Student spotlight

This archived article was written by: Terlynn Westphal

Hard work lead to a pleasant surprise for Angie Mejia when, at 17, she was given the option of graduating high school early. At once she came to Utah State Eastern to begin the next chapter in her life. At Granger High School, Mejia participated in Latinos in Action, was on the basketball team and the soccer team. Her talent and passion for soccer carried over to college and gained her a scholarship from Utah State University Eastern.
Mejia recently tore her ACL while playing soccer. Although this has been a challenge for her, she has taken this opportunity to grow and reflect. “I didn’t think it could ever happen to me, so when it did happen to me, it took a toll. Not being able to play soccer was really hard and my injury taught me to count all of my many blessings.”
Along with improving her talent on the field, Mejia looks forward to expanding her knowledge in psychology. “I’ve always liked psychology. I like studying the human and seeing how we work. I would really enjoy being a college professor.”
Something Mejia wishes she could rid the world of is the unrealistic representation society has created for people. “The media has projected an image of what people should look like.” Mejia is a good example of how to be confident in her own skin and of doing what makes her happy.
While Mejia is friendly and loves to get to know everyone, she is also head strong and will not allow herself to fail at anything. She described an act that demonstrates these two qualities. “Someday, I hope to be able to take my parents to Rome and make sure they have nothing to worry about. They have done so much for me and so in a way, it would be treating them for everything they have done for me and taught me.”