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THE CLASS OF 2008 REMEMBERS THE JOURNEY

niversity of Arizona alumni are full of stories. Some of them bring laughter,

Ulike cramming for tests in a malodorous basement. Some memories go
10
deeper: A child’s life saved, a chance to provide scholarships in honor of a
family member who passed away.

Meet 10 graduates who have 10 years of perspective as UA alumni. They are
full not only of stories but also of determination to support the university and
give today’s students a chance to develop their own UA memories.

STEPHANIE BARNES AND RIGEL WOIDA-O’BRIEN

Both: Optical Sciences and Engineering, B.S.;
Optical Sciences, M.S. | Stephanie: Systems
Engineer, Raytheon | Rigel: Chief Engineer,
Raytheon | Tucson

Never a Doubt: We’re both native Tucsonans, and the UA
was always where we were going to be.

Stephanie’s Study Spot: A group of us studied outside in
line for basketball games. Optical Sciences is next to McKale
Memorial Center, so one of us would run all the backpacks
inside just before we went in.

Helping Engineering Students: We try to get involved in
senior capstone design projects every year. We work with
Raytheon to get funding for sponsorship and mentor the
students.

Rigel’s Gratitude: If people at the UA like Peter Smith,
professor emeritus, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, hadn’t
helped me grasp the difference between academia and
application, I wouldn’t be where I am. Now I need to help
others do the same.

Expanding Industry Collaboration: We’re seeing this
revolution of tiny cube satellites that each do just one thing
in a cluster. The UA is uniquely positioned for that field, and
so is Raytheon.

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