As a student, alumnus Andre Jones '18 heard the president of Utah Valley University (UVU) express a vision that one day, UVU graduates would be found in top companies and high levels of government. This prediction inspired Andre to build and work with the growing UVU community in Washington, DC. He notes, "I'm seeing that happen. I'm seeing UVU students come out here and attain that."

A Community Far from Campus

Once Andre began working in Washington, DC, he recognized the value of having a UVU community in the district. He created this community by hosting events for students, interns, and alumni in the area. He meets with new interns when they arrive in DC and discusses career opportunities with them. Andre also organizes seminars across the city to help familiarize students with the area.

As he worked with the students, Andre realized the untapped potential of the alumni community. He started inviting professionals from different industries to provide students with insights into various career paths. This evolved into UVU alumni gathering to connect and network. The community plans to host more events catered to both alumni and students.

An Advocate for the University

Andre became involved with the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, a national cybersecurity competition. Even though many of the competitors are graduate students from Ivy League schools, Andre knew that UVU would excel. He pitched the idea to the National Security Studies program, and in the first year, the UVU students made it to the semifinals. The following year, they won the competition. Andre has volunteered and coached the UVU teams multiple times for this event.

As a true advocate and mentor, Andre is a Forever Wolverine. He says, "UVU helped me out so much and gave me a lot of opportunities through the teachers, scholarships, and donors." He has paid forward the support he received by helping many UVU students and becoming a key contributor to the university's growing presence in the nation's capital.

 

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