EverGREEN, the university’s inaugural comprehensive campaign, was announced at the 2022 President’s Scholarship Ball. “EverGREEN will help us raise the funds needed to support students, enhance engaged learning opportunities, and ensure that all students leave UVU ready for the workforce and more confident to navigate life,” said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez.

As part of the campaign, UVU announced its largest single gift in school history with a multi-year pledge totaling $28.5 million from Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU). The overall goal of the campaign is $350 million.

EverGREEN will help to establish a foundation for ongoing growth and future needs. The campaign will also ensure that the university can provide exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results for future generations of UVU students. EverGREEN will be an opportunity for faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, industry, and organizations to transform students’ lives.

The vision for the new UVU Museum of Art at Lakemount began more than 40 years ago when Melanie Bastian instilled in her four sons the principles of “giving back, both in terms of time and resources.” Melanie lived a life of dedication, commitment, and skill. She devoted herself to her family, religious organizations, education, and her community.

The virtues of hard work, humility, and gratitude guided her life. Upon her untimely passing from cancer in 2016, she left no explicit instructions for her estate.

Guided by a favorite Bible verse of their mother’s, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth,” her four boys, Rick, Darren, Jeff, and Robbie, all reached agreement on what to do next. They relied on their mother’s words and guidance and they gifted Utah Valley University their childhood home as the new location for the UVU Museum of Art — Lakemount Manor.

After three years of renovation, the new museum opened in May of 2023 and offers an innovative and active learning space in a unique setting. The Museum of Art at Lakemount provides opportunities for the community to engage in a variety of public education programs and family events. Melanie’s hard work, humility, and gratitude have come full circle as UVU students now have a new home to embark on journeys of their own to express and extend art to all.

Melanie Bastian

A Place for You

The strength of the university can be seen in its students. “You have heard ‘there’s a place for you at UVU,’ you can see it on the billboards, but more than that, you can feel it in the university’s hallways, classrooms, and board rooms,” Jeanette Bennett, founder and editor of Bennett Communications and UVU Board of Trustees member, said. “All students come first here. They are welcomed, regardless of their past, to find their future.”

UVU’s Moment

“I support the EverGREEN campaign because it is UVU’s moment,” Matthew Bryson, class of ‘17, said. “As a recent grad, I have witnessed how a gift of $10 can transform a student’s life by providing needed food, helping with housing insecurity, and books. This campaign is for all and is our chance to impact tomorrow’s alumni, TODAY.”

Transformative Impact

“I give to UVU because I am a first-generation student who believes in the life-changing power of education and the transformative impact that higher education can have on individuals, families, and communities,” Candida Johnson, assistant dean of CHSS, said. “By donating to UVU, I am helping to provide an opportunity for students to gain valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities to help build a better tomorrow.”

The Power of Education

“I donate to UVU’s EverGREEN Campaign because I believe in the power of education to positively impact students’ futures,” Matt Serrao, AVP of University Marketing, said. “Having experienced the benefits of higher education and scholarships myself, I want to provide opportunities for others to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential. It makes me proud knowing that my contributions can help shape a brighter future for aspiring students.”

The UVU Strategic Engagement team’s new initiative, the EverGREEN Ambassador Program, was conceived in line with the university’s inaugural comprehensive fundraising campaign. The EverGREEN Ambassador Program was launched during the silent phase of the campaign in May 2022 to strategically engage with key influencers and university supporters leading up to the formal public campaign launch in October.

As part of the fundraising campaign, the EverGREEN Ambassadors Program invited UVU’s supporters to serve as extensions of the Institutional Advancement Strategic Engagement team. Each month, the Strategic Engagement team provided EverGREEN Ambassadors with UVU-related updates to share with their followers on selected social media channels. The team provided recommended visuals, captions, and hashtags, as well as a guide for sharing EverGREEN content.

The judges noted in their remarks, “The panel was impressed with the level of engagement provided to these constituents and how the university employed the help of these constituents for the greater good. We love to see initiatives like this!”

Construction Finished for Young Living Alumni Center

The UVU Young Living Alumni Center (YLAC) celebrated its opening on August 18, 2023, with a public reception. The new Young Living Alumni Center provides a space for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community to establish connections. The new venue is the primary location for all UVU executive functions, ceremonies, and meetings, including the Presidential Lecture Series, legislative leadership meetings, and an array of other high-profile campus events. The center will be a hub of campus activity and the central location devoted to advancement and alumni operations, including a state-of-the-art events center. 

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