Utah Tech University

One of Utah Tech University's recent graduates as well as one of the first to be accepted and participate in Utah Tech's Master of Fine Arts Program, Brandon Raabe, was recently awarded third place in a national student art competition held by Oil Painters of America. "To me, oil painting gives me a way to practice and develop as a person. I utilize it to become better and to translate the discipline I have with oil painting and apply it elsewhere in my life," Raabe said. "It's a way to grow, and I could spend my time elsewhere, but I choose to oil paint because I believe in it, it's a skill that's very old and special and I hold it very dear to me."

The Utah Tech University Blaze Dance Team, in only its third year of competing, pulled off a stellar second place finish at the 2024 United Spirit Association Dance Nationals held in Anaheim, CA, earlier this month. "Our theme this year was 'Whatever It Takes'," Kori Esplin, coach of the Blaze Dance Team, said. "Then we believed we could, and we did." After half a year of hard work, intense practice, early mornings and late nights, the team was excited to leave it all on the stage and see the final product come to life.

The Utah Tech University Swim Team was awarded the Fall 2023 Scholar All-American Awarded by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America. The team earned a cumulative GPA of 3.78 in the fall semester, putting them at the third highest GPA in Division I along with receving the highest GPA out of any sports team in history at Utah Tech.

Utah Tech University's Mr. Trailblazer 2024-2025, Tyler Quincy, was named on Feb. 7 after showcasing talent, charisma and school spirit.

Several Utah Tech University students spent their winter break in Ecuador to work, provide service and celebrate the holiday season with children and orphans with special needs. Partnering with Orphanage Support Services Organization, the group stayed at a special needs orphanage in Cuenca, Ecuador, working directly with the children, playing games, and spending time with them.

Utah Tech University students had the opportunity to work at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The 24 recreation and sports management majors were hired by the NFL to assist with pre-game events and 18 of the students participated on the day of the Super Bowl. This experience was made possible by Jin Woo Ahn, the assistant recreation and sports management professor, who emphasized the importance of hands-on experiences and networking.

Utah Tech students Averee Beck, Kamryn Bliss, Logan Rosenbach and Jared Brungard were recently crowned national pickleball champions, winning the Association of Pickleball Players Championship for their team bracket. Inching closer to the title for the past two years, this year they were victorious in taking the gold.

As part of a class project, three Utah Tech University students learned about the cost of medical procedures in the United States. The primary objective of this project was to uncover disparities in the pricing for identical diagnoses and treatments. It was also to understand the patterns of patients' out-of-pocket expenses for similar treatments across the United States.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, Utah Tech University's Dental Hygiene Program held a Free Children's Dental Health Day and Special Smiles event serving 56 children and special Olympic athletes in need of oral health care.

Utah Tech University student Benji Welch received the Drum Major Award at the University's MLK Gala held on Jan. 11 on campus. The Drum Major Award is given to individuals who have made the community a better place through acts of service. It is also based on the famous quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

Utah Tech University's Institute of Politics traveled to Washington D.C. last month to bring to light the needs and concerns of the Utah Tech student body to the highest levels of government.

Utah Tech University recognized the Fall 2023 Associate of Applied Science in Nursing graduating class during a pinning ceremony this winter. Multiple educators spoke at the ceremony about the importance of nursing degrees and how the graduates will make an impact in the healthcare field. Additiaonlly, graduates were also given a candle to symbolize the "passing of the flame" from the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, onto each new nurse.

Utah Tech University students earned their pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. This degree prepares the graduate to practice as a generalist registered nurse for clients across their lifespan while collaborating as a member of the healthcare team in a variety of settings.

Providing five children with mobility challenges the perfect gift in time for the holidays, students in Utah Tech University's Physical Therapist Assistant program have spent the last month customizing electric kids' cars and adapting them to each child. This is the fifth time that Utah Tech University has participated in the Go Baby Go program, which focuses on giving children with mobility challenges more opportunities to develop, grow, and play with other children.

Based on their strong academic standing and committment to improving the community, five Utah Tech students were chosen to receive this year's Board of Trustees Scholarship. Scholarship recipients were invited to the recent Board of Trustees meeting to share their stories of how the scholarship has impacted their college experience. The scholarship was created four years ago with the help of one of the current Board members, Colleen Kvetko. She decided to take this idea and create a system where the Board of Trustees would donate a certain amount to provide enough scholarship money for students to help make a difference. The scholarship is awarded to students who are full-time earning either a bachelor's or master's degree, have at least a 3.25 GPA, be a Utah resident, or international/DACA student, complete prior community service and write a one-page essay.

Utah Tech University freshman Darren Johnson created a Christmas light display that is featured in the 10th annual St. George Christmas Lights Spectacular. The display, which Darren has been preparing since August and has dedicated 600 hours of work to, features more than 20,000 controlled pixels, is synchronized to music, and allows the audience to be in control of the show.

Two dozen Utah Tech University students were selected as Student of the Semester in their respective departments for their academic achievement and dedication.

