Feature/Profiles

Alumnus Honors Parents with World Records

Image of Ron Sarchian
Jun. 13, 2018 —

Fueled by a desire to honor his parents, NMU alumnus Ron Sarchian (BS '87) has set seven Guinness World Records and plans to pursue more this summer. The former Wildcat football player punched a heavy bag for 50 hours, nine minutes. He also split 42 watermelons with a karate chop in one minute on the "Today" show.  The industrial technology grad worked seven years for Boeing in Seattle before moving to Southern California to be an actor, stuntman and personal trainer to the stars.

NMU Student Competes in Canadian Nationals Yo-Yo

Image of Jordan Walker-Jenkins
Jun. 11, 2018 —

NMU engineering design junior Jordan Walker-Jenkins recently competed in Canada's largest yo-yo competition to see how he stacks up against the best "return-top specialists." A resident of Brimley, Walker-Jenkins has retained his Canadian citizenship, which made him eligible to compete in the country's national championship. While he did not advance to the finals, a video of his preliminary round is impressive and supports his contention in a sootoday.com feature that “Modern yo-yo-ing isn’t just like, do walk the dog and then maybe rock the baby on stage.

Grad's Volunteer Chaplain Group Honored

Jun. 7, 2018 —
Ken McNaughton ('92 BA), volunteer chaplain for the Spokane Valley Fire Department, played an instrumental role in founding the Inland Northwest Fire Chaplains. The nonprofit group provides care to first responders, firefighters and grieving families. It has responded to medical emergencies, fires, car accidents and last year's Freeman High School shooting. In May, the INFC was presented with the 2017 EMS Special Services Award by the Spokane County Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care Council.

'Four the Water' Paddling Lake Superior

Image of the Four the Water members
May. 30, 2018 —
Two NMU students and two alumni comprise Four the Water, a group circumnavigating Lake Superior by kayak to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and funding for nonprofits that protect the Great Lakes. The friends reported on Facebook meeting friendly and interesting people in their first week, including a “wonderful gentleman who shared many stories with us about life on Au Train Island since the late ‘70s, including his pet wolf (not really his pet, but he has one on the island).” There was also Ben, “who taught us how he nets fish as he is a Chippewa Native, allowing us to hop on his canoe.” They will make a documentary about their journey and hope to screen it at film festivals in the Great Lakes region.

NMU EcoReps Makes Impressive Debut

May. 30, 2018 —
NMU EcoReps, a peer-to-peer educator program that focuses on environmentalism, social equity and economic vitality, made such an impressive debut in its first year that it ended the semester with Student Organization of the Year honors. Members also addressed the NMU Board of Trustees in May, lobbying for a $5 student opt-out fee for a proposed GreenFund that would support student sustainability initiatives. They were pleasantly shocked when the board voted on the spot to contribute $20,000 per semester to the organization’s operation for 2018-19 while exploring the viability of implementing a fee.

Hooper Earns Admissions Professional Award

Image of Kate Hooper
May. 30, 2018 —

Kate Hooper (BA 2010), a regional admissions counselor for Northern Michigan University, was awarded the Admissions Professional of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Association for College Admissions Counseling. She is based in Madison and works with prospective students in central and southern Wisconsin. Hooper earned her degree in public relations. She has worked for NMU for five years.

NMU Grad Active in Sports Video Production

Image of Tyler Schwemin
May. 23, 2018 —
Tyler Schwemin (BA '14) has held a number of video production positions in the professional and college sports arenas since graduating from NMU. For the past year, the Marquette native has worked as a graphics operator and video production technician for Professional Bull Riders Inc. He previously served as production assistant and later director of video production for the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Schwemin also was a video producer at The Citadel, assisting in video production for a number of Bulldog athletic events. His freelance projects have included directing ESPN3 broadcasts of Citadel basketball, directing College of Charleston basketball games for the Charleston Sports Network and working for PBS’s “Charleston After America” documentary