The 50th anniversary of the founding of UPrep calls for reflective moments to take in our community’s many accomplishments. The Library features a set of books tied together by their Puma authorship and reflects the knowledge, interests, and talent of our community members. This collection includes works authored by students, faculty and staff, alumni, parents, and grandparents, along with collaborative class creations. We tag these books with a puma paw as part of our UPrep Community Affiliation series, and this series currently has 59 titles. 

Readers can dive into a rich mix of stories and ideas—from romance, mysteries, children’s books, poetry, memoirs, and historical fiction to thought-provoking works on civics, technology, and law.  The collection shines a light on students’ artistic growth, featuring several years of Graphic Novel intensive publications and stunning Graphic Design class volumes. We have Mandarin class student yearbooks, freshman physics experiments, and a class-authored chapter book in French. The Language Department has also contributed several cookbooks featuring students’ favorite recipes.

Seeing a familiar name on a book spine is a reminder of the diverse talents connected to our school. It’s inspiring for our current students to know they could contribute to the ongoing intellectual legacy of UPrep. Preserving this collection showcases the incredible talent of our community. Let us know when your book is out in print!

Below is a small sample of Puma books from this collection.

Author Katrina Menshutkina graduated from UPrep in 2022. During her teenage years, she took first place out of 500-plus teams in the National UK Tycoon Enterprise Competition. While she was in high school, Katrina gathered her learnings into this informative start-up guide. Readers will find practical business knowledge and interactive exercises and characters with amusing and inspirational business ventures. This book includes step-by-step start-up information from brainstorming and funding to marketing, budgeting, and launching.  

Author Jacob Taylor-Mosquera was a UPrep faculty member from 2017–2022. His memoir delves into what it means to belong to two countries and two families while also examining international and transracial adoption. Jacob describes the complex struggle of trying to belong to the Black and Latinx communities in the United States while also experiencing white privilege. 

Author Bryce Andrews graduated from UPrep in 2001. In this memoir, he describes life as a cattle rancher in remote southwest Montana. When wolves start killing the cattle, he learns what it means to do battle with these local predators. The Great Falls Tribune called this “an elegant memoir,” and readers will learn what it’s like to live within the harsh realities dealt by both predators and nature.

Read the special 50th-anniversay edition of the UPrep Magazine!