Showcasing one of many ways that Utah Tech University offers a hands-on learning experience, Utah Tech student Molly Shewchuk and Director of Web Services Aaron Campbell won second place at a pitch competition held at the institution's Atwood Innovation Plaza. The pair won a $1,000 award as a result of their pitch of StoryWave, a platform for artificial intelligence-generated and assisted stories that can create up to 60 pages or 40 minutes of audio based on simple prompts by the user. StoryWave addresses the issue that some face of not having anything to listen to that is catered specifically to their interests.

Utah Tech students Chloe Furse and Avery Fowers hosted a pumpkin drop-off opportunity for community members a few days after Halloween. Participants were invited to bring their old pumpkins which would be taken to the local composting center. Furse and Fowers collected the pumpkins at Vernon Worthen Park in St. George, Utah, and also taught about the environmental benefits of composting as part of the project.

As part of Utah Tech University's Homecoming week, 28 women shared their talents and passions at the Miss Utah Tech University scholarship competition. The Miss Utah Tech University competition provides students with the opportunity to promote their community service initiatives, showcase their talents and compete for various scholarships. This year, five Utah Tech students were crowned as Homecoming royalty.

Utah Tech University students recently had the opportunity to participate in the Citizen Academy, a program coordinated by the IRS Criminal Investigation field office. This was a great opportunity for the students to learn about the careers of IRS special agents and see what a criminal investigation entails. The Citizen Academy is a unique opportunity and a perfect example of Utah Tech's polytechnic, hands-on mission of giving students opportunities to apply themselves outside of the classroom.

This year, 43 students were selected to serve as Utah Tech University Student Ambassadors. In this role, selected students serve as the face of the University by providing campus tours and visits for prospective students and sharing information about the variety of opportunities offered at Utah Tech. Serving as an Ambassador also helps students improve their leadership and communication skills while being able to share their experiences with students on campus.

Zoe Sewell, previously known as Miss Utah Tech, has been crowned as this year's Miss Southern Utah. With this title, she plans to go to every high school in Washington to teach students about healthy lifestyle habits, helping them see their potential and rise to it. Zoe will also be volunteering around Southern Utah during her time as Miss Southern Utah.

Rachele Schulist, a Utah Tech University student and physical therapist assistant, earned the highest possible score of 800 on the National Physical Therapy Exam. Schulist took the test earlier this year and attended an award ceremony at the beginning of October to accept an award for this outstanding accomplishment that only .6%. of test takers achieve.

Utah Tech University student Lilliana Rogers was recently awarded the Jay's Legacy Utah Tech Scholarship. The Jay's Legacy Foundation provides scholarship opportunities to students in memory of Utah Tech University student and athlete JeShan "Jay" Allen, who tragically passed away in a car accident. Rogers, a first-generation college student, lost her father at the age of 16, which motivated her to pursue a career that revolved around grief and loss. By receiving the Jay's Legacy Scholarship, Rogers has been able to continue working toward her goals.

Utah Tech University's Student Association leads Trailblazers on campus. UTSA's president's cabinet is committed to giving students the opportunity to gain experience that will make them employable by equipping them with abilities to be professional, coherent and responsible. This year, four Utah Tech students are serving on the president's cabinet in the roles of student body president, chief of staff, presidential initiatives coordinator and director of Code Red.

This summer, eight Utah Tech students consisting of seven dancers and one photographer departed on a Study Abroad opportunity to Florence, Italy. In this three-week intensive dance study, students are housed together and are immersed in a rigorous schedule of three to four classes every weekday learning contemporary, jazz funk, ballet, and power ballet. This was also the first year a photography student participated in the opportunity, capturing the dance talents of her fellow students in the stunning surroundings of Italy.

Ten Utah Tech University students traveled to Spain this summer and immersed themselves in different educational systems while gaining new perspectives. Utah Tech's tagline of "active learning. active life." represents hands-on experiences for students. Studying abroad is a key example of experiential learning, as it provides students with immersive, real-world experiences that complement classroom learning.

Earlier this month, six Utah Tech students traveled to the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City and participated in the Miss Utah Competition. "The 47 contestants that competed at Miss Utah invested copious amounts of time for the once-in-a-lifetime chance of being Miss Utah," Sarah Ramaker, assistant director of student involvement and leadership at Utah Tech, said. "To many of them, being Miss Utah means a chance to be a role model for the women of our state to hopefully have the opportunity to inspire, serve, and pursue a higher education."

The prestigious Contemporary West Dance Theatre in Las Vegas recently accepted Utah Tech University student and soon-to-be graduate Jaesha Hall into its company. Securing an audition at the Contemporary West Dance Theatre was no easy feat, as potential company members had to be invited in to audition. Hall, from Roosevelt, Utah, prepared her resume and submitted multiple dance videos and eventually earned an invitation to audition. After spending three days in Las Vegas, Hall anxiously awaited the outcome for a month. Finally, the director reached out to Hall, stating that the company wanted to see her again. Hall spent one more day dancing alongside the company members before being offered a contract and a spot on the company.