In recognition of their hard work and dedication, seven incredible students, including University Valedictorian Cameron Ashton, have been named SUU’s valedictorians for 2019. Each student demonstrates outstanding academic ability, placing them as the highest academically ranked individual in their area of study.
University Valedictorian – Cameron Aston
Following his graduation from SUU, Aston plans on working in the field as a design engineer and is currently considering a position in southern Utah. While he eventually plans on pursuing graduate school after a few years working in the field, he is ready for a small break from studying.
“If I have learned anything from SUU, it’s that I love to learn. I plan to continue learning everything I can about engineering and other aspects of science,” Aston said.
College of Science and Engineering – Nic Bastian
Bastian has participated in undergraduate research alongside Dr. Andrew Misseldine, assistant professor of mathematics, allowing him to apply his education in an experiential way. He has also taken six courses from Dr. Misseldine and looks to him as a mentor.
“Nic is a brilliant student, probably one of the best students I’ve ever seen at SUU,” said Misseldine. “He doesn’t procrastinate his work, he prioritizes his time well, he has presented his research at a gaggle of different places and has been published in a mathematical journal with another submission on its way. He is the perfect model of the type of student we want in the College of Science and Engineering.”
College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Mercedes Dreyer
The ambitious Dreyer has known for quite some time that she’d like to pursue a career in publishing. Her career goals focus on making academic literature more broadly accessible to the public.
“I am passionate about making academia more accessible to everyone,” Dreyer said, “Whether it be through tutoring, sharing, and discussing major works of literature, or compiling resources of academic works for an individual to easily access.”
College of Education and Human Development – Rylie Miller
“Being valedictorian means that I did my absolute best to learn everything I could while at Southern Utah University. It was not my ultimate goal to be valedictorian, it was something that came with my dedication to be the best athletic trainer I can be,” said Miller.
As Miller begins a new chapter in life she wanted to leave a piece of advice to those just starting college, “Make a special effort to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Do something each day that makes you happy and/or is relaxing to avoid feeling burned out by the stresses of college.”
College of Performing and Visual Arts – Angela R. Woods
Woods will earn her Bachelor’s of Music Education with a 4.0 GPA. She has focused her time at SUU on personal growth, expanding her ability to play the clarinet and energetically developing her familiarity and skill in a teaching capacity. Overall, Woods has enjoyed having the time to grow as a performer and a teacher while at SUU, and she holds her time at SUU in high regard. Woods will complete her student teaching with Cedar Middle School and is excitedly looking forward to a future in education.
In her final advice to incoming students, Woods urged students to, “Remember that the best successes always come after failures. It’s okay to fall, so long as you never stay down.”
School of Business – Jordan Caldwell
“Jordan is an excellent student and always shows great respect for faculty and his fellow classmates,” said Dean of the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business, Mary Pearson. “Jordan acts with high integrity and is a wonderful example of the caliber of students in the School of Business.”
Moving forward, Caldwell plans to complete a Master of Accountancy here at Southern Utah University and will begin working for a public accounting firm in Salt Lake City after his graduation.
School of Integrated & Engaged Learning – Kelsie Eddy
Eddy chose to major in SIEL because she wanted a degree that would fit her future career plans and SIEL was able to give her that. Eddy was able to customize her major so she could take a wide variety of classes ranging from computer science classes to marketing and graphic design.
When asked about her plans after graduation she responded, “I’m excited to have more time to make games! Balancing school and homework with my job and other responsibilities has been tough these last few semesters, I’m looking forward to having schoolwork taken off my plate so I can focus my efforts elsewhere and get started as a full-time indie developer.”
For a full schedule of graduation, events visit the 2019 commencement site.
Story and Photography Courtesy of: SUU Marketing Communication, Lyndsey Nelson
Original Story can be found here.