Cache Community Connections
A Civic and Interfaith Council

Photo: Levi Portillo
A Civic and Interfaith Council
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.
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.
You can also go on Facebook to Cache Valley Autism Support group.
