Teaching & Learning

USU-Brigham City Woman Named Top Non-Traditional Student in the West

Utah State University student Kiersten Hewitt has been named the top non-traditional student in the Western region of the University Continuing Education Association, which met in Portland, Ore., Sept. 27-30.
 
Hewitt is a student at Utah State University's Brigham City Campus majoring in psychology. She maintains a cumulative 3.98 grade point average. She is a single mother of four who married when she was in her senior year of high school. After a 12-year absence from school, she returned to college to earn a degree.
 
The award is presented to one student in each region who is at least 25-years-old and whose education has been interrupted by at least two years. The award also considers grades, volunteer service and unconventional circumstances the student has overcome. Each regional winner will also be nominated for the national award.
 
"Kiersten was selected as the Utah State University Woman of the Year for 2004," said Jack Payne, vice president and dean for Extension and Continuing Education. "This is the most prestigious award given to women students at Utah State University. Students throughout the Utah State University system are eligible for nomination for this award and Kiersten was the first nontraditional student ever to receive the award in its 55 year history.
 
"Kiersten also developed a program for students with children that included a childcare center at the Brigham City Campus," Payne continued. "Non-traditional students can bring their children to school and have a safe place for them to stay while parents attend class or study."
 
Hewitt also provides workshops that help students with children cope with stress, parenting and financial issues associated with going back to school.
 
According Andy Shinkle, executive director of the USU-Brigham City campus, Hewitt organized the campus' student government, and through the organization developed an "Angels for Christmas" program that raised more than $18,000 last year to provide Christmas for many of the area's needy families.
 
"Kiersten also initiated and organized a family fair that was held at our campus for the past two years that brought together all the local family service and community health agencies," Shinkle said. "This event was a huge success and hundreds of families were in attendance. She worked with a cadre of state agencies to implement on-site childcare at our campus in the fall of 2004. Due to the great success of this project we are currently building a new child care center to expand this service. This project would have never happened without Kiersten's hard work."
Kiersten Hewitt

Kiersten Hewitt was named the top non-traditional student in the Western region.


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