Bright smile and Southern drawl describe CEU’s Crystal Conway

This archived article was written by: Megan Thomas

Crystal Conway is a pint-sized blonde whom you might have seen working at the register in the cafeteria. Her bright smile and Southern drawl are hard not to notice. You might wonder what this girl from the South is doing way out here in this small town of Price, Utah.
Last year, during Christmas, Crystal’s friend Lori Wellington (now Lori Thomas) went to visit her in her hometown of Kennett, Missouri. Lori was and still is a student at CEU, and she told Crystal that this was the place for her to go.
Crystal had been wondering what college she should attend, but there weren’t any good schools near Kennett. Crystal was hesitant to consider moving to Price, because she was afraid of leaving her family and place of comfort. She wasn’t sure whether she would be able to meet people or be accepted any other place besides her home.
Lori was finally able to convince Crystal to think about it, because she told Crystal that Price was a small place and “everybody’s all one big family.” Crystal did not want to move to a large city, because she liked small town life. So, the more Crystal thought about moving to Price, the more right it felt.
Now, Crystal’s a freshman here and loving college life. She lives in Tucker with her roommates: Heather, Robyn, Bethany, and Atsuko. She says that living with roommates has been a great experience, because she learned to appreciate people with different lifestyles.
Crystal talked about adjusting to life in Price, and she stated that it has been quite easy. She said that her friends, roommates and some families she has become close with in the community, helped her feel at home. She does miss her family and is excited to go back during Christmas break, but enjoys living in Price.
When asked about the students and meeting people, Crystal replied that they are “some of the best I’ve ever met and I don’t mean to be cheesy.” She remarked that the aspect of social life here that she has been most impressed with is that there aren’t many cliques. She says that she can say “hi” to anyone. She also stated that the LDS Institute and their programs have really helped her feel comfortable here. She said she “has never experienced anything like it.”
Crystal greatly enjoys her education here. She decided not to begin her schooling with difficult classes, but has been grateful for all of the help her teachers offered. She laughingly explained that she has “learned to appreciate geology,” because when she visited Arches in November, she was able to pick out the land formations she had learned about in her geology class.
Crystal has been able to visit several other places in Utah besides Arches. She has stayed in the Uintah Basin, Roosevelt, Salt Lake City and Kaysville. Her favorite places have been Arches and Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
Crystal explained that the best part about living in Price is seeing students and youth “be so good.” Her plans for the future are to finish her associate’s degree here and continue her education at a school in Utah, Missouri or Virginia. Her career goal is to be a social worker, because social work has greatly impacted her life.