The student-made documentary “Running for Hope” premiered this Monday Dec. 3. Featuring SUU President Scott Wyatt, biology professor Bill Heyborne and Global Collaboration Director Johnny Oh. The film focused on the SUU team that ran the Grand to Grand Ultra Endurance Race to raise money for a new child care center on campus.
The event started with the showing of the documentary, which not only featured the team, but also the struggles of a single mother. Alyana Johnson was trying to raise her three kids and newborn daughter while trying to go back to school, which lead to the creation of the team and documentary.
After the documentary finished, the Communication 3504 class was welcomed on stage to discuss their process in creating the documentary. A short Q&A followed their presentation.
“I think I speak for the whole class when I say that this project was the highlight of my college career,” Cade Higbee, a SUU sophomore in communications, said. “It gave us all amazing experience and awesome memories to hold on to.”
When the class conclunduded, President Wyatt, professor Heyborne and Director Oh then addressed the crowd. They spoke about their experience running over 170 miles over seven days and why they chose to raise money for an on campus child care center.
Kathy Wyatt, the chair of the committee for the proposed Development Center, then spoke with Johnson, the mother who was featured in the film.
“I was lucky enough to graduate, but this project is not about me,” Johnson said. “It is about the mothers who could not finish because it got too difficult. This is for SUU. I named my daughter Hope because it was one of the darkest times of my life when she was born. I needed hope.”
For more information on the Development Center or to find information on how to contribute, go to their website.
Story by: Cairo Cook
cairo.cook@suusuccess.org
Photos by: Ansleigh Mikesell and Kurt Meacham
