Tripp Hughes (’09)

Tripp Hughes graduated from JMU in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude and with distinction in history. As a student, he played the clarinet in the Marching Royal Dukes and was a member of Phi Alpha Theta. He currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is an attorney at PIEtech, Inc.

What made you choose to go to JMU?
I loved the atmosphere when I visited and everyone was super friendly. JMU has a beautiful campus and it just felt like home. It felt right.

Where did you live freshman year?
I lived in Eagle Hall on the 6th floor. At least one elevator was broken a weekend, so it was a lot of walking up stairs. It wasn’t ideal, but it’s JMU, so I couldn’t complain and I met some friends I still have today during that year. One of the best parts of living in Eagle was being an MRD and having my hallmates complain about the noise Saturday mornings!

What professor or class made the most impact on you?
I enjoyed all of my history classes. I think the class that made the most impact was HIST 395, our capstone course with Dr. Hyser. It was research and writing, as well as how to present your research. I ended up going to law school, and of course research and writing is a big part of that. As for a professor, I would say Dr. Dillard had the most impact on me since he advised me during my honors thesis writing my senior year and was a constant source of encouragement as I was trying to decide what to do after JMU.

What do you think makes JMU so special?
It goes back to the reason why I picked JMU, the great atmosphere. All of the professors and students are happy to be there and take such an interest in each other. It’s a great place to be. It’s immeasurable almost; it’s hard to pin down that one thing, but I know it when I feel it, and I feel it every time I talk about or visit JMU.

What have you done since graduating from JMU?
I went to law school at University of Richmond, and also married a JMU alumna. We met in the marching band.

How have you stayed connected to JMU and other alumni since graduating?
I was the Richmond JMU Alumni Chapter president for two and a half years, and I have also been a member of the College of Arts and Letters Alumni Advisory Board for about three years. I try to go to as many of the football games and other sporting events and on campus events as I can. I stay connected with other Richmond alumni through networking and social events, such as the baseball games at The Diamond and JMU football game watch parties.

Why did you decide to serve on the JMU Alumni Board of Directors?
Having been the Richmond JMU Alumni Chapter president, I wanted to do more. I wanted to give back to the JMU alumni community as a whole, not just Richmond. I have always felt that JMU has given me a lot and I feel obligated to give back. This was the logical next step to help me persue that goal.

What do you hope to accomplish during your term on the Board?
I want to further our mission of engaging and reconnecting alumni. I think there’s around 132,000 living alumni, and the more we can engage them, the more impact we can have on the school, as well as current and future students.

What is your favorite JMU memory?
I have a lot of good memories from JMU. One would definitely have to be meeting my wife. Participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with the MRDs, representing JMU on an internationally televised program, is another great memory. I’d also have to say rooting for JMU at the national championship game as an alumnus.