Eagles invade Utah high schools

This archived article was written by: Jonathan Fox

The USU Eastern Ambassador team has a new approach to recruiting where the faculty play a crucial role. They are calling it the Eagle Invasion.
Ambassadors team up with faculty members to visit high schools. One ambassador and one professor go into a classroom that corresponds with that professor’s department to talk and give specifics for their program. The ambassador is there to give general information about the school and to distribute information. They even waive the $40 application fee for students who apply right then and there.
They have only visited two schools so far, Carbon and Wayne High Schools. On both accounts, it was very successful.
“The class we did with Jason went awesome!” says Toby Prettyman, a student ambassador who teamed up with Professor Jason Olsen for the Carbon visit. “I think it was a success for sure.”
Of course, not all the classes are composed of just seniors. Marissa Urie, another ambassador, noted that many of the students in the class she invaded with Professor Susan Neel were primarily juniors.
Whether they are sophomores, juniors, or seniors, the invasion is still a success for several reasons.
Most importantly, it creates a presence in the schools visited. Student ambassadors distribute drawstring bags that are popular in high schools, and those bags will be seen around the school as students wear them, creating a name and a presence in the high school.
When students think of college, USU Eastern will now stand out in their minds because coming into their class provides for a personal and focused visit.
Finally, students who are interested in specific programs will be aware that Eastern can provide a great path for them in the areas where they are most interested.
The preliminary visits have met with success, and there is one more future visit being scheduled for this semester. Payson HighSchool is the next school on the horizon, and it is planned to be visited sometime in early February.
Ambassador President Kristalyn Edwards and Director of Enrollment Kristian Olsen are viewing this semester as a pilot. If it goes well this semester with the three high schools, then next school year it will become a bigger focus for the ambassador team and a bigger part of Eastern’s recruiting strategy.