director/chief operating officer of Alcorn State University’s Vicksburg Campus, vice president for academic and sponsored programs at a nonprofit agency, and vice president for academic affairs at Adams State University. He holds a doctorate in English from University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in English from Mississippi College, a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from University of Southern Mississippi and an associate degree in liberal arts from East Central Community College.

Tessman also held various positions in higher education teaching and administration prior to his role with the Montana University System, including professor of political science and dean of the Davidson Honors College at the University of Montana in Missoula; and as a tenured professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University and received both his master’s degree and doctorate in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

SOU students and employees, and members of the community, have an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the finalists during an open forum and Q&A session at 3:15 p.m. in Room 151 of the Science Building on the first day of each candidate’s campus visit. Day two of the schedule also includes an opportunity for community members to interact with candidates – an 8:30 a.m. session at the Higher Education Center in Medford.

More information about the finalists, their schedules and links to recordings of their open forum presentations are available on the presidential search website.

Toya Cooper is SOU's first-ever Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

SOU hires its first vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Toya Cooper, an attorney who has spent almost 20 years addressing diversity in higher education, has accepted an offer to become Southern Oregon University’s first vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion. She will start work with the university Nov. 15

“I think SOU is ready to engage the questions of equity, diversity and inclusion that this moment in our nation’s history brings to bear, and to model for students what it means to respond effectively to them,” Cooper said.

“I’m excited to learn more about the good EDI-related work already underway at SOU, the OSF, city council and chamber of commerce, and eager to discover what partnerships are to be had among us for the greatest positive impact.”

SOU has a long history of providing a welcoming atmosphere for all students and employees, and has had an equity, diversity and inclusion professional on its leadership team for many years. A decision was made to elevate the position to the vice president level after the most recent person in that role resigned a year and a half ago. A three-person group of SOU administrators has served as the university’s EDI Leadership Team during the interim.

“Our candidates for this new position at SOU were exceptional, and Toya rose to the top,” SOU President Linda Schott said. “She brings a wealth of experience to the job, along with a remarkable ability to collaborate and build teams. I am confident that all members of our campus community will be well-served by her efforts.”

Cooper most recently served for a year as director of equity, inclusion and compliance at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She previously worked for 18 years at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California – as special assistant to the president for legal affairs and associate director of multicultural programs during her first year, and then as college counsel and special assistant to the provost for diversity initiatives. She has authored and presented a variety of diversity trainings and talks.

She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Westmont College and her law degree from the Willamette University College of Law in Salem. She worked as a law clerk for the Marion County District Attorney’s office while in law school, and said she welcomes the opportunity for a return to Oregon.

“I called Salem home for three years,” Cooper said. “I was drawn by and fell in love with its natural beauty, which Ashland certainly does not lack.

“In addition to SOU’s mission, values and vision, that beauty certainly serves as a draw for me.”

SOU’s vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion will oversee fairness and equal opportunity efforts at all levels of campus, and will serve as the university’s point person on those matters throughout the region and the state. It is a key leadership position that works closely with the university president and serves on the president’s cabinet.

The interim Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Team is made up of Kylan de Vries, an associate professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; Jonathan Chavez-Baez, Assistant Director for Latino/a/x Programs & Outreach; and Patricia Syquia McCarthy, a contracts administrative officer and risk manager in the SOU Service Center.

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Sustainability Month lasts through October

SOU celebrates Campus Sustainability Month

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Southern Oregon University will participate in Campus Sustainability Month throughout October. The annual event, hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), celebrates higher education sustainability achievements while raising awareness of the value of sustainability in higher education.

To celebrate and kickoff a new year of sustainability advancements, students and staff from SOU’s Social Justice and Equity Center, Facilities Management and Planning, and The Farm at SOU are hosting the following events:

