Legacy Society member and Honor Court Silver Benefactor Kevin Melcher ’79, ’81 M.S.
Brin Reynolds ’12, ’15 MBA
“There are so many good memories,” Kevin Melcher ’79, ’81 M.S. (physical education) said with a smile as he sat on the second floor of Morrill Hall and reminisced about his time on campus. “I didn’t have a strong GPA, so I was never worried about being in the running for the Herz Gold Medal but if they had an award for the highest GCM — golden college memories — I might ave been in the running.”
“I have to say my favorite memory, and one that has lasted almost forever, was Homecoming of ’78 when I met my wife [Ann Marie (Humphrey) ’80 (managerial sciences)] . . . I met her at an after party at the ΣAE fraternity house,” he added as he pointed toward the house on the other side of 9th Street. “She was in Delta Delta Delta and had come with friends. That’s where I met her and we started dating right then; it was just the right time.”
From meeting his wife in what he calls his “second senior year,” to following a career of more than 30 years in education, Melcher is a big believer that “opportunities lead to opportunities.” He says his 22 years in administration in Elko, six years as a Nevada System of Higher Education regent, four years on the Nevada State Board of Education, and current service on the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities all started with high school wrestling.
“People say ‘how did you get to be a regent?’ or ‘how did you get involved in the community?’ I usually say, ‘it’s because I wrestled in high school.’ I wrestled and refereed and that helped me get a coaching job at Hug High when there were no teaching jobs. Then, I was offered a job in Elko to coach wrestling and teach. If I hadn’t wrestled, I never would have gotten the teaching job and because I went to Elko, that opened the door to become a principal.”
Melcher admits those opportunities and the success they led to are also the result of getting involved. “If it hadn’t been for the involvement with my fraternity and, in turn, as an ASUN senator and 1979 senate president, I don’t know that I would have made it through school. I mean that’s what kept me going, honestly.”
That connection and involvement with both campus and community never stopped for the Melchers. After moving to Elko, the two remained season ticket holders for Wolf Pack Football, traveling to all but a handful of home games over the last 43 years, and upon their return to Reno in 2017, they added season tickets for both men’s and women’s basketball. Their support extended beyond Mackay Stadium and Lawlor to serving on the Nevada Alumni Council within 10 years of graduating, as well as helping The College of Business, College of Education & Human Development and College of Liberal Arts advisory boards, and aiding the development of the University’s Physician Assistant Studies program.
“My wife and I just never stopped getting involved. For us, volunteering is a way for us to give back to those who mentored us, who helped us get through to where we’re at today.”
He encourages current students to find that involvement and support for themselves from their very first days on campus. “I think when students find a way to get engaged in their education outside the classroom it makes it more fun and makes it more lifelike when you get out in the big world. That involvement keeps you energized. There’s more than one reason to be in school and nowadays, there are so many ways to be involved on campus.”
Melcher noted that the entire Wolf Pack Family is key to the success of soonto-be graduates. “For adults who want to find a way to get connected back to the University, one of the easiest ways to start is with one student. Mentor a student, become a friend, be somebody they can reach out to and ask for advice. The rewards I’ve reaped by staying involved with young people have been huge, even starting with my oldest students who graduated from Elko High in ’81 and are turning 60 this year.”
Both Kevin and Ann Marie began giving back five years after graduating, and they encourage others to do the same. “We recommend people who graduate start giving right away — it doesn’t matter how much, it’s just about establishing the giving habit. And remember, it doesn’t always have to be money, it can be donations of time. It’s a way of helping support young people through their colleges and institutions.”
The alumnus or alumna of the year is the Nevada graduate who distinguishes themselves among their peers, gives back to Nevada and supports the University’s mission of providing outstanding learning, discovery and engagement opportunities to students to meet the urgent needs of the modern world.
As part of the University’s Centennial Class in 1974, 2023 Alumnus of the Year Kevin Melcher ’79, ’81 M.S. was on campus when the University bell was relocated from Reno to its original home in Elko. The bell now sits on the Elko High School campus where Melcher took his first teaching job and in 2014, he was integral in the bell’s restoration in Elko as part of the state’s sesquicentennial.
Courtesy of Melcher