Isaiah Jones is the Senior Director of Campus and Community Engagement for the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity at USU. Jones transitioned to this role after serving as the USU Parent & Family Coordinator for Orientation for the past four years. He also is a graduate of USU, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human physiology in 2012 and a master’s degree in history. He also holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and is currently working on his doctorate degree in applied sciences, technology & education from USU. Isaiah is married with three kids and loves reading and watching movies about fairies with them.
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Ronen Sebag (pronounced ‘sah-baugh’) is an Israeli-American educator and a disability rights advocate. Ronen is Jewish, born and raised in Haifa, Israel, and defines himself as Mizrachi (Jewish of Middle Eastern and North African descent). Ronen is an Accessibility Consultant at Utah State University, and he also instructs pre-service teachers at USU’s School of Teacher Education and Leadership.
Miho Everitt attended the Yamaha Music School in Osaka, Japan where she began to study music at the age of four. At the age of nine, she became a student of Virtuoso Jorg Demus. At nine years old, she also won the All Japan Piano Competition. Since then she has won numerous competitions in Japan, including the All Japan soloist contest.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in music from the Soai University in Osaka, she moved to the United States. She enrolled in the master’s piano performance program at the University of Utah. She wasn’t able to finish her master’s once she started a family. But she continues to be a master without the degree!
Miho’s story holds “more to the story” when she tells about her decision to take a DNA test which uncovered a deep family secret. The test has given her some great insight about people and the prejudices they hold. Many may be surprised to find that those they hold prejudicial opinions about may be some of their relatives!
Miho continues to teach piano lessons and can be reached at 435-764-2960. Her email is [email protected]. You can also view her profile at mihoeveritt.weebly.com.
Ninety years old means different things to different people. For Farrell Edwards it means there’s a lot of work yet to be done. When he was about 83 years old, Farrell was going to retire from the Physics Department at USU, but he had his own conditions. He wanted to retire and keep his office and have his own lab for his research. And he got it!
Every day he goes to his lab and continues to work with his team on research for the possibility of containing ionized gas. The goal is to use the ionized gas for thermonuclear fusion. This theory has been patented. His hope is that his mind will stay sharp as he continues toward having this theory become a way of life for us and future generations.
Farrell and his wife Ann have raised ten children. When asked what their secret to staying happily married for so long, Farrell says, “You have to find the right one!” He shares how he did that in his video interview. Ann chimes in, “I almost missed out with another close second.” I’m guessing if she would have missed out, they both would have missed out! These two have walked through life hand-in-hand for 66 years and counting.
On February 16, 2017, Deserae Turner became a victim of a brutal scheme planned by two boys she knew from school. After luring her to meet them at an irrigation ditch behind their school, the two carried out their predetermined plan to kill her because they “thought she was annoying.”
After hanging out with the boys for a while she said she had to go home. One of them told her he had dropped a ring and wanted her to help him find it. When she bent down to look for it, the other boy pulled out a gun and shot her in the back of the head. After the brutal attack, the two walked away and left her to die in the ditch, thinking she would never survive—but she did.
Even after experiencing the darkest side of humanity, this young girl’s story magnifies the courage and perseverance she has found to redefine and rebuild her life. Deserae continues to work hard through an extensive recovery process as she adjusts to a body that will never be the same. One thing is for sure, her will is stronger than ever, and she is determined to find new happiness in her life.
Deserae lives by what she believes: “Life still holds good and pleasant surprises. Be willing to do things that are hard—you can’t wait for life to be easy. To be happy you have to make your own happiness, do what you love and do it often.”
While recovering in the hospital a comment was made to her that she was “one tough cookie.” Her reply was, “No, I’m tougher than a bullet.”
Clare Ahn, with her husband, Professor Yong Kim, came to the United States from South Korea. After attending the University of Iowa, they settled in Cache Valley in 2002. Living in the valley was an easy transition for Clare, her husband and their two boys. Raised a Catholic, she has been thankful for the community her faith has given them. Also, Cache Valley people have always made them feel welcome and safe.
At USU, Clare’s husband is a professor in the Department of Data Analytics and Information Systems. Their boys were born here and attended K-12 schools. Their oldest son, David, recently graduated from Notre Dame, with a major in pre-med. Their youngest son, Daniel, attends the University of Utah majoring in computer science.
Clare has the beautiful gift of music, playing both piano and organ. She shares that gift most Sundays at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. A great addition to her beautiful performance, she is often accompanied by her boys who both play violin.
When asked what people can do to foster good relationships in their communities, Clare remarks that bad experiences shouldn’t define our opinion of those who can be identified with those negative experiences. We are all different and should not be labeled. People should all seek out those with common interests, including sports, hobbies, or joining organizations that offer common goals. This can be a start to helping provide positive interaction, which results in growing healthy relationships.
