Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Hola everyone!
I can't wait for this semester to be over! I'm very excited because now I just have one semester left in my undergraduate degree. There's not too much going on with me except for finals and Christmas shopping. My last final is on Thursday as well as my final paper. The paper is going very well but I haven't had too much time to study but I'm sure I will. I just wanted to drop a quick note about life these days. Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season!

Hasta luego,
Deanna

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Back from travels!

Hey again, righteous fans!

This is Joe again from the UAF Office of Admissions. I just thought I would take a couple of moments to write a blog about my recent trip to the Eastern part of this country. I just got back from a week of high school and individual visits in Michigan and Pennsylvania (and this was pre-November 4th, so the political atmosphere was intense). In Michigan, everything was going pretty great. I ran into a whole bunch of students who were interested in our Biology programs, our Hockey team, our Natural Resource Management progam, and our Marine Biology MS and PhD Programs. Overall, the enthusiasm of the students, families, teachers and counselors in favor of UAF was wonderful.

Now, it wasn't all fun: When I was supposed to fly from Musekgon (Western MI), the whole airport was fogged in, so I had to re-rent a car, and speed across the state to Detroit so I could catch my connecting flight from Detroit to Pittsburgh. Then, when I got to Pittsburgh, I found out my hotel was actually an hour drive away from the Airport. (and my rental had a funny smell, for some reason). But, after that, things went pretty well.

But hey, pop quiz: what excitement just recently occured in the state of Pennsylvania? That's right, the Phillies winning the World series for the first time in 28 years. Does Philly know how to party? Well, it would appear they do. They actually had a city wide celebration and parade on the 31st, which was the day that I was in Philly. Now dig this: the parade route went down 21st and Market, and my hotel room was overlooking 22nd and Market. I actually got to watch the Phillies' float drive by from my window. It was awesome.

In Pennsylvania, I also received a lot of postive reactions to UAF. Mostly I was asked questions about Engineering, Physics, Liberal Arts, and such. Again, the positive attitude present in the schools was very heart-warming. One of the schools in Allentown was so excited to have me at the school, I actually wound up giving the presentation in their auditorium, and they took photos for their yearbook (which I wish I had asked for copies of, in retrospect)!
Anyway, I know this is longer than I initially meant for it to be, but it's all good information and/or in good fun. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next exciting adventure of Joe in Admission Land!

Joe

PS: Photos coming soon, I just didn't have my memory card with me when I wrote this :(

Monday, October 27, 2008

Adventures in the Last Frontier


Hello there!

Blogging huh? I must say, I've never done this before but I hope that this gives everyone a new and informative look at UAF, the activities here and the lives of students.

So, I work at UAF Outdoor Adventures and this weekend I led a trip down to Gunnysack Creek in the Delta Range south of Delta Junction (about 2 hours south of Fairbanks). We had 6 fantastic participants on the trip and we all had a great time. The day started off cold as we drove down and the wind was howling when we arrived at the trail-head. We got on our way and soon the steep valley walls were shielding us from most of the wind and it was quite nice. We hiked our way up the valley, stopping every now and again to snack and take pictures of the neat ice formations and beautiful views. We returned to the car and stopped in Delta for dinner. We saw 4 moose on the way home which was the first time for some people. It was a great day overall and everyone had fun. What a great Saturday!

I love that Outdoor Adventures provides these opportunities for UAF students, staff and faculty. It feels really good to have a programs, like my trip on Saturday, that was facilitated by students for other students. It creates a unique environment to do new things, and challenge yourself as an individual by trying new things. I think everyone on the trip on Saturday would agree, this wasn't just a hike in subfreezing temperatures. It was an experience where students bonded with other students from different walks of life, where Wildlife Biology majors joked with Engineering majors, where exchange students met lifelong Alaskans and where we all shared a little of ourselves with each other.

Monday, September 8, 2008

A new Year for the Student Ambassadors

Dear Faithful fans!


Hello, everyone, this is Joe Alloway, the Admissions Counselor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who acts as coordinator for the Student Ambassador Program. I use that super long sentence to describe my part in this program to let you know how small my role really is. The Student Ambassador Program at UAF is about the students. The goal is for them to be involved with other students, and to share some of their stories about college in general and UAF in particular.

So, here we are at the beginning of another awesome school year, and I have a fine crew of Ambassadors ready to meet new students. We have students studying everything from Communication to Chemistry, so there's probably somebody who can give you some good advice. And if you're having trouble, you can always contact me, and I can set you on the right track.

Soon, this blog will be populated with exciting posts from all of our Student Ambassadors, so keep tuned, and enjoy the fun!

Ciao,

Joe

Photo Credits: Todd Paris, UAF Marketing. Not for reproduction or sale.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

It's a new year

The start of the academic year brings the campus alive! With over 2000 new students joining the UAF community, we are a flurry of activity and action this week. In my role as Director, I delight in seeing the students that Brandon, Ginny, Jessica, and Joe have worked so hard assist during their admissions process. At the recent Grand Orientation Kick-off we invited each new student to stand if they had met with an admissions counselor. Nearly everyone stood up! For me it just emphasized the importance of making that connection and contact with an admissions counselor! SO, if you haven't already visited, called us, or stopped by our table at your local college fair, keep an eye out for the Admissions Team (A-Team) during the Fall recruitment season. I know for sure that they want to meet you and tell you all about UAF!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

UAF Student Ambassadors

The Student Ambassadors volunteer to help others get to know the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Their majors cover a wide span of curricula, and their interests and extracurricular activities are equally diverse.

You can visit the UAF Student Ambassadors website and read the profiles of each of the ambassadors at www.uaf.edu/ambassadors/. You can also easily contact the ambassadors with any questions from this site.