Utah Tech University’s Valedictorian Turns New Page with Class of 2023

By Jake Harber

Utah Tech University recently held its 112th Commencement Ceremony, honoring 2,804 degree candidates and welcoming the largest number of on-campus participants in the history of the University.

Leading the way was Utah Tech’s 2023 valedictorian, Briley Wyckoff. Briley, who lived in northern Utah before moving to St. George ten years ago, majored in English with an emphasis in literary studies and minored in music with an emphasis in piano performance.

“I can’t think of a better school I’d like to be at for my undergrad,” Briley said. “It’s been great to have really personal connections with professors. I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have had at other schools.”

Even though she didn’t enjoy English as much as she did math and science in middle and high school, Briley said that an influential English teacher her senior year of high school taught her a different side of English that wasn’t all about grammar and spelling but focused more on analyzing texts and finding deeper meanings and interpretations. Briley’s choice to major in English was also influenced by her mother, who had received a degree in English.

As a result, Briley has been able to travel and present two papers she wrote during her time at Utah Tech University. She presented the first paper, “Names and Identity in Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine” in Atlanta, Georgia, and presented the second, “Loss of Identity in Chinese Immigrants,” in Denver, Colorado.

Musically, Briley began playing the piano as a six-year-old child and has been teaching the piano to others for almost twelve years. Along with her minor in music, Briley earned a piano pedagogy certificate. She has also composed her own song arrangements and indicated that even though she doesn’t play them as well as the piano, she can play other instruments like the ukulele and glockenspiel (thanks to her family’s German roots).

Briley was part of the honors program and served as president of Sigma Tau Delta’s chapter at Utah Tech, Alpha Pi Epsilon, an international honor society for English students. She was also a member of LDSSA, the Latter-Day Saint Student Association, and graduated from the St. George Institute of Religion.

Now accepted into the master’s program in British literature at Brigham Young University, Briley plans to teach undergraduate studies while she earns her master’s degree. Her goal is to earn a PhD in English and ultimately become a professor and teach at a university.

Congratulations to Briley and the Utah Tech University Class of 2023!

About the Author

Jake Harber is a full-time student at Utah Tech University. A small-town Wyoming native, he moved to St. George to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and work toward a career in public relations. He enjoys the southern Utah climate and all the outdoor adventures this area has to offer.

For more information about Utah Tech University, please visit utahtech.edu.