Father Joshua Maria Santos did not find himself outside his comfort zone when he first came to the United States from the Philippines. He was first assigned to a Catholic church in California in a community with a large Filipino population. It was as if he hadn’t left his homeland. Life was great!
A few years later he was re-assigned to a parish in Salt Lake City, and in 2019 reassigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Hyde Park, Utah. These experiences have continued to be positive for him. However, after only being here for a few months, the COVID pandemic hit. That change led him to experience the value of real community. As it turned out, St. Thomas Aquinas became a distribution point for food and supplies to those in need. Volunteers from across the valley continued to show up to contribute, sort, and deliver food to people all over the valley, even extending to Brigham City and Preston. Service is not about what faith you practice; it is just about helping others.
Father Joshua’s message is, “Faith matters, especially in these trying times, and our faith should lead us to be the kind of people who are always ready to love and care for our neighbors, especially those who are considered as the least, the last and the lost.”
You are welcome to contact Father Joshua by email at [email protected], or by contacting St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 435-752-1478.
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Chris and Falene Hough know all too well how autism can sneak up on parents and take them totally unaware. Two of their four boys are autistic. When their oldest son Aidan was diagnosed, Falene suspected there was something going on with him as he was non-verbal at two years old. They had his hearing checked and other testing done before he was diagnosed as autistic.
Even though their first son was diagnosed, they missed the signs with their second son. His issues were much different than his brother’s. When it was suggested that their second son Gavin might also have autism, Falene was able to link his sensory and anxiety issues as a totally different spectrum of autism than his brother’s.
One of the reasons the Houghs moved to Cache Valley from Texas was for a program at USU called Autism Support Services; Education, Research and Training (ASSERT). The program is given high marks by the Houghs and you can find more information online about the program.
Falene also suggests people Google “DSM5 Autism Diagnosis.” This provides the symptoms that professionals look for. She says being armed with that information and sharing it with your pediatrician can be a great help to move in the right direction.
ADHD has become a common word in today’s society that was often overlooked or under diagnosed in the past. Michael Bingham relates well with the challenges ADHD brings as he too has this diverse ability, as he prefers to refer to it.
Michael is an artist, sculptor, educator and activist for people with special needs and the founder of Jump the Moon, a nonprofit organization. He has harnessed the creative power of his own ADHD to create art and opportunities that bring out the best in people as they discover their own artistic talents.
For so many, Michael has uncovered the artistic talents buried under mental or physical challenges and provides lessons in art for those who never could imagine they “had it in them!”
The building for Jump the Moon (that name is another interesting story!), was located on Main Street in downtown Logan until the building was sold. Michael had to pack up and move out. For now he says Jump the Moon is homeless, but that hasn’t stopped him. If anything, with his positive attitude he holds onto his dreams and shows an excitement in his voice about his vision for the future. He considers this bump in the road a new opportunity to re-evaluate how things were done in the past and how things can be done differently in the future.
To learn more about Jump the Moon, the progress in starting up again and finding out how you can help, visit their website at jumpthemoon.org or contact Michael by email at [email protected]
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Deanna and Don Smellie have always been each other’s true north—Don leading the way with Deanna by his side. Unfortunately life has taken a turn and Deanna has stepped forward to shoulder the pain of watching her gifted husband fade into that disease called Alzheimer’s.
The Smellies came to the valley in 1968 after Don and his friend got their doctorate degrees from Indiana University and were both hired at USU. Together they were responsible for founding the Department of Instructional Technology. Don eventually became head of that department.
Gifted with a brilliant mind and great leadership abilities, Don had many other talents that took him above and beyond his work at USU. He shared his talents in many ways in the community. His passion for service and skiing led him to join the ski patrol at Beaver Mountain. A few years later, Deanna decided she also wanted to be part of the patrol rather than sit on the sidelines. Don and Deanna were on the ski patrol for a combined 47 years.
Don also had a passion for old cars. When he found an old “junk” 1929 Dodge Victory 6 Sports Sedan in his brother’s field, he asked to have it and his brother agreed. Don hauled it home and eventually restored it. Many contests and car shows later found the Dodge Victory 6 at the top, along with some of the other very best entries.
Because of the disease that has stolen so much from him, Don can no longer share in those past memories or in much of life today; however, Deanna remembers and has gracefully and lovingly taken over the responsibility of being Don’s caregiver, even as she fights her own physical ailments. They now share a small apartment at Legacy Memory Unit in Logan. Deanna holds onto the memories of a good life with her dear husband, and without a doubt, those memories are also tucked away deep in Don’s gifted mind and loving heart.
If you’d like to contact Deanna, please email Carol Foht at [email protected].
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