Utah Tech University

Due to the emergence of COVID-19, the need for registered nurses skyrocketed this past year. Therefore, with approval from the Utah State Board of Nursing, a Nurse Apprentice Program was designed for Dixie State University students in their senior year to help fast track their nursing careers while expanding the nurse workforce. The program was organized in the spring of 2020 and launched into full gear by January, 2021. Traditionally, students would not have been provided with increased opportunities such as involvement into an apprenticeship program until after graduation and passing their NCLEX exam. However, 12 participating DSU seniors, all in their final semester and in good academic standing with the University, actively practiced in the community under professional supervision gaining hands-on, real-life clinical experiences while also becoming part of the pandemic solution.

This week Dixie State University's Alumni Association announced the Dixie 11, celebrating eleven extraordinary bachelor's degree candidates of 2021 who have excelled in academics as well as university and community involvement. Dixie 11 awardees were honored at a dinner held on campus on April 28 and also received a letter of commendation from the University President for their remarkable achievements.

Showcasing Dixie State University's international students, 2021 DSU International Pageant was held on Thursday, April 15th as an opportunity for students to showcase their cultural background and heritage. Participating students gave spectacular performances including song and dance, cultural attire, and history. Students from all around the world, including Japan, Vietnam, Honduras, China, and Ecuador took the stage with smiling faces and heritage pride.

Trailblazer Sydney Anderson is passionate about volunteering in the community, and she is hopeful that by doing so, it may increase her chances of being accepted into DSU's Nursing Program. In an effort to serve the community and better her chances of having her application accepted, Sydney spent much of her college semester at a local non-profit animal rescue organization, P.A.W.S., as she prepared to apply to nursing school. Sydney has volunteered for three semesters now, accumulating about 75 hours in service commitments.

As part of Dixie State University's Give Kids a Smile event, students and staff from DSU's Department of Dental Hygiene recently teamed up with local dentists to address the dental needs of children throughout the Washington Country region during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, students from DSU's Spanish Program donated their time and translation support as needed throughout the event. To help make children's smiles a little brighter, more than $13,600 in donated services including exams, X-rays, fillings, extractions, sealants and fluoride were administered free of charge to 47 children within the community who could not be covered by insurance or Medicaid. Additionally, local dentists from around the St. George community donated $38,292 in dental vouchers to 25 children with more extensive treatment needs.

At the Dixie Awards ceremony held April 10 on the Dixie State University campus, five top finalists were recognized in six different student categories. The Dixie Awards highlights various extraordinary individuals annually and this year 30 students were recognized as part of this long-standing tradition.

As part of Dixie State University's "active learning. active life." approach to education, many DSU students participated in the Alternative Breaks opportunity during Spring Break by giving back to the St. George community. The Alternative Breaks program, which functions under the Student Association's Service Branch, provides service opportunities during school breaks for students who want to give back to local and global communities. In lieu of traveling this year for Spring Break, 23 DSU students chose to give back to the community in a safe and fun way by improving the St. George area through landscaping, gardening and picking up trash.

In a display of their academic achievement, 32 percent of full-time Dixie State University students earned President's and Dean's List recognition for the Fall 2020 semester. Specifically, 1,054 students were highlighted on the President's List, and 1,324 on the Dean's List. Overall, 2,378 students were included on the university's honor roll, which showcases the students' committment to their academic career. Inclusion on the honor roll requires all students to complete a minimum of 15 credits, with President's List awardees achieving a GPA of 3.9 or higher and students on the Dean's List obtaining a GPA of 3.5 to 3.89.

Through his committment to helping at-risk youth thrive, Dixie State University student David Lenard founded RISE, an organization in St. George, Utah. After working as a youth counselor, and gaining a desire to help kids in the community, Lenard established RISE as a place to foster and support at-risk youth. Lenard is currently a junior seeking a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in communication studies. As a youth counselor at a local correctional facility, Lenard attributes his patience, understanding, and listening abilities to what he has learned in his classroom settings at DSU.

As part of her social impact initiative, Miss Dixie State University partnered with the Dixie State University Student Association service branch to make comfort items for children in area hospitals and other health-focused agencies. The created items - including 300 activity kits, 46 fleece blankets, 30 courage capes and 264 handwritten letters - were delivered throughout the week to Dixie Regional Medical Center, Dixie Pediatrics, Canyonland Pediatrics, Imagine Pediatrics, St. George Kids Dental Snow Canyon, Root for Kids and the DOVE Center.

