Sharon Holland

In 1973, I was offered a position in the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations; I had no idea then that I would still be here 45 years later, for a total of 47 years at IUPUI! It has been an amazing journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have met so many people over the years, many of whom have become close friends. And I have had the opportunity to interact with thousands and thousands of students, staff, faculty, and alumni over these many years.

I have been extremely blessed to be able to work with a wide variety of individuals and to have many memorable experiences throughout my years in the Alumni Office. Working directly with several different schools to engage their respective alumni in activities to support the mission of the school, the campus, and to keep alumni connected with the university has been a joy and a privilege. And there are three very special areas that are, and always will be, very near and dear to my heart:

1. I participated as a staff member in my first IUPUI Commencement in 1974, which was the 6th commencement ceremony for this campus. In 1978, I was asked to take on part of the responsibilities for commencement, and in 1990, I was asked to do it all ... which I continued to do until 2016, when the Office of University Events was formed. Commencement was a very important part of my life (and my family's) for a long time, and I will always have fond memories of the people with whom I had the privilege to work to make it happen. It's difficult to accurately describe the warm and fuzzy feeling I experienced watching our graduates earn their diplomas and seeing the expressions of joy on the faces of their parents and friends (and no, it wasn't ALWAYS on Mother's Day ... just 90% of the time).
2. The first official IUPUI athletic team was a group of young men essentially playing the equivalent of pick-up basketball under the direction of the School of Physical Education Dean Nick Kellum in the spring of 1972. By the fall of 1972, a formal basketball program had begun. Over the next few years, other sports were added, and by the early 80's, IUPUI had a full-fledged athletic program. Michael A. Carroll, a local civic leader and an IU grad who was actively engaged with many local projects, decided the blossoming IUPUI athletic program needed a boost. He created the Metro Athletic Club, for which he served as president for a number of years, and convinced numerous friends — most of whom with no direct tie to IUPUI — to support athletics on our campus by becoming members of the club. Tragically killed in a 1992 plane crash, Mike's friends continued his legacy for a number of years as members of the Metro Athletics Club. Then, in 1993, the Alumni Office decided to form an organization of former athletes, which was subsequently named the Lettermen's Club. Because of my interest in all things related to athletics, I was tasked with putting this group together. A board of former athletes from various sports was formed, and in 1994, the first IUPUI Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Lettermen's Club, inducted five charter members, one of which was Mike Carroll. His legacy continues to this day. And my association with the Lettermen's Club, subsequently renamed Jaguars Letter Club, and now J-Club, has continued as well. I have had the privilege of working with fantastic people in the IUPUI Athletics Department, as well as members of our J-Club board over the years. This, too, is one of my passions.
3. Last but not least, there is the calliope. Built in 1976 under the guidance of the Alumni Office with assistance from the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and Robert Weaver, a Herron School of Art professor who had a special interest in circus wagons, the IU/IUPUI calliope first appeared in the 1976 Indiana bicentennial parade. The calliope itself is the musical instrument with a 32-key keyboard that makes sounds through pipes carrying steam generated by a boiler system inside the wagon. The calliope instrument was given to the IUPUI Alumni Office in 1976 on permanent loan by the IU Theatre Department in Bloomington. After the bicentennial parade, it was made available to IU chapters and other organizations throughout the state for local parades. I had the privilege of being the overseer of the calliope for its first two years. Then, in 1978, we relinquished it to the Department of University Relations. That department continued to monitor, schedule, and take care of it for the next several years until it ultimately lost sponsorship. It was then put in storage for a few years until our office took it back in the early '90's. Once again, I became responsible for its scheduling, maintenance, personnel, trailer, and appearances in general. Our office was able to purchase a new trailer, making it much more attractive for parades and other appearances. And because of the liability risk with the propane, generators, steam, etc., I accompanied it when it went on the road. It is now under the guidance of our former Executive Director, Stefan Davis, who had retired but agreed to take on special projects. It has been rewarding to see the calliope brought back to life. It, too, does and always will hold a very special place in my heart.

It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of these and so many other memories — some great, some good, and some not so good — over the last 47 years. And I look forward to making new memories before I finally decide it is time to step back. In the meantime, I will keep doing the things that make me want to come to work every day.