Jump at every opportunity, every chance to try something
Kevin Hurst is the admission’s advisor in enrollment services at USU Eastern. He earned his associate’s degree at Weber state and his bachelor’s from the University of Utah in exercise and sports science. Hurst received his masters from the University of Central Missouri in college student personnel administration (CSPA). He arrived at Eastern last August.
This archived article was written by: Jonathan Fox
Kevin Hurst is the admission’s advisor in enrollment services at USU Eastern. He earned his associate degree at Weber State and his bachelor’s from the University of Utah in exercise and sports science. Hurst received his masters from the University of Central Missouri in college student personnel administration (CSPA). He arrived at Eastern last August.
Hurst enjoys a variety of things, including flying airplanes (he took aviation for two semesters) but what brought him to where he is in his career is interacting with those around him, which is what he likes about his current position. He is willing to get involved, and suggests that others do the same. He maintains that getting involved in college is the best way to discover what you really want to do in life.
His first year of college, Hurst got involved in leadership. Before school started his freshman year, he attended a fall leadership retreat where he met a group that would later become his best friends through college.
“As part of the retreat I learned about committees that I could get involved with. I was recruited by a couple of committee chairs. We planned activities and events, including dances, on campus.”
Once he was involved, he said that “it definitely made college more fun. I felt like I was part of the institution. They weren’t just activities, it wasn’t just a university, it was my university. They were my activities.”
Although he originally had plans to be a physical therapist, Hurst found that he “enjoyed the interaction with people more.” That is what led him to his master in CSPA and ultimately to USU Eastern.
At the University of Central Missouri where Hurst earned his master’s degree and was a graduate assistant in the student involvement and leadership office. He and several others put together a three-tier program on personal leadership.
The program focused first on oneself, helping answer the question, “what can I bring to the table as a leader? Second, it focused on interpersonal leadership – how to incorporate one’s skills into a group. The third tier helped students learn how to incorporate their skills into the community.
Hurst believes that the most important aspect of being a leader is “knowing who you are, what you stand for, the direction you’re heading, and having a plan to get there. If you want to be a positive leader, you have to have a positive direction.”
While at UCM that is what Hurst helped students accomplish – knowing who they are and where they are heading.
At USU Eastern, he helps students make the decision to come to Eastern. “My job is to be an admissions advisor. It’s my job to be an expert about the institution, and entice students to come here.”
The most enticing thing about USU Eastern, according to Hurst, is the experience that can be had at Eastern. “One area of involvement leads to another and opens new doors. Students here don’t have to pick and choose, they can have a wide variety of experiences and opportunities.”
Hurt’s advice to both prospective and current students of USU Eastern is “don’t hold anything back. Jump at every opportunity, every chance to try something. Live life to the fullest – Carpe diem. Try everything. By doing that, you’ll find some things that you like and some things that you don’t like. You’ll really come to discover yourself.”
