The event will take place on Wednesday, April 15, at the Denver Art Museum.聽A reception including a hosted bar and hors d鈥檕euvres will begin at 6:30 p.m.,聽followed by a program featuring remarks by President Connie Ledoux Book.聽A dessert reception will聽conclude聽the evening.

6:30听辫.尘.聽聽Hosted reception with hors d鈥檕euvres
7:30听辫.尘.听聽Program with remarks by President Connie L. Book
8:00听辫.尘.听听Dessert reception
The event will conclude at 9 p.m.

Denver Art Museum聽Museum
Martin Building, Sturm Grand Pavilion
101 West 14th聽Ave. Parkway
顿别苍惫别谤,听颁翱听80204

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d鈥檕euvres

Register at聽 or contact聽advancement@elon.edu.

After moving to Colorado, Jeffrey Cook 鈥�15 decided to try his luck on a dating app after getting settled in his new city. A few days after he signed up on the app, he received a message from Callie Crew 鈥�15 wanting to connect after seeing that they were both Elon alums. Their first time meeting they realized that they had so many mutual connections and friends, including Jeff鈥檚 former roommate. In fact, they found out that they lived across the street from each other their senior year, and even walked across the stage at graduation close together, completely unbeknownst to them. Fast forward to today and they are partners living together in Denver and excelling in both of their careers, aided by their Elon education and experiences.

Crew began her Elon career after finding it to be the perfect fit for her college needs.

鈥淚 wanted a private liberal arts university in the South with a robust study abroad program. When I was accepted into the Honors Fellows program at Elon, it was a no-brainer to attend,鈥� she said.

It was the Honors Fellows that also provided her with a yearly scholarship which allowed her to use her college savings to later pursue a part-time MBA through the University of Denver; which she will graduate from in June 2024.

Starting out as a history major, she eventually pivoted to economics, a program where she completed a two-year thesis focused on the effect of world heritage site tourism on regional poverty. She had the opportunity to present her research at the Eastern Economics Conference in New York City, alongside Associate Professor of Economics Steven Bednar. During her time at Elon, she was also involved in Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and served as editor of the yearbook.

Following graduation, she says she took an unusual route to her current role.

鈥淚 spent so much time on my thesis, I forgot to apply for a job. The day after graduation, I drove out to Aspen, Colorado and I spent what I call a ‘working-gap-year x2’ in hospitality,” said said. “I had always been an outdoorsy person, but I found my passion living in the mountains. I managed extremely affluent and demanding clients while building my confidence and experience.鈥�

Ultimately, she says it was a trade-off because it took her a long time to feel like she had caught up to her peers professionally. However, without this experience, she would not have found the outdoor industry that she works in currently.

鈥淚 wanted to work for a company that made products that encouraged people to go out and explore. I found my first finance position at KEEN Footwear, based in Portland, Oregon,鈥� Crew said. Years later, she found out that The North Face was moving from San Francisco to Denver. This was a dream position for her, and it was ultimately an Elon connection from the Executive in Residence program that helped her get an interview for a financial analyst role with the company.

Today, Crew is the manager of pricing & profitability at The North Face, focused on global merchandising and products. She supports the product team by ensuring that each style is selling at both a profitable margin and the optimal price within each market. It鈥檚 a data-driven job, but her favorite projects look at how the company can incorporate sustainable materials into its products.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to see a product come to life and even more rewarding when I see it out in the 鈥榳ild鈥� for the first time,鈥� Crew said.

She also works with a global team and frequently gets to work with colleagues in their international offices in Singapore, Switzerland and Panama. She says she is proud to work for a brand like The North Face.

鈥淚 love that they value inclusivity and the environment and have products that allow our athletes and consumers to reach the next peak or create space for people to connect in nature with their loved ones,鈥� she said.

Crew says that Elon prepared her well and that her economics background was critical to building out the analytical skills that she needed to perform in the finance industry, leading her to her current work.

In contrast to Crew鈥檚 Elon beginning, Cook knew for a long time that he wanted to attend Elon, saying, 鈥渨eird enough, I knew in sixth grade that I was interested in Elon.鈥� Cook went on a family trip to campus when his older sister was touring colleges, and the experience made such an impression.聽鈥淲hen my turn came around, it was the first visit I made, and I eventually applied early decision. It felt like home before I even moved in,鈥� Cook said.

Once arriving at Elon, Cook decided to major in strategic communications and became involved on campus as a student manager for the men鈥檚 basketball team, which he says was one of his most formative experiences at Elon.

鈥淭he sense of responsibility and role playing prepared me for life after college better than anything else I can imagine. The team also provided some incredible memories and lifelong friendships. I stay in touch with many of my teammates to this day,鈥� he said.

