It always amazes me just how well our university’s emblem stands out in a crowd. If
you’re like me, you can spot that distinctive horse and rider on a hat, a coat or
a car window in the most congested of locations. Even in Laramie on a fall Saturday,
the brown and gold Steamboat stands out.
For alumni and friends of the University of Wyoming, that emblem equates to a feeling of camaraderie, pride and a sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself. It represents not just a school but also great people, great experiences and a place alumni can always call home.
As a third-generation Cowboy, my love for UW and that sense of belonging grows as each year passes. The quality of the education and the college life experiences for students today are astounding. As a result, the quality of the people who join the alumni ranks is continually on the rise. Our alma mater has a long and wonderful tradition of providing leaders to the state of Wyoming, to our nation and to our world. That tradition lives on with the graduates of yesteryear, the graduates of today and with the talented students applying to become Cowboys this fall. Just as the Steamboat stands out in a crowd, so too does the graduate who holds a degree from UW.
One of the many gifts that my degree conferred upon me in 1998 was the understanding that leadership is service. That understanding will be my driving principle for the coming year: service to the board, to the university and to you, my fellow alumni.
I am humbled and excited to be the next president of the UW Alumni Association. We have a great group of passionate alumni leaders on our team, and we enthusiastically look forward to serving you.
Those who know me well will tell you that I love sharing the many successes of our UW students and alumni with others. It isn’t hard discerning which school has my heart and what that horse and rider means to me. The next time someone sees you wearing our emblem and asks, “Were you a Cowboy?” I hope you’ll join me in always answering, “Yes. I am a Cowboy.”
Forever a Cowboy, Doug Mader
(B.S. ’98, business administration)
