Cheers rang out on Aug. 18 during the ribbon-cutting celebration of Utah Valley University’s newest building, the Young Living Alumni Center, located on the north end of UVU’s Orem campus.

The new alumni center will serve as a gathering place and central hub for UVU alumni, who will use the building to network, expand careers, and map out their futures. The larger, new facility was designed to accommodate the rapid growth of UVU alumni, knowing that 77% of UVU alumni stay and live in Utah 10 years past graduation.

Former UVU Student Body President and alum Birch Eve began the program with his comments on his time at UVU and the importance of surrounding oneself with a diversity of thought.

”I will be forever grateful for the decision I made to attend UVU. My experiences here have informed me and helped me shape the foundation of which is the life that I am building upon,” he said. “As I look back at my time at UVU, I have remembered how exhilarating it is to be surrounded by so many narratives that were very different from my own. It served me well. Actively seeking diversity of thought and perspective enriches all of us. It makes us better than we could be alone.”

UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez thanked those responsible for the creation of the center, stating that the newly erected building is a part of UVU’s evolution.

“Evolution is the name of the game,” she said. “The more diverse you are, the more creative you become, and you put in the hard work, and you'll evolve to become very effective and very impactful.”

President Tuminez closed her remarks by saying the investment from Young Living would pay dividends in the lives of UVU students.  “All of you students who are here, you know that we are investing in you, and you are investing in yourself, and it pays that for the life that you want to create and the life that you deserve.”

Co-founder and CEO of Young Living Essential Oils Mary Young concluded the program. “When you graduate and you walk out that door, every single thing that you have done in achieving your degree becomes a memory,” she said. “But when you come here to this building, you're able to be together and reminisce and celebrate those memories that you made. That's what makes this building so important.”

The Alumni Center also houses UVU’s Institutional Advancement (IA) department, which coordinates the financial support of donors for student scholarships, college initiatives, building needs, and the university endowment that will provide ongoing support for the success of future generations.

Learn more about UVU Institutional Advancement and how you can make a difference for a lifetime.