Cook remained dedicated during his time at Elon, pursuing an internship in Washington, D.C. for ABC News in the summer after his sophomore year, and offering to come back and serve as holiday relief for the entry-level staff during Thanksgiving and winter break. This led to Cook returning every break at the Washington bureau at ABC, which eventually led to a full-time position with them.

Currently, Cook is a field producer covering the Western U.S. and international breaking news with work appearing on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, This Week and Nightline. He says his greatest career accomplishment thus far has been winning two national Emmy awards, one for coverage during and after Hurricane Michael in 2018,聽and one for climate change and migration coverage from Guatemala and covering the refugee crisis in Poland surrounding the invasion of Ukraine.

He also covered the 2020 presidential campaign and lived on the road from 2019 to 2020. Following this coverage, he was offered a field producer position out of Denver. It was a dream of his to live out West, but he didn鈥檛 realize then how much he would fall in love with that part of the country. It was at this point in his life that he and Crew met.

While working in journalism can often highlight the devastation of life, Cook says that he is often encouraged by the people he meets.

鈥淚 often see the worst humanity has to offer and meet people on the worst days of their lives, but this job has done nothing but fuel my faith in us as people,” he said. “When your community is struck by tragedy, I encourage you to give yourself a chance to see all the people working to help pick up the pieces. Whether it is first responders running towards danger, neighbors giving out meals, entire towns signing up to search for someone, or even kids just tacking their drawings of hope around the neighborhood, there is so much good in the world. It is what motivates me to keep responding to these disasters.鈥�

When Crew and Cook reflect on their time at Elon, they are grateful that their alma mater gave them the ability to achieve their goals through their choice of study, extracurriculars and research opportunities. They both said Elon attracts a certain driven, curious and intelligent type of person.聽

Professionally, Crew hopes to support the global pricing function from The North Face European offices in Switzerland and maybe even start her own brand years down the road. Cook hopes to continue in the news field.

“There鈥檚 nothing like standing there, knowing you鈥檙e witnessing history and being responsible for sending that information back home. I don鈥檛 care about my professional title, as long as I feel like I鈥檓 making a difference,鈥� Cook said.聽

Personally, Crew is working towards running the 2024 Tokyo Marathon. They both love their life in Denver and are hoping to one day purchase a home in that area. They also have hopes to travel to many different countries, exploring the world together.

Do you have a great story for our Alumni in Action series? If so, feel free to share it with us by submitting the form on our website, and your story could be featured just like this one!

Not to spoil the ending, but Eric Hernandez鈥檚 new PSA emphasizing the importance of voting concludes with a message the Elon alumnus is hopeful will resonate 鈥撀犫�淚t’s your Voice. It鈥檚 your Power. Vote.鈥�

It鈥檚 a statement Hernandez felt compelled to share heading into the final weeks of the 2020 general election, and the final words of a project he鈥檚 spent the better part of two years bringing to fruition. While the 100-second spot has received limited broadcast on Rocky Mountain PBS in Colorado 鈥� where Hernandez works full time as a producer and director for the documentary series 鈥淐olorado Experience鈥� 鈥� the announcement has earned strong traction online, .

In addition to widespread attention online, Hernandez’s PSA was named one of three winners in the聽,聽a collaboration between renowned filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris campaign. The #VoteByNight contest called on young filmmakers to inspire Americans to vote. Following the PSA’s selection,聽. “It鈥檚 so hard to do emotion without leaving an audience behind,” Shyamalan wrote. “I was genuinely moved and teared up. Made me proud to be an American. We鈥檒l have a great time talking about filmmaking together.鈥� Obviously, Hernandez was moved by the filmmaker’s heartfelt response.

鈥淎s a filmmaker, I think that there are stories that we discover ourselves, and stories that find us,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淭his idea definitely found me. I was looking for a way to get more involved, and find a way to use my skill sets in an impactful way leading up to the election and this PSA struck me as something that I had to do.鈥�

The PSA takes audiences on a 鈥渟ymbolic journey through America’s history of voting rights,鈥� and features voiceovers from historical figures such as U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as civil rights leader John Lewis. The quotes are supported by historical images depicting pivotal moments in the country鈥檚 history.

While the PSA鈥檚 subject matter may be related to politics, Hernandez was intentional not to support or decry a particular party, politician or campaign. Rather, the PSA鈥檚 objective is to simply inspire people to take part in the democratic process 鈥� and vote.

鈥淚 knew from the beginning I wanted this piece to be non-partisan and so a lot of work was done trying to find speeches from a variety of political figures that all carried the same message 鈥� that voting is important and essential,鈥� he said.

