Hope Graduate Makes National News with Innovative Drone Delivery

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt's drone prepares to land in the Pine Grove.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt’s drone prepares to land in the Pine Grove.

Jeremy Latchaw ’00 has personified a liberal arts education since uniquely combining business administration, religion and the Army ROTC as a Hope College student.

He did it again earlier this week with an innovative connection between drone technology and frozen yogurt.

The mechanical merger of drone and dessert was not the product of a wild promotional brainstorm, but rather the natural extension of two of Jeremy’s current passions. He and his wife, Molly, relocated to Holland in 2013.  They operate two Orange Leaf frozen yogurt franchises in the area and donate 20 percent of their profits to charity. Jeremy is also president of Mishigami Group, a drone consultant and engineering firm that works with companies and government agencies to build unmanned aerial vehicle programs.

The drone that made the delivery to campus was piloted by another Hope College graduate and Mishigami’s principal, Matt Rybar.

“It made sense to put the two of them together,” Latchaw said. “It’s cool to do something like this, delivering to a place like Hope College.”

Jeremy Latchaw '00 and OrangeLeaf President Geoff Goodman celebrate a successful landing.
Jeremy Latchaw ’00 and Orange Leaf President Geoff Goodman celebrate a successful landing.

The project put him and the college in the spotlight this week as hundreds of local and national media outlets picked up the story. Here are a few highlights:

 

Following graduation from Hope in 2000, Jeremy was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, stationed initially in Texas.  During his active service he was deployed to Iraq, earning decorations including the Bronze Star, and he later served in Kuwait during 2007-08 while in the U.S. Army Reserve.  Promoted across his time in the military, he continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve as a major, and is an associate professor of military science in the Army ROTC program at Western Michigan University.

Jeremy Latchaw '00 after receiving a 2015 Hope College Young Alumni Award. Jeb Wierenga, a Hope ROTC student, presented the award.
Jeremy Latchaw ’00 after receiving a 2015 Hope College Young Alumni Award. Jeb Wierenga, a Hope ROTC student, presented the award.

His additional involvement in West Michigan has included serving as vice president of training for Cultivate Holland and as the ROTC Awards chair for the Michigan Sons of the American Revolution.  His continued engagement with Hope has ranged from hosting Hope-Calvin rivalry satellite parties; to serving on his reunion committee; to volunteering with the Center for Faithful Leadership and the Career Resource Network.

In April of 2015, Jeremy received the Hope College Young Alumni Award and spent time on campus to to present workshops designed for students as they consider their lives after graduation.

After an exciting and tasty week on campus, we can’t wait to see what unique connections Jeremy and some of Hope’s other 33,000 graduates think of next.

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