  • Equity Roundtable: Barriers to Higher Education, Oct. 19, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., on Zoom. The world of higher education is filled with barriers, both physical and cultural, that leave many students in the dark. Come discuss how these barriers affect students at SOU and different ways to help.
  • Raiders Ride! Bus and Bike Day at SOU, Oct. 20, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Parking Lot 3 on the corner of Siskiyou Boulevard and Wightman Street. Bring your own bike, learn some new maintenance/repair skills and discuss preparations for fall and winter riding. There will also be an RVTD bus you can explore, information about the free fall bus pass, and games and giveaways!
  • Fall Into the Garden Volunteer Day, Oct. 22, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., SOU Community Garden. Meet new people, get your hands dirty and help tuck in the Garden before winter during this fun volunteer day.
  • Campus Sustainability Tour, Oct. 29, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Starting at the SOU Community Garden and ending at the SOU Farm, you’ll have a chance to meet campus sustainability leaders and find out how to get involved. Visit sustainability sites such as solar installations, pollinator habitat, the recycling center and more!
  • Fall Farm Fest, Oct. 29, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., The Farm at SOU, 155 Walker Ave. Visit the Farm at SOU for an afternoon of autumn delights! Sample farm-fresh soup and festive drinks, play games and dress to impress, to win prizes for spookiest costume. Featuring live entertainment from the SOU Chemistry Club, Dance Club, Music Department and more!

Jill Smedstad, SOU’s Equity Coordinator for Sustainability and Basic Needs Resourcing, works closely with students planning these events.

“Sustainability is one of SOU’s core values, and this month is a great opportunity to celebrate our university’s achievements and look ahead at how we can work together to model a socially just and environmentally sustainable institution,” Smedstad said.

For more information and to register in advance for in-person Sustainability Month events, please visit www.tinyurl.com/SOUsustainmonth, and follow #sousustainmonth on Instagram.

About Sustainability at SOU
Southern Oregon University is committed to sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and research that advances our understanding of local, regional, and global environmental issues. SOU offers degrees emphasizing sustainability in a wide-range of programs from art to business, and opportunities for student sustainability engagement outside the classroom including  a community garden, an organic farm, student organizations and clubs, a sustainability projects fund and more.

SOU has been a national leader in sustainability in higher education for more than a decade. SOU was the first campus to offset 100% of it’s water use through water restoration credits in 2012. SOU won a “Best Case Study Award” from AASHE in 2014 for the development of what is now The Farm at SOU. SOU consistently earns high rankings as a Bicycle Friendly University and a Tree Campus USA, boasts several LEED certified buildings, and was the first university in the nation to certify as a Bee Campus USA in 2016. SOU won the Excellence and Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in 2019. SOU has added three new solar array installations this year and now has a total of 12 installations on campus. SOU also expanded its on-site recycling center this year to help promote further diversion from landfill through recycling, reuse and reducing waste.

Want to stay connected and be the first to hear about opportunities to get involved in campus sustainability? Sign up for the sustainability-involvement listserve at https://tinyurl.com/SJECinfo.

SOU student capitalized on his fervor for France

SOU student turns fervor for France into dream come true

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What happens when a student is so passionate about French, all he wants to do is live in France? Micah Mills came up with an answer: graduate from SOU with a degree in International Studies and get accepted into a master’s program in business – in Lyon, France.

“It’s a crazy experience to live out a dream,” Mills said. “I definitely have days where I struggle to keep up with my French friends. I have days where I miss my friends and family in the U.S., and miss going on mountain bike rides in the mountains I know so well.”

“But the days where a non-local Frenchie thinks that you are a local and asks for directions, then invites you for a drink after chatting about our stories for five minutes – those days make the dream so dreamy.”

It was actually a touch-and-go journey for Mills. He initially registered at SOU with the sole intention of studying French, as nothing else interested him at the time. His goal was simply to go live in France, but he had no idea how that would play out.

He eventually applied for the Study Away program in Lyon, France, after he had taken as many French classes as were offered at SOU. He was admitted to the program, but his trip to focus on global studies and serve as an English teacher was cut a few months short when he had to return to the U.S. in March of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Mills came back to SOU and declared as an International Studies major, with a minor in economics. International Studies offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that examines economic and political systems in specific contexts, and his concentration was on French language and culture. SOU’s French program is currently being phased out, but students can still pursue a major in International Studies with a concentration in Spanish language and culture.

“He served as French tutor extraordinaire for our first- and second-year students – everyone raved about him,” said Marianne Golding, an SOU French professor and director of the university’s Summer Language Institute.

“For someone who had just intended to take a few classes of French, he’s done pretty well for himself.”

The admiration between Golding and Mills is mutual.