To help galvanize people and bring the PSA to life, Hernandez enlisted the help of several Elon alumni and friends. Under the umbrella of his new production company, , Hernandez teamed with Isis (Malone) Sinclair ’15 (co-producer/1st AD), Jordan Roman 鈥�15 (1st AC), Gabe Salvador 鈥�18 (grip), Matt Simmons 鈥�19 (VFX and color consultant), Brian Lorello ’16 (VFX assistant), Audrey Coates 鈥�16 (marketing), Sam Costello 鈥�15 (sound design) and Philip G. Anderson 鈥�13 (composer).

While Hernandez wrote the PSA鈥檚 first draft more than two years ago, he really committed himself to the project in the late spring, working almost every day to wrap it up. Without the support of his creative friends, the project wouldn鈥檛 have been completed 鈥撀爋r in the condition it is in, Hernandez explained.

In May, Malone joined the project as a co-producer and worked with Hernandez on how to plan and execute an exhaustive four-hour shoot. They also worked together to complete the research and editing process. Hernandez thanked his entire crew and singled out Anderson for composing an 鈥渋ncredible score鈥� to support the PSA鈥檚 message.

鈥淚’m fortunate that many of the friends that I made and worked with at Elon are still part of my creative circle, despite living several states away from most of them,鈥� Hernandez said.

Hernandez also leaned on Assistant Professor Youssef Osman, whom he called 鈥渙ne of the most influential mentors I’ve had.鈥� It is a relationship that developed on campus and has continued as Hernandez has progressed through the early stages of his career. And it鈥檚 been a strong start, as Hernandez and his PBS team have received nine Heartland Emmy nominations and two Colorado Broadcasters Association Awards of Excellence in recent years.

鈥淧rofessor Osman has helped me workshop my ideas, go over my storyboards, review edits, etc. I’m fortunate to consider him a mentor, creative partner, and a friend,鈥� Hernandez said.

The cinema and television arts major takes great pride in the fact that the PSA has been widely shared and has already influenced potential voters. He explained that the rights and privileges enjoyed by Americans have been taken for granted by some. But that it is imperative that every citizen understand and respect the voice they have in the democratic process.

鈥淎s John Lewis says in the piece, we have a moral responsibility to participate in the democratic process and my hope is that this PSA educates, inspires and mobilizes people to use their superpower, their vote,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淲e received a few messages from people who weren’t planning on voting, until they saw this piece. And that makes me very proud of the work we’ve done.鈥�

鈥淚 was a longtime public radio listener and such a huge fan of it,鈥� said Hager, who now works as a reporter for Aspen Public Radio. 鈥淎nd now being on the other side of that is just such an immense privilege.鈥�

Following graduation, the journalism major packed up and headed to Dillingham, Alaska, a town of 2,500 people that is only accessible by plane or boat. Hager鈥檚 official job title at KDLG radio station was 鈥渇ish reporter,鈥� and he was responsible for providing a nightly report for fishermen who could be at sea for five to six weeks at a time, with the station as their only news source.

鈥淭heir way to know what’s going on, to know where they’re allowed to fish, to know how the season is going, to hear the nautical weather was through our radio station,鈥� Hager said. 鈥淎ll of a sudden I stepped into this tremendous responsibility.鈥�

After spending what Hager described as one of the most memorable summers of his life in Alaska, he landed a reporter position in Aspen, Colorado, where he is currently reporting from his apartment bedroom. Since the start of the pandemic, Hager鈥檚 normal coverage of the area鈥檚 , and has transitioned to the impact of the coronavirus on the region.

While Hager said his workflow hasn鈥檛 changed as much, his content has changed drastically.

鈥淲e are just starting to enter an era now where there’s a little bit of other news, but it just seems like, 鈥楬ow can you talk about anything else?鈥欌�� Hager said. “This has impacted every single corner of existence, from employment to health care, to how people spend their time, to what’s going on in people’s heads.鈥�

Localized stories of the novel coronavirus, like Hager鈥檚 piece about dealing with , are helping his audience understand and prepare for the impact of the disease in their community. In addition to serving as a source of information, Hager said his story about 聽led to an email from a female listener seeking ways to help. Hager said the listener and her friends offered to sew masks for a local hospital鈥檚 staff.

鈥淚 can’t say that that was all in part due to my story,鈥� Hager said. 鈥淏ut I know that at least one person heard something I reported on, because they depend on us for news, and then went out and decided to do something to help the community.鈥�

While at Elon, Hager worked in every medium, writing for every beat as a member of Elon News Network, the university鈥檚 student-run news organization. The experience he gained through student media, Hager said, is what allowed him to grow comfortable on radio and chart his career path.

