Alumni Kate Schrepher wants to encourage Uni students to put their talents into teaching. When Gargoyle Editor Sierra Maniates-Selvin sat down to talk to her, it was easy to see that Schrepfer's enthusiasm for education rivals the fervor of even our most passionate Uni teachers.

Since graduating in 2002, former Uni student Jocelyn Ross has witnessed the rise of social media first hand, learned what goals she truly aspires to in life, and has moved into the world of free enterprise.

Natalie Ceperley, class of 1999, is pursuing a PhD while working in both Switzerland and Burkina Faso. She has been around the world and has had many unique experiences, even before graduating from Uni. Gargoyle reporter Emma Hoyer profiles Ceperley's journey from before Uni to where she is now.

To get everyone in the mood for Valentine's Day, we have put together a very special feature about an alumni couple who will be spending their first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. Emilia ('02) and Errol Packard ('00), who got married this past August, agreed to share their heartwarming story of love and friendship with the Uni community.

From Austria to Paris, to New York to right here in Urbana, many of Uni High's alumni have gone on to study and pursue careers in language. In many cases, our foreign language department has started this passion for language. Through language classes and trips to other countries the foreign language program has given Uni students the opportunity to get out of the halls and into the world.

Mike Dorning has flown on Air Force One, taken vodka shots with former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice while flying over Russia, and eaten dinner with Barack Obama. He graduated from Uni as a member of the Class of 1981. Today, Dorning lives in Washington, D.C., and is a White House Correspondent for Bloomberg News.

Of all those who teach at Uni, only one man can say that he has experienced Uni as both a teacher and as a student. Executive Teacher of Computers and Educational Technology Greg Smith's career has spanned everything from television production to engineering.

"I've become a completely different person because of Teach For America," says Uni High Alumni Ma'ayan Weinberg, who is in her fourth year of teaching middle school math in Los Angeles. "And I feel like there is no teacher program that I have found so far that prepares you to do what you need to do at a school like [Samuel] Gompers [Middle school], which is where I was."

Thinking about the Peace Corps? Emily Floess, class of 2006, is currently serving in Peace Corps in Liberia. She lives as close as possible to the lifestyle of the Liberian people.

Recent Uni High alum Eli Shenk has been working on an organic farm since 2009. When Gargoyle staff reporter Albert Anastasio heard this, it caught his attention and he set up a chat with Eli to discuss his involvement in the farm.

While most Uni couples will be celebrating Valentine's Day together for the first or second time, there are a handful of Uni couples who will have gone through over a decade of Valentine's Days together. One of those lucky couples is Brian and Tracy Frizzell, who will be celebrating their 19th Valentine's Day as a couple this Monday. Gargoyle reporter Will Fernandez caught up with the married Uni alums to see how their love stays strong.

Uni students interested in a slightly different career path can take heart from '02 alum Bálint Bognár. He went on to study at Parsons School of Design in New York. He still lives in NYC and designs for Armani Exchange. Find out the ins and outs of the industry from a real insider.

Already anticipating the tough program choices that you'll have to make in college? Follow the lead of Uni alum Jennifer Roloff (Class of '08), and make your post-Uni experience twice as fun with a double major! Hadley Hauser spoke to the musical alum, a recent visitor to the school, to get her thoughts on life after Uni.

Want to get away from it all? We mean, really get far, far away? Check out Uni alum Ethan Stone's solution to the gap year dilemma. It involves the Rotary Youth Exchange and plenty of curiosity and initiative. Just the thing for Uni students looking for something different after graduation!

Back in April 2005, when this article was first published in the print edition of the Gargoyle, who knew that a future Olympian was walking the halls of Uni High? Well, actually, judging from this story, quite a few people did. Take a trip in time as we profile the speedskater as a young man — Jonathan Kuck back when he was a Uni student.