Committed to Tacoma: Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate Rocio Guevara Perez ’23, MAT’26

Rocio Guevara Perez ’23, MAT’26

When Rocio Guevara Perez ’23, MAT’26 walked through the doors of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, it was a full circle moment. After leaving Lincoln as a high school graduate seven years earlier, she was now returning as a student teacher, completing her internship as part of the University of Puget Sound’s Master of Arts in Teaching program. For Guevara Perez, it was both a homecoming and a chance to help students like her succeed.

An Athletic Life

Robert Harper ’67 at a powerlifting competition

In an athletic life that has spanned decades, the latest chapter for Robert Harper ’67 may be his most surprising yet. In the early 2010s, after selling the mutual fund company he helped found, Harper decided to try out CrossFit. He had spent a lot of time on the road during his business career. “I figured I’d just kind of burned my body,” he said from his home on Mercer Island, Wash. “And so, when we sold, I said, ‘Well, I should get in shape.’”

Once Upon a Onesie

Downhill skier in a Tarashakti ski suit. Courtesy of Tarashakti.

Coming out of college on a softball scholarship, three things were true about Tara Brown Clark ’93. First, she had absolutely no idea that she was creative. Second, she had no idea that an adult onesie would one day change her life. And third — and most importantly — she never imagined how many women she would end up lifting up, including Olympians.

Some Life Lessons of a ‘Dutch Farmboy’

Louis Slangen ’69 and his wife, Linda

In 1968, when he was 20, Louis Slangen ’69 left his family’s farm in the Netherlands for America. He brought along two suitcases, $200, and a game plan. After spending his senior year as an exchange student at the University of Puget Sound, his plan was to go on to earn an MBA, work in the United States for a few years, and return to the Netherlands. But the best laid plans often go awry — and sometimes, he says, they turn out even better.

Loggers Behind the Curtain in Oregon Children’s Theatre

Lauren DiMaggio Jorgenson ’06 and Bree Beal ’97

Bree Beal ’97 and Lauren DiMaggio Jorgensen ’06 were quintessential theater kids. Jorgensen remembers belting out songs with her Fisher Price microphone, while Beal would dress her stuffed animals in costumes and have them perform short plays she created.

 

Now, these Loggers form the backbone of BEAT Children’s Theatre in Bend, Oregon.

Singers Celebrate 25 Years of Song and Community

Northwest Repertory Singers alumni

When Northwest Repertory Singers (NWRS) gather to rehearse, the room fills with laughter, harmony, and an unmistakable bond that connects many University of Puget Sound alumni. This season, that shared energy feels even more special as NWRS celebrates its 25th anniversary and honors a legacy rooted at Puget Sound.

‘The Art of Not Knowing Yet’

Grace Youn ’13 delivering the Piece Lecture, March 2026.

“You know, there is actually an art form to being curious. There is an art form to not knowing yet. And I have to remind myself [of that] every day.”

That’s what Grace Youn ’13 concluded near the end of a visit to campus in February, after she had given two master classes to students and community members as well as the Spring 2026 Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture in Public Affairs and the Arts titled “The Art of Not Knowing Yet.”

Turning the Tides

Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor.

For the last five decades, the Tides Tavern, founded by Logger Peter Stanley ’69, has been a beloved spot to grab a bite on the Gig Harbor waterfront. The historic eatery, which opened in 1973, entered a new era in January 2026 after it was acquired by the Anthony’s Restaurants chain. Amy Burns, president and CEO of Anthony’s Restaurants, said the company would maintain the beloved aspects of the Tides, including the menu, the team, the dockside service, and the award-winning women’s restroom (if you know, you know). 

An Intellectual Odyssey

An Intellectual Odyssey. Illustration by Brent Bates.

At the University of Puget Sound, the classroom has always been more than a place where faculty deliver information to students. It is where conversations unfold as students test ideas and begin the challenging and rewarding work of thinking itself.

For more than 700 Loggers, that work does not end at graduation. Today, they stand at the front of classrooms and labs around the world, continuing a lifelong relationship with learning, teaching, and discovery.