University Scholar Address, October 9, 2004

I'm excited to be here today and grateful for the opportunity to share with you my experiences thus far at Utah State University.

I grew up in Vernal, UT (you may know it as Dinosaurland), where USU's presence is very tangible. I also happen to be the daughter of a True Blue Aggie. For myself, I knew from the first time I visited Logan, felt the bitter canyon wind, and walked around our beautiful campus that this is where I wanted to spend the next several years of my life.

And so I entered USU as a Presidential Scholar in Fall 2002. I knew that I wanted to study literature and had declared as an English major. I share the same problem, however, as dozens of other ambitious Aggies: I pore through the course catalog and am enticed by the vast, appealing number of classes to take and subjects to study. My own interests splay out across the humanities, with the greatest pull for my attention coming from the foreign language department. Within my first few semesters at USU, I dabbled a bit in Spanish and German, then registered for Dr. Mark Damen's Latin 1010 course--almost on a whim.

Now, one year later, when I'm not in class, at work, asleep, or doing homework, chances are I can be found up Logan canyon roasting marshmallows over a campfire and discussing Latin syntax with a motley bunch of friends who find language nearly as fascinating as I do. Within Utah State's Classics program I have found not only a second family and a home away from home, but a pleasant cohesion between my study of early British literature and my Latin-emphasis Classics minor.

The solid foundation supporting my dual study is the wealth of mentorship I've found within the English Department, the Classics program, and Utah State's Honors Program. That my English and Classics professors are able to advise me within the context of their own fields, as my mentors within the Honors Program encourage me toward undergraduate research, give me solid shoulders to stand upon as I make an initial foray into research within my field.

A Presidential Scholarship and mentorship within my field of study, then, are giving me a fantastic education. A student interested in dead languages and old manuscripts, however, faces the reality of limited cash flow as she looks toward graduate school. Fortunately, the second thing that tells me Utah State is the place to be is the vast amount of opportunity I've found to gain valuable skills as I work toward that elusive BA and prepare for grad school.

In my second year at Utah State, I was offered the chance to work as a Fellow for the Honors Program (the Honors version of an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow). Generous administrators and a director willing to see potential within my eagerness to learn and grow brought me to my current position--the Honors Program's Student Advisor. This year, I am also working as a Rhetoric Associate. I work one-on-one with students in a Family and Consumer Science Education course, tutoring them and helping them become more confident in their writing and communication skills. Both positions utilize my own communication and writing skills and facilitate my willingness to work hard. As much as I believe in education for the sake of education, I very much appreciate a university that recognizes my need to support myself and gain practical experience to speed me on my way to grad school.

Now in my third year at Utah State University, as I reap the benefits of a Presidential Scholarship, mentorship within my field of study, and meaningful employment, I am grateful for generous donors who have made and continue to make such resources available to me. Each of these facets of my undergraduate experience makes me proud to be an Aggie.