Madison Woods Russon Mortuary

BY ABRAHAM TINKLEPAUIGH

Her passion to become a mortician springs from a longtime desire to help families through their grief after losing a loved one. “My drive and passion for this industry comes from growing up with hard working parents,” said Woods. “It began when I went to a funeral as a child, at which point I knew I wanted to become a mortician.”

In the fall of 2019, Woods applied to Russon Mortuary and became a secretary at their Syracuse location. They also have full-service locations in Bountiful and Farmington.

After nine months with the Russon Mortuary family, Madison became a Funeral Service Intern. She works every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with one on-call day every week.

Madison is a full-time mother and student at Commonwealth Institute in Houston, TX, where she’s been studying to earn her degree in Mortuary Science while also working full-time as an intern. She graduates this year to become a licensed Funeral Director. Woods suggested to those seeking entry into the Funeral industry that true success comes from having a real passion for the work. “Being in this industry is not easy, but it is extremely rewarding and fulfilling getting to help families through what is one of the most difficult times in their lives. It’s why I do what I do.”

“The people at Russon Mortuary are truly incredible,” said Woods. “I am so blessed and grateful to work here because the Russons are an amazing family who truly care about those they serve, as if they were their own family, just like I do.”

BY ANN PARK

MMallorie Andersen is just finishing her exemplary junior year at the Utah Military Academy. She has taken full advantage of the many opportunities the school offers.

Withlower numbers in each classroom, the students have more opportunities to play sports, join clubs, and hold leadership positions. A driven young woman, Mallorie has taken full advantage. As captain of the Debate Team, and voted Student Body President for her upcoming senior year, Mallorie has big plans. She is working on building her resume. “I hope to get into the United States Military Academy at West Point, to major in cyber security and minor in nuclear engineering.”

Active in sports, Mallorie is a member of the volleyball and archery teams. She placed first for girls in the Utah State Archery competition her freshman year. “I used to hate archery,” Mallorie said, “but my parents thought it would be good for me, and I just stuck with it. Most of it is the internal discipline to perform under pressure. No matter how much you practice, if you pay too much attention to what’s going on around you, you forget everything you learned.”

Cadet Andersen will be going to boot camp this summer. “I am younger than most. I’ll be 17 when I go. It will be a hard experience, but it will strengthen my ability to work with different people of varying ages, genders, and leadership styles.”

Utah Military Academy focuses on helping students prepare for professional success and leadership roles when they complete school. “I have always wanted to be in the military,” Mallorie says, “though my school has helped me build skills that would provide a great base for any career path. Whatever I decided to do, I counted on the Utah Military Academy to help me get ready. I knew I was where I needed to be mentally, but school training helped get me where I needed to be physically. They have helped me build myself as a leader, and I’m very grateful to them for helping me discover additional opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Mallorie sets a great example for her peers. “I want to inspire other kids and help them understand that not everything in life is going to be easy. You’re going to have to work and deal with the stress and struggles of life, but at the end of it, you’ll come out a stronger person and achieve great things. Utah Military Academy is helping me get there.”