REUNITED
Alumni Homecoming gatherings rekindle Sun Devil memories
By Oriana Parker
Beyond a diploma, a tassel, and a deep store of knowledge, what does every graduate carry with them after leaving ASU? Memories. Homecoming is a time to wax nostalgic and remember the people and events that shaped the college experience.
The Alumni Association will be hosting reunions at the pre-game Homecoming FestDevil Oct. 27 for the classes of 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987 and 1997. In the spirit of these reunions, we asked several alumni belonging to the reunion classes to recall the friends and faculty who defined their college years, and continue to impact their lives today.
"BAND OF BROTHERS" PLAYS FOR 22 YEARS
High school wrestling buddies Mark Herding and Mark Horvath, who came from the same area on the Minnesota-North DAkota border, spent a lot of time discussing where to attend college.
"Weather was a major consideration<" says Herding, a reunion class ambassador and a past president of the W.P. Carey School of Business alumni chapter. When they settled on ASU, little did they realize this desert campus would provide the setting for warm friendships among more than a half-dozen men, some of which have been going strong for more than two decades.
Many charter members of this "band of brothers" came from Herding's finance classes. "The required presentations were involved and very demanding," he says. To cope, the "brothers" pulled together to solve strenuous academic challenges.
Herding, an Irwin Union Investor Services financial consultant in Phoenix, was best man at Horvath's wedding and calls his former roommate in Nebraska every week. The two also connect regularly with former finance classmate Mark Fast, who also lives in Phoenix.
The gang gets together annually for a reunion featuring golf and football. this year, they will meet in Tempe for the Homecoming game.
"It's been non-stop fun and laughter for more than two decades," says Fast.
SUPPORT LEADS TO SUCCESS
Theresa Garcia was the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating summa cum laude with a joint B. S. in political science and communications in 1997. She owes her rapid rise in the world of work to the support of her professors in her programs at the West campus.
"My ASU professors, Julie Erfani, Manuel Avalos and Ajay Goel really encouraged me to apply for graduate study fellowships and scholarships," said Garcia. "Dr. Erfani also encouraged me to go into political science since I had a strong desire to learn about world politics."
Such support apparently nurtured her talent; after graduating from ASU, she earned a Master's of Public Policy degree in June 2000 from the University of Chicago. Her ASU professors provided a different, yet no less valuable, sort of support while she was studying in Chicago.
"Dr. Erfani and Dr. Avalos stayed in touch via phone when I went to Chicago," she said. "The city was so different — star ting with the weather! — and I became homesick. Both professors gave me 'pep' talks which boosted my spirits and kept me going."
The talks must have worked. The stellar academic career that Garcia forged with her professors' help has been equaled by her professional achievements; as central budget office director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, she currently directs and manages a $1.7 billion budget in an agency with more than 2,000 employees.
Garcia hopes to attend the class of 1997 reunion if she is in town for Homecoming.
"For me to see and spend time with classmates and professors who provided me with assistance and encouraging words at the times I needed them most makes me happy. It give me the opportunity to say thank you, again," she said.
REPAYING A KINDNESS
In November of 1996, Dan Levey, then a senior at ASU, suffered a devastating emotional blow when his brother Howard was murdered by Phoenix gang members. With Levey only months away from graduation, his faculty mentors helped ensure he was able to stay on track and graduate on time.
"Professors Harold Moore and Mark Searle were very understanding and went out of their way to make sure that my graduation was not derailed," said Levey, whose '97 Administration of Justice B.S. degree took on special significance after Howard's murder. "I was appointed a counselor and given 'wiggle room' on paper due dates."
Having experienced what it is like to lose a loved one to homicide, he became dedicated to ensuring that others are accorded the same respect and dignity that he received on an informal basis at ASU. Today, Levey works as a policy advisor on victim's issues for the Arizona Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families. This spring, he received the Ronald Reagan Public Policy Award, which honors individuals whose advocacy has produced significant changes in public policy benefiting crime victims. He's clear that this, or any such award, is not just about him and his efforts, though.
"Any recognition that I achieve honors both the memory and life of Howard," Levey said.
He hopes if he attend the Homecoming reunion to reconnect with his professors and classmates.
"I think it is important to connect with those who made a impression upon us as we moved through those important years," he said.
Oriana Parker is a Scottsdale-base freelance writer.
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