Mildred Scott: What are your hobbies?
Gwenn Roch: Photography, travel, mixing the two and capturing peoples’ stories.
Scott: What’s the best trip you’ve taken this year?
Roch: For my April birthday, I went dog sledding in the Tetons. It was a beautiful blue-sky day in the mountains outside Jackson, Wyoming. Plenty of undisturbed snow on the trails, no noise and only Billy the musher, 12 yappy dogs and myself. At one point, Billy let me drive the team. I lost control while adjusting my gloves and ended up laying face down in the snow. I laughed my head off. What a great experience.
Scott: What’s an unexpected benefit from your travels?
Roch: I’ve learned something from each trip: What’s the minimum you need, study the map before heading out on the road, how not to panic when you’re lost at night on the backroads of Pennsylvania, how to laugh and how to be alone.
Scott: And the downside?
Roch: I’m not going to graduate at the top of my class. I try to find a healthy balance between life, work and school. Sometimes it’s heavy on the life side, but that’s OK for me.
Scott: How do you like UH so far?
Roch: Overall, it’s been great. Quality educators and quality education. I’m not on campus enough to fully enjoy all that’s available or, for that matter, recognize that which isn’t. Of course, I will disagree that the lab offered in Spanish 1A should not be used as an additional class hour, but rather time spent in some type of listening environment.
Scott: If you could get the administration to change two things, what would they be?
Roch: First, would you please correct the parking problems that ensue when there is an athletic event on campus. The solution is not for me to park elsewhere. Secondly, recognize the value and influence of older, (age 25 and up), non-conventional students and build programs and opportunities for them.
‘
