Alex Happ chose the University of Minnesota Morris for two reasons: music and football. “Music and football might not blend together at other schools but they do at Morris. Because the campus is a tight knit community, it was easy for me to work with both my coaches and my professors to be successful in both activities.”
Happ toured colleges in Colorado but it was his visit to Morris that convinced him that this was the place.
“I found the different opportunities that I’d be able to pursue here, so it was an easy choice. I was a little nervous to move 12 hours away from home to a place I had only visited once, but my sister had gone to Morris and she loved it.”
Happ has gotten involved in many different activities around campus, but the choir program and the football team are his main focus. “I am in Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers (a smaller ensemble), and I am the co-director of an on-campus a cappella group named Tonal Eclipse as well as the Symphonic Winds ensemble. I am the vice president for the ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) chapter on campus. This does keep me busy but I also joined the worship team for Inter Varsity on campus.”
Happ feels that the community on campus contributes to his success. “I get to establish a relationship with my professors that I feel has helped me extremely on my educational journey, this is something I wouldn't get at other schools or a bigger school.” He encourages his fellow students to introduce themselves to everyone you see. “Everyone on campus is super nice and all you have to do is say hi! I've made many connections that will last a lifetime, both professionally and in my social life”
Happ concludes, “Yes, the cold takes a little bit of time to get used to, but Morris has given me many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had if I had gone to a different university. I'm very happy to be at UMN Morris!”
