Every year, University of Portland students look forward to events like Riverboat, Anchors Away and Pilots After Dark. Each of these events would not be possible without the Office of Student Activities. From managing club budgets to planning every dance, this office is committed to making sure students are having a college experience to remember.
This year, there have been some major staff changes in the office. Associate Director for Student Engagement Tyler Zimmerman left his position after seven years of working at UP. Bryan Dennis was hired in May as the program coordinator for clubs and organizations, and Samantha Trunkett was hired at the beginning of this school year as the weekend and late-night programming coordinator.
Tyler Zimmerman started working at UP in 2012, and his last day was on Sept. 13th. Zimmerman initially worked as the assistant hall director of Christie Hall before switching to the Office of Student Activities. There, he worked with CPB and ASUP to make events that would attract as many students as possible. He helped make Pilots After Dark a weekly program with engaging activities. And in recent years, he helped make Riverboat the success that it is today.
Tyler Zimmerman bids farewell to UP and the Office of Student Activities.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the development of Riverboat,” Zimmerman said. “It used to be this small sort of celebration of the first week of school, and now we have this really incredible event where we had almost 2,700 students down on the Franz Campus, and it was really more amazing than I could have ever imagined.”
Zimmerman is moving on to work at a digital marketing agency in Portland and is proud of the impact that he has made at the university.
“I’m sad to be leaving the community, but I’m just looking for some new challenges and ways to explore professionally outside of higher education,” Zimmerman said. “At UP, I’ve been able to learn so much about so many different aspects of professionalism and apply my creativity, and I’ve learned so much from the students here.”
With Zimmerman leaving a big spot to fill, new staff members hope to bring their own energy to the office.
Bryan Dennis is the new program coordinator for student clubs and organizations, which mostly involves communicating with clubs and organizations on campus to ensure they have the proper resources and support to run successfully. Dennis started at UP in May of the 2019-20 school year and is excited to meet and connect with as many students as possible.
Bryan Dennis is one of Student Activities' newest employees. Dennis is the program coordinator for student clubs and organizations.
“Being here over the summer was great to get to know the campus and other staff, but I’m doing this for the students, so it’s been so rewarding getting to meet and work with students who are passionate about their organizations,” Dennis said.
Previous to coming to UP, Dennis spent eight years working in Residence Life as a resident director at Whitworth University.
Dennis had a busy start to the school year, helping plan major school events ranging from Orientation to the Activities Fair to Riverboat, all on consecutive weekends. He plans on keeping this momentum for the rest of the year.
“It’s been awesome to be here for all the students coming back to campus,” Dennis said. “It just gives me so much energy seeing everyone come back to school.”
Dennis plans on working closely with clubs to ensure they have the proper resources they need, like bringing special speakers to meetings or planning trips. Dennis wants to connect with as many students as possible and encourages students to stay engaged in clubs and activities on campus.
Another addition to the office is Samantha Trunkett, the new weekend and late-night programming coordinator. She began working at UP the third week of this school year. In her new role, Trunkett will advise CPB, KDUP and coordinate Pilots After Dark events.
Samantha Trunkett is one of Student Activities' newest employees. Trunkett is the weekend and late-night programming coordinator.
Trunkett has an extensive history of working in Student Activities. At Lewis and Clark College, she planned events while attaining her master's degree and advised the Campus Activity Board. She worked similar jobs at Fordham University and Reed College, helping plan events and projects. She is excited to bring her extensive experience to UP.
“I think my favorite part of being at UP is that you can tell that students are really passionate about what they’re involved in,” Trunkett said. “Working with college students is awesome because you get to see students come into their own, and to see that every day is something really unique and makes me want to be there for students.”
Trunkett is looking forward to planning events, working with CPB on staple events and interacting with as many students as possible.
“The more students I meet, the more excited I am,” Trunkett said. “There’s just so much to look forward to, and I am so excited to be here.”
Carlos Fuentes is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at fuentes22@up.edu.