Committed to sharing the Trailblazing spirit throughout campus and beyond, Dixie State University's premier song and dance team, Raging Red, has made creative adaptions to fit COVID-19 constraints, offering virtual performances. Selected after an extensive audition process, the 24 student performers represent DSU at engagements on campus and throughout the community as they assist the University in recruiting efforts.

Dixie State University student and Eden Technologies Founder and CEO Hunter Manz, along with company Co-Founder Zack Manweiler, successfully secured $100,000 to help fund their desalination invention and address water scarcity issues in needed areas. Eden Technologies' desalination invention removes the salt from ocean water to generate pure drinking water. The device has its own energy recovery system which sets it apart from other desalination systems. With the initial funds secured, Eden Technologies will now begin to construct a fully-functional prototype of their desalination machine as well as obtain an international patent. Once the prototype is completed, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation of Saudi Arabia has agreed to consider allocating funding to develop a much larger commercial model if results stay consistent with previous data.

Dixie State University freshman, Emily Isaacson, received a perfect 1000/1000 score on the Certiport Microsoft Office Specialist Word Exam, and has been selected to represent Utah at the Certiport U.S. National Championship competition in 2021. Isaacson, who is also a member of the DSU women's basketball team, will have the opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida next June to compete with other state champions from across the United States.

At a time when the world's first responders are in high demand, five students from Dixie State University's Emergency Medical Services Program will receive a financial boost from the AT&T Foundation to help prepare them to work in the emergency response field. DSU students Melissa Andersen, Brennen Hill, Rachel Hillam, Chris Swann and Alexis Wasden were each awarded $2,000 scholarships to support their DSU first responder educational training.

Dixie State University proudly recognizes the institution's largest-ever graduating class during this unprecedented year, awarding 2,388 degrees to 2,021 graduates. Dixie State's 109th graduating class includes 17 master's candidates, 860 baccalaureate candidates, 943 associate candidates and 568 certificate candidates. Of these graduates, the majority - 63 percent - are female and students range in age from 17 to 68 years. Although the COVID-19 pandemic impacted DSU's initial commencement ceremony plans, originally scheduled for May 1, this graduating class will still be honored with a traditional commencement to be held on Friday, December 11, 2020, in the M. Anthony Burns Arena on campus, dependent on no social distancing guidelines being in effect at that time.

Representing Dixie State University and the state of Utah, Senior Noelle West was one of 60 students in the nation selected to present at the Council on Undergraduate Research's 24th annual Posters on the Hill event. The competitive poster session, to which more than 360 students applied this year, offers undergraduate students the opportunity to share their research with members of Congress and their staff. West, who is the first Dixie State student to ever present at this prestigious event, was one of four students selected to participate in the Mathematics and Computer Sciences division. She presented her research on "A Mathematical Model of West Nile Virus: The Effects of Passive Immunity in Birds and Vertical Transmission in Mosquitoes," which she carried out under the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Mathematics Vinodh Kumar Chellamuthu.

Dixie State University's wrestling club placed nationally last month at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association national tournament in Allen, Texas. The tournament took place March 12-14, just prior to sporting events shutting down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Dixie State's wrestling program, a campus club sport, traveled to the national tournament and finished No. 13 out of 63 teams from around the United States.

During the 24th Miss Native Dixie Pageant on January 29th, Phyllis Kitseallyboy, a junior exercise science major from Kirtland, New Mexico, was crowned Miss Native Dixie 2019-20. Along with the title of Miss Native Dixie, Kisseallyboy won a $1,000 scholarship.

Dixie State University students Cajun Syrett and Riley Randall recently won first place against eight other couples at the BYU Dancesport Festival on November 15-16, 2019, in the Cabaret category of the championship. Cajun and Riley are now eligible to go on to compete with dancers from all over the world in Manhattan at the New York Dance Festival in February 2020.

Dixie State University awarded $40,000 in scholarships to the recently-selected cast of their premier song and dance recruiting team, Raging Red, for the 2019-2020 school year. Selected after an extensive audition process, the 16 student performers will represent DSU at engagements on campus, throughout the community and even at a global level as they assist the University in recruiting efforts. The scholarships awarded will aid these students in reaching their goals both academically and as a team.

In a display of academic achievement, 18 percent of Dixie State University students earned President's and Dean's List recognition for the Fall 2019 semester. Specifically, 1,978 students were included on the university's honor rolls, with 816 students on the President's List and 1,162 on the Dean's List. Inclusion indicates students' strong commitment to their academic pursuits, as they must achieve a semester GPA of 3.9 or higher to be included on the President's List and a GPA of 3.5 to 3.89 for the Dean's List. Both lists require students to complete a minimum of 15 credits.