USU Eastern’s Ambassadors welcome newcomers to the team

Utah State University Eastern starts the 2020-21 year with an exciting new team of student ambassadors with different backgrounds and personalities, as well as two advisers who play a key role on the team. Together they are a hardworking team whose sole purpose is to recruit high school students to attend USUE.

Adviser Kristalyn Hepworth served as a student ambassador from 2011-2014 and hired as a full-time recruiter and ambassador adviser in 2015. Hepworth  moved to part time after having her twin daughters in 2017. She says she loves her job because of the relationships she builds with each student. Every year she gets to work with “stellar students.” They teach and inspire her daily. 

The captain of the team is McKay Nelson. He grew up in Riverton, Utah, and was a student body officer at Riverton High School. Nelson came to USU Eastern because of its affiliation with Utah State University in Logan, His dream is to become an Aggie. Since being here, Nelson has fallen in love with Eastern, it is “my favorite part of Price.” He loves the people he is surrounded by in the community and the tremendous amount of love everyone has for their home. 

Senior Brennon Atterton is originally from Pleasant Grove, Utah, but resides in Price with his wife and son. He was attracted to Eastern because he attended an event and had a blast. Atterton feels like Price is a family-style community and there is a place for everyone. Atterton loves USUE because of the amazing professors and advisers who are here to help. 

Returning this year is sophomore and second-year member Brandon Hatch who grew up in West Jordan, Utah, and attended Copper Hills High School. He came to USUE because of the wonderful opportunities that came with attending at this campus. He loves USUE because of the “amazing student life,” not only on campus, but throughout the community. 

Next up is sophomore Eduardo Lopez who grew up in Kearns, Utah, and was a student body officer at Kearns High School. He  was attracted to USUE because of the “small school feel with big school opportunities.” Lopez loves the close relationships and one-on-one help he receives from his professors. 

Rookie mentor Hunter Peterson has made his way to USUE from Gunnison, Utah,  and attended Gunnison Valley High School. He attended leadership conferences in Logan every summer and fell in love with USU. He wanted to be a part of that family. Peterson says USUE is often said to be “Utah’s best kept secret,” and loves how much this town has surprised him. 

In addition to rookie mentor Peterson, is rookie mentor Breanna Moosman who was born and raised in Carbon County and attended Carbon High School. For Moosman it was the fact that USUE is basically her backyard, that combined with the ambassador scholarshi, was a deal she couldn’t pass up. She loves Price because of the small town feel, but at the same time students are able to meet many new people. 

Sophomore and first-year member Kenidy Garner joins the ambassadors from Logan, Utah, where she attended Sky View High School. Garner came to Eastern her freshman year because of the SUN Center (Serving Utah Network Involvement Center) program. She loves USUE because there are “so many opportunities to get involved.” 

Freshman Karsyn Short grew up in Herriman, Utah, and attended Herriman High School. She was attracted to USUE because of low tuition and its amazing cosmetology program. In the few weeks Short has been in Price, she has grown to love the “homey feeling” Price gives her. Short also loves the many recreational activities in Price. 

Freshman, Makayla Sheeran grew up in Monticello, Utah, and attended Monticello High School. She participated in drill and track in high school. Sheeran was brought to Eastern because of the wonderful scholarship opportunities that the ambassador program offers. She adores the “small town feel and the people on campus.” 

Another freshman is Jorge Aguero III from Spanish Fork, Utah who attendedSpanish Fork High School. He was attracted to USUE because he always had a passion and love for USU. Aguero admires the people of Price and loves that there are “always people to do fun things with.” 

The next freshman is Haley Kimber from Murray, Utah, who was a student body officer at Murray High School. She was brought to Eastern because she fell in love with the “cute little state campus.” She loves Price because of the beautiful hiking trails, waterfalls and lakes. Although Kimber loves the outdoors, her “absolute favorite thing about Price is USUE.” 

Freshman Malone Moss also joined the team this year. Moss grew up in Orangville, Utah, and attended Emery High School. Moss came to USUE for the ambassador program and the small campus life. Moss loves that you “can’t walk to class without seeing a friend.” 

Lastly is myself, a freshman from West Jordan, Utah, who attended Copper Hills High School. I was a part of the Copper Hills Dance Company and was attracted to Eastern because of the ambassador program and is grateful to become a part of it. Although a little nervous at first, she has learned to love the small town of Price and even more so, the people in it. 

Hepworth explains that the team is built of first- and second-year students. The teams are built with different personalities and backgrounds. One of Hepworth’s favorite parts of the ambassador team is that it is made up of so many different students, she believes that is a big part of what makes them great. 

This close-knit group of diverse young adults has an important job at Eastern, without them, they would not be capable of networking with the high school students across the state.