Julia Sommer is no stranger to the influential power of music. From briefly playing cello with the Rogue Valley Symphony to singing with Southern Oregon Repertory Singers since 2006, Julia has found significant joy in music and the performing arts. She performed with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus for many years.
It’s not an uncommon experience for alumni of SOU to name the community as one of the most enduring and impactful reasons they loved SOU. There’s just something special about the small campus in Ashland that draws people to this beautiful location where art, connection, community, and purpose all converge.
The year 2020 changed a lot about the student experience, but one constant is SOU’s commitment to the well-being of its 6,000 students. The SOU Cares program, part of the university’s safety net, has been a lifesaver for students in distress.
It was arguably no surprise to those who knew SOU wrestling coach Bob Riehm that he bequeathed a significant portion of his estate to the university’s men’s wrestling program. Riehm had a reputation for generosity. When a wrestler didn’t have money to go to his father’s funeral, Riehm gave the young man a credit card and the keys to his own car to allow him to attend the funeral. That was the kind of coach and person Riehm was to hundreds of student-athletes.
Semi-retired surgeon Ron Worland, M.D., believes that supporting SOU is an investment in the entire southern Oregon region. “This is our university and our community. It is important to support the students because that will benefit every one of us,” said Worland. Ron and his wife Lou created an endowment for student-faculty research and enabled the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment.
Dennis Slattery’s connection to SOU spans over four decades. He has not only been a cornerstone of the university but a shining example of how a sustained commitment to exceptional teaching and generosity can transform the lives of SOU students.
Bryan DeBoer ’89, values the deep-rooted significance of a regional public university like SOU. He understands the out-sized role it can play in a geographic region, recognizes the importance of having a thriving school from which to draw future employees, and leans into “the possible” when organizations come together to solve larger issues.