Acclaimed individuals of Southern Utah University gathered on Friday for the annual Founders Awards Banquet to celebrate the founders of the university and those who carry on their legacies.
Each spring, SUU holds this event and presents worthy individuals with Distinguished Service Awards. This year’s award winners were Lee Byers and Terri Hartley.
Byers started at SUU in 1994, and during his time of employment, managed SUTV, taught and mentored students, worked on documentaries, ran camera operations at athletic events and more.
Hartley has also contributed to the community, serving two terms on the Cedar City Council, being president of the local Chamber of Commerce and leading other various organizations in the community.
The banquet also celebrated the 10 year anniversary for the debut of “Back Up the Mountain.” The film portrays the sacrifices that were made by Cedar City pioneers to construct SUU’s first campus building in the winter of 1897.
“What I loved most was watching our community come together to be excited to tell that story, and how many of you said ‘Oh! My ancestor did that,’” said President Mindy Benson. “It was remarkable to see how many of us are connected to those founders and I’d like to think that they’re very proud of where we are today.”
Actor and Alumnus Jasen Wade was also in attendance and recounted the experiences he had while filming the documentary, sharing the gratitude and pride he felt being a part of the film.
“It means the world to me. It’s a full circle event,” said Wade. “I was honored to be a part of a documentary that honored the people that were part of going back up the mountain and getting the wood and building the school — I loved it.”
Benson closed out the evening with a speech encouraging those in attendance to remember that they are modern-day founders and that every one is collectively going back up the mountain for Southern Utah University.
Author: Brooklyn Beard
Editor: Heather Turner
Photos by Brooklyn Beard
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