“There’s no chance that I would be where I am today, in France, without having the privilege of meeting Madame Golding,” Mills said. “Without her help at SOU, I would still be in the U.S. – working as a barista, most likely.”

Mills – who worked previously as an assistant manager at a Dutch Bros Coffee location in Central Point – applied to a couple of business schools in Lyon while completing his bachelor’s degree earlier this year in International Studies. He was admitted into a program designed for French students – all courses are taught in French.

He has been in France since August, living again in what has long felt to him like his true home.

“The master’s degree is not easy, and definitely a different style of teaching than in the U.S.,” Mills said. “But with the help of my French classmates, I get by just fine.

“When you start to tutoyer your baker – which (in French) is a level up from being on first-name basis – you feel like you’re in a Disney cartoon.”

SOU EcoAdventure students work on Bear Creek restoration

SOU’s EcoAdventure experience gets local in response to fire

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Past versions of Southern Oregon University’s “EcoAdventure” courses have taken students to northern California’s Lassen and Yosemite national parks, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Costa Rica. But last year’s Almeda Fire brought a huge ecological test almost to SOU’s doorstep, and EcoAdventure faculty and students jumped on the opportunity to play a role in assessing and restoring a charred Bear Creek Greenway between Ashland and Medford.

Each year’s EcoAdventure courses are intended to connect students with real-world environmental issues and create an atmosphere of investigation and problem-solving.

“For the first few months after the Almeda fire, I was working at a local hotel that was housing victims of the fire,” said Ethan Robison, a student in last spring’s EcoAdventure fire restoration course through SOU’s Environmental Science and Policy Program. “Each of the 50 families staying there had their own journey towards recovery and I was proud to be a small part of that process.

“When I started at SOU and found out about this class, I saw it as an opportunity to learn about the impacts of the fire on our local ecosystem.”

The spring EcoAdventure class drew 18 students, and they chose Bear Creek restoration work as their service learning project. The course covered fire regimes and climate change in the Rogue Valley, the history of Bear Creek and the U.S. Clean Water Act, and a talk, tour and native planting day in Phoenix led by a the Rogue River Watershed Council.

A separate effort by four Environmental Science capstone students looked at Bear Creek water quality following the Almeda fire. Those students presented data to the EcoAdventure class about erosion, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and other measures of water quality.

Environmental Science and Policy instructor Leslie Eldridge, who taught the Bear Creek EcoAdventure course, said many of the students felt a sense of revival after experiencing or hearing extensively about the fire, and then studying both its environmental causes and the steps to remediation. The day of planting native species along the creek was especially powerful.

“It was a beautiful example of ecosystem reset and opportunity to bring Bear Creek and the Greenway to a new condition that may improve ecological health and social connectivity between Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Medford,” said Eldridge, who initiated the EcoAdventure water restoration course ­– the real-world element in a broader Environmental Science and Policy curriculum.

“The idea is to get students working hands-on and experiencing the environments and environmental challenges we discuss in our courses,” said Vincent Smith, an associate professor of environmental science and policy, and director of the Division of Business, Communication and the Environment.

“Certainly, we have theory-based courses in these areas including restoration ecology, environmental field methods, water resources and hydrology, but in each of these cases, the idea is to prepare students to address pressing needs,” Smith said. “The Bear Creek Greenway is an example of one of those pressing needs.”

Capstone students in Environmental Science and Policy – those who are nearing graduation – each choose a capstone project that is intended to pull together much of what they have learned in the program. Capstone advisor John Gutrich offered last year’s students a variety of options, ranging from bark beetle mitigation in the Ashland Watershed to impacts of climate change on LatinX communities of southern Oregon. Four of the students chose to focus on the Almeda fire’s impact on Bear Creek, and worked together to produce a series of reports on water quality issues that were then shared with the agencies spearheading restoration efforts.

Both the EcoAdventure courses and capstone projects vary from term to term, but Smith said it’s likely the Environmental Science and Policy program’s collaborations on the restoration of Bear Creek will continue.

“I can’t predict what students will select to work on next year, but I’d be surprised if at least one group doesn’t continue work on restoration work from the fire,” he said.

Robison, the student who was drawn to last spring’s EcoAdventure course after first working to help house victims of the fire, said the restoration element of the project was a healing experience.