鈥淭he opportunity to have Elon News Network and to try things was tremendous for me,鈥� Hager said. 鈥淏ecause Elon is not a massive school where you really get lost in the crowd, you can pursue your own passion projects and find support for them.鈥�

One passion project Hager worked on during his time as an undergraduate was ENN鈥檚 weekly podcast, which he said served as his creative sandbox. Kelly Furnas, journalism lecturer and adviser to The Pendulum, said Hager鈥檚 entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity are what make him the journalist he is today.

鈥淚f there was something that really caught his attention, he would delve into it,鈥� Furnas said. 鈥淗e just had this really insatiable curiosity about how things worked, and why things were the way they were. You take curiosity and you take work ethic and that’s really all you need to be an amazing journalist.鈥�

Elon alumna Zora Stephenson 鈥�15 will return to the hardwood this fall 鈥撀燼lbeit in a new role. A three-year starter for the 福利亚洲国产精品 women鈥檚 basketball team,聽聽for games on FOX Sports Wisconsin and as a digital reporter for Bucks.com.

She will make her FOX Sports Wisconsin debut on Thursday, Sept. 12, as part of the regional sports network鈥檚 鈥淏ucks Town Hall鈥� show. The live telecast event will feature Bucks guard Sterling Brown, general manager Jon Horst, and head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Stephenson comes to the NBA franchise from Denver where she was an Emmy Award-winning news reporter and anchor at FOX31 and Colorado鈥檚 Own Channel 2. She started her career in 2015 as a reporter with WNCT-TV in Greenville, North Carolina, and聽won the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas鈥� Reporter of the Year聽in 2016.

鈥婭n April,聽Elon honored Stephenson with a 2019 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award, recognizing her along with nine other honorees who have achieved major professional success, served as difference-makers in their communities and loyally support Elon.

鈥淶ora鈥檚 award-winning ability to report and ask insightful questions, along with her vast basketball experience and expertise, will be a great addition to Bucks games on FOX Sports Wisconsin and across our digital channels,鈥� said Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum President Peter Feigin in a news release. 鈥淲e鈥檙e confident she鈥檚 the right person to tell the story of Bucks basketball and the world-class Fiserv Forum. We look forward to her joining us in Milwaukee and for Bucks fans across the globe to get to know her.鈥�

Originally from northern Virginia, Stephenson played four years of basketball at Elon, where she holds the school record for single-season 3-point percentage. Stephenson was a three-year starter for the Phoenix and appeared in 121 games over four seasons.

In addition to serving as a women鈥檚 basketball team captain, Stephenson contributed to 鈥淓lon Local News鈥� and 鈥淓lon Phoenix Weekly,鈥� served as an in-game host on the big screen at football games, and welcomed visitors to campus as a tour guide.

Tuesday, Aug. 27
6-9 p.m.
Rhein Haus
1415 Market St 
Denver, CO 80202

Join fellow alumni and friends to welcome new alumni to the area! We will be providing appetizers and Elon swag. All alumni, guests and friends are welcome.

Please contact alumni@elon.edu with any questions.

Denver Evening for Elon
with President Connie Ledoux Book

Monday, January 28, 2019
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Special Remarks by President Book

Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Morgridge Family Exploration Center
2001 Colorado Blvd.
Denver, Colorado 80205

Business attire
Reception with hors-d’oeuvres

Please visit  to RSVP by Friday, Jan. 11. 

Questions? Contact Jill Hollis ’13 G’17, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at jhollis@elon.edu.

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and Elon gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local Elon graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

Executive Producer Julie Speer, Editor Brian Malone and Hernandez, an associate producer, were presented a Colorado Broadcasters Association Award of Excellence for Best Mini-Documentary or Series, Public Television. They were recognized for their Dec. 7, 2017, episode titled “.” The 26-minute documentary highlights the operational railcars — affectionately known as “geese” – that ran through the rugged San Juan mountains from 1931 to 1952, carrying cargo, mail and passengers.

Hernandez was heavily involved in the production of the episode, which requiring filming throughout Colorado, including Durango, Denver, Telluride and Ridgeway. Additionally, he filmed several dramatic aerial shots with a drone.

“Colorado Experience” is a weekly TV series produced by Rocky Mountain PBS dedicated to preserving and celebrating the people, events and places that shaped Colorado. Hernandez has served as an associate producer and finishing editor for the series since spring 2017.

​As an Elon student, , receiving $15,000 to produce a 30-second film that captured the emotions of the movie-going experience.

The Denver Alumni Chapter will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Denver Alumni Chapter #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m.
Avanti
3200 N Pecos St
Denver, CO 80211

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit .