Ty McNamee, English/honors, B.A. ’13, doctoral student at Columbia University
What was your role with WYO-Gold, and what contributions did you make in building this student RSO?
As a student engagement intern with UWAA, I was in charge of planning the Welcome Wednesday, where students learned about the Alumni Association and WYO-Gold, formerly WYOSAA. We grew WYO-Gold from five to six students to 10–20 students throughout that year. The group worked to prioritize community outreach; we started something that was not just about giving back to the campus community, but giving back to broader communities.
Why do you think young alumni should stay involved with the university?
I think that people forget that the dues that they pay to be member of the Alumni Association go back to students who want to go to the university. Think of it as you invested your time and money into the university, and now there are students who want to do the same and might not have opportunities to go to college because they don’t receive scholarships.
What are you currently doing in your career path?
I am currently working at the women’s college (Barnard) of Columbia University as a hall director, and I live right by the main campus of Columbia and right by the Teachers College where I am currently attending. I live four blocks away from where I need to attend classes, and my apartment and office are a foot away from each other. I lucked out in New York, I will say.
Tiffany Young, B.S. ’12 and MBA ’15, financial analyst for United Launch Alliance
What are you doing with your career?
I am part of United Launch Alliance’s business rotation program, which is two years long. I will complete four, six-month rotations within the business department, and we were required to do a business rotation off site. For that, I went to our launch site down in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Why do you think young alumni should join the Alumni Association?
It’s great to stay connected through the Alumni Association, especially after you graduate, because you are able to give back to the people who are still in school. During my time as a student at UW, I took a trip down to Denver with the UWAA, and we networked with UW alumni in the Denver area. I found it helpful to connect with younger alumni, hear what they were doing and get general career advice from them.
What do you like to do for fun with such a busy schedule?
I enjoy working out when I have time. I try to keep up with the dance stuff, but it’s kind of hard being in Denver while working and going to school. I also enjoy doing martial arts, but my ultimate goal fitness wise is to compete on the show American Ninja Warrior. I submitted a video application for it, and I haven’t been selected, but I want to keep focusing on that goal.
Megan Degenfelder, B.S./B.A. ’12, manager of public affairs for Cloud Peak Energy
How has your career allowed you to give back to UW?
Each year with UW, we do an etiquette dinner, which is a great event. We also started doing Cloud Peak Energy Day on campus. The etiquette dinner is an opportunity to bring business leaders and students together to discuss the next steps after graduation, whether it is job interviews, dinners, legislative events and other future career endeavors. My husband and I are lifetime members of the UWAA, and it has been really neat to be connected with that and to also give back in different ways to UW.
What are your career goals?
I am excited about the opportunity I have right now working for an industry and a company that is headquartered here in Wyoming. It is very rewarding working for an industry that has provided so much for our state and for the university.
Why do you think young alumni should join the Alumni Association?
I think it is crucial. This is one way to give back to the university and to instill those same benefits to future generations for up-and-coming classes, for our kids and to keep the university as a premier university for in-state students to go to. The opportunities that are available really lend themselves well to the success of our state.
Matt Wold, B.S. ’08, business broker at Murphy Business & Financial Corporation
What was your involvement with the UWAA?
I was on the UWAA board, where I worked specifically on developing the student alumni association group WYO-Gold. We decided to rebrand the group from WYOSAA to WYO-Gold and find new ways for current students to promote UWAA. The student alumni association is the direct liaison between the students and the UWAA, and its students understand the importance of the UWAA.
What are you currently doing in your career?
I am currently a business broker with Murphy Business of Denver and am actively helping buy and sell businesses in Colorado and Wyoming. I work on both the buy and the sell side of businesses. My education prepared me well for a career as a business broker, and I am grateful to UW.
Why do you think young alumni should stay involved with the university, and how can they do that through the Alumni Association?
The UWAA is the best way to keep alumni engaged after their UW experience and provides a wonderful opportunity to give back in a meaningful way to the college. I enjoyed getting involved with the UWAA to stay abreast with the issues that are taking place in Laramie and networking with other graduates.