Hilltopper Family Spotlight

Graduate of St. Edward’s Follows in Dad’s Footsteps

Aaron Seifert ’09 can’t literally fill his dad’s big shoes, especially when that man is 6’ 7” tall Ray Benson, nine-time Grammy Award winner and founder of the Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel. But Seifert’s passion for giving back to St. Edward’s and our surrounding community is exactly like his father’s.

Both have been connected for many years with one of Austin’s most precious resources, the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, now a natural resource laboratory of St. Edward’s University.

For the last 20 years, Benson has been working to keep Wild Basin going. Its new affiliation with St. Edward’s helps fulfill the missions of both parties. Seifert knows his father is a big man in more ways than one. “Any free moment he has, my dad is willing to give of it.”

Using Their Talents to Make a Difference

Seifert recalls the “Yes, In My Backyard” fundraising picnic/concerts for Wild Basin in the late 1990s, held at his family’s Austin home, “It was a private event people bought tickets to and Asleep at the Wheel performed. People came, gave generously and partied in the streets,” he says.

A Communication major, Seifert learned the art of Final Cut Pro editing software while at St. Edward’s and is now creating movie magic in Los Angeles as assistant editor with Sync Advertising. His talents can be seen in movie trailers for Avatar, Zombieland, Couple’s Retreat, and Date Night with Steve Carrell.

“I assist the editors, supervise the music department, make DVDs for the clients, and make sure all of our media is organized and compatible,” says Seifert.

Seifert partnered with the St. Edward’s Office of University Advancement to donate his time in producing a fundraising video. “I worked with them to create a digital ‘thank you’ to alumni for their past, present and future donations,” he says.

Ray Benson is proud of all his son has achieved and says St. Edward’s helped enhance those successes. “Aaron’s time at St. Edward’s was a great time of education and growth and gave him the experiences he needed to find what would inspire his passion and direction in life,” he says.

 

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