“Essentially, I wanted to see some physical evidence of recovery from the fire, just to prove to myself that it was possible,” he said. “Seeing the effort people put into repairing the ecosystem after the devastation helped me look past some of the pain I had seen and internalized.”

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O'Shea negotiated many challenges to earn her online MBA at SOU

Student overcomes life challenges to earn SOU MBA and land “dream job”

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Staci O’Shea is a survivor. She has overcome the challenges of being a teen-aged mother of special needs children. She has escaped domestic violence, found her way through a divorce, moved around the country and achieved sobriety.

She has also followed an academic path to career preparation, new-found confidence and real-world success.

“I am a survivor in a few different aspects,” O’Shea said. “School has always been a refuge from life circumstances that were overwhelming and often served as setbacks.”

O’Shea received notification last week that she has completed all requirements for her online MBA degree from the SOU School of Business, after earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration from SOU in 2019. She has reached those academic milestones while working – first with a local nonprofit and for the past year in her “dream job” as a project manager at the Dutch Bros. headquarters in Grants Pass.

“My only goal when I started was to make it through each term, one class at a time,” said O’Shea, who participated in the federal TRIO and Success at Southern student support programs, first at Rogue Community College and then after transferring as an undergrad to SOU.

“I had excellent guidance from both programs that helped me to decide that business was where I should land,” she said. “I enjoy management positions and have long been told I am a natural leader.”

But O’Shea’s route to this point in her life has been convoluted and challenging. She was born and raised in Medford before graduating in 1995 from Crater High School. She took her first college course at RCC in 1996 after becoming a teen mom. She moved to Overland Park, Kansas, then to Las Vegas and then to Eugene before eventually returning to the Rogue Valley. Along the way there was what she described as “a dangerous relationship that was riddled with domestic violence,” her divorce and the discovery a 12-Step resource.

Last week, in addition to learning that her master’s degree coursework has been accepted, O’Shea achieved her 10th year of sobriety.

She thanked SOU business professor Rene Odonez upon being notified that she was approved to receive her MBA, telling him that his “reassurance that I was on track and that I was worthy of a college degree was exactly what I needed when I sometimes doubted my abilities.” O’Shea is a first-generation college student who often lacked confidence during her undergraduate studies, and initially had trouble visualizing herself as MBA material.

“Once I realized that the online coursework was perfect for me, and I had professors and my Success at Southern counselor rooting me on, I knew I could probably handle the MBA program,” she said.

Ordonez, who coordinates graduate programs for the School of Business, said O’Shea is precisely the type of student for which SOU’s online MBA program is intended – even if her personal backstory may involve more challenges and inspiration than most. SOU offers an entirely online MBA program with concentrations in accounting, business analytics, marketing, finance, healthcare administration, information analysis and decision making, and general business practices. The program is designed for flexibility, accommodating the needs of mid-career learners and students anywhere in the world.

The university also has a traditional, on-campus MBA program with a variety of concentrations.

“Staci didn’t realize it at first, but our online MBA offerings are very well-suited for people in circumstances such as hers,” Ordonez said. “We want to reach adult learners where they live and work, and help prepare them for the next steps in their careers.

“We were lucky to have her on-campus for her undergraduate studies, as well. She is inquisitive and determined – I think she now knows that she’s a very good student and a valuable employee.”

The MBA program selected O’Shea to receive the Oregon Lottery Scholarship in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. The scholarship is awarded to graduate students based on merit and need.

O’Shea said it was a “spur-of-the-moment thing” when she applied for her Dutch Bros. position, which drew more than 100 applicants. She now feels empowered to make important decisions for a fast-growing company whose community involvement and philanthropy is making a difference nationwide.

“I would not have my job at Dutch Bros. without my educational training at SOU, in both the undergrad and MBA programs,” she said. “I have learned the importance of professionalism, critical thinking skills, self-discipline, time management skills and also creative problem-solving.

“Personally, it is important to show my kids that higher education is possible even though my younger years took a much different path. It is important to my sobriety that I set and achieve goals that are challenging yet possible, and the most important aspect of my higher education is that I don’t give up – I keep going no matter what. I earned these degrees one class at a time and was able to overcome my self-doubt with a constant stream of hope and successful completion of each course.”