Fremont County

Lance Goede

Director of Student Success, Central Wyoming College

UW degrees: Bachelor’s in sociology (1988), Bachelor’s in psychology (1989), Master’s in counseling (1995)

Lance is a previous member of Riverton City Council and currently chair of the Fremont County Alliance Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Riverton Local Food Hub, and Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board. He is also a member of the Riverton Planning Commission, Riverton Solutions Committee, Kickin’ Trash Community Group, and UW Alumni Association Board

How did your experience at UW prepare you for your career and role in your community?

“My jobs after receiving my undergraduate degrees were directly related -- I worked with developmentally disabled adults, rehabilitation of injured workers and in community mental health, which then led to my return in 1993 to graduate school in counseling. My only job after graduate school has been with Central Wyoming College, where my experience as a resident assistant in McIntyre Hall for three years served me as housing manager at CWC -- I served in that position for 12 years. I loved my time at UW, not only as an RA in undergrad, but also as a graduate assistant while in graduate school, working in the College of Education as an academic adviser, which served to prepare me for my current job. UW provided me the foundation of not only my jobs, but also in my desire to give back to my the communities I live in as well as Wyoming in the broadest sense.”

 

Why should Wyoming students attend their state’s university?

“The university provides a breadth of opportunities and, in many areas, places to go even deeper! You can be as involved as you want to be, but there are plenty of ways to be involved. I came from a small high school in Wyoming and, even though UW was big, it still maintained an atmosphere of caring and concern, while still challenging me to branch out and experience things that a small-town boy never had. It’s a great value compared to schools around the region; it has top-25 academic programs all across the campus; and it will provide its students with the finest education.”

 

What does it mean to you to be a UW Cowboy?

“Pride in where we come from, pride in our ethics, pride in our school -- the university provided me the foundation from which my entire adult life has developed. To be a UW Cowboy gives me the greatest pride, and to say I graduated from there three times shows the commitment I have, and that many others have when they return to do the same thing! We are proud of our school -- the world truly does need more Cowboys, and I couldn't be more proud to be one of them!”

---