An Investment in Wyoming’s Energy Leaders

 

By Taylor Weidinger

 

More than 10 years ago, a group of UW alumni and supporters of the College of Law came together around a shared belief: Investing in Wyoming students would strengthen the future of the state’s energy industry. Among those involved in shaping the effort were alumni Joe Evers and Alex Obrecht, who, alongside mentors and fellow alumni, pledged to endow what would become the Salt Creek Energy Excellence Scholarship. With encouragement from their employers and early supporters — including UW College of Law alumni Jamie L. Jost (’02) and Poe Leggette — additional donors stepped forward to help bring the vision to life.

The scholarship gets its name from Salt Creek, the birthplace of Wyoming’s oil industry, honoring the grit and ingenuity that helped build the state’s energy legacy. Early contributions to the scholarship’s expendable fund allowed the program to award its first recipient before the endowment was fully established.

The idea first took shape while Evers and Obrecht were law students. Both were drawn to energy law but found it difficult to connect with UW alumni working in the field.

“As students, Alex and I were drawn to energy law and frustrated by how hard it was to connect with UW alumni in the field,” Evers says. “We wanted to build a network — and a Salt Creek brand — that signaled to employers that Salt Creek Scholars from UW were worth hiring.”

Over time, the scholarship has grown through the support of dozens of donors, allowing some recipients to receive full tuition support while building a professional network that extends far beyond campus.

“The Salt Creek Scholars are some of the most impressive law students we have seen,” Obrecht says. “Now they are even more impressive in the professional world. We think these individuals will be at the forefront of tackling energy issues in Wyoming and elsewhere.”

Looking ahead, the vision for Salt Creek remains rooted in the same spirit that launched the scholarship more than a decade ago — creating opportunity, strengthening connections and investing in Wyoming-grown talent. For Evers, the scholarship ultimately reflects something larger than financial support: “The Salt Creek Energy Excellence Scholarship honors the grit and determination of the wildcatters that built this state’s energy industry and now stands as a banner for the Wyoming-grown students who will carry that legacy into the next era of energy.”