By BRISA ODENTHAL Editor-in-Chief
WELCOME TO WEBER!
As I begin my third year at Weber State University, I think back to my first year as a freshman. Starting college can be scary. You are no longer surrounded by the people who you attended school with your entire life, many no longer live with their parents, and most of us experience our first taste of adulthood.
Though starting college is scary, it’s also the beginning of something great. Regardless of what you’re studying, college is a time for self exploration and honing in your skills. It’s a time to make friends, join clubs (like The Signpost) and learn things about yourself that you may not have known before.
Weber offers a variety of clubs, safe spaces and opportunities for anyone, regardless of their background, at a financially accessible rate. Rated the best school for Return on Interest in Utah by the New Utah Foundation, WSU prioritizes quality of education.
My advice to new Weber State students, regardless of your age, major or campus
GET YOUR WEBER GEAR !
location is to get involved. There are opportunities all over campus, both in person and virtually to get involved.
Getting involved is the best way to find your passion and to find a community of people who will help you grow in your career and personal life. Regardless of if you join a club, attend departmental events or join campus recreation trips, campus involvement is how you make WSU feel like home.
Welcome to Weber State University!
TOP LEFT: A Weber State cheerleader holding up a W in support of the football team. TOP RIGHT: Weber State Universtiy bell tower seen from the top of a staircase near the Center for Interprofessional Education Health Care building. BOTTOM: The Weber State University Wildcats defeated Brigham Young University 113-103 in mens basketball on Dec. 1, 2018.
Wildcat Store locations will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.
By BRISA ODENTHAL Editor-in-Chief
A question that we at The Signpost constantly receive is, “What is The Signpost?” Whether the question comes from an incoming freshman, a seasoned WSU student or a tenured professor, not everyone on campus knows what The Signpost is.
The Signpost is Weber State University’s student-run newspaper that is released every Tuesday and Thursday. Our Tuesday paper is released physically and digitally, while our Thursday editions are only released digitally. We write stories about things that the campus needs to know. With desks ranging from culture to news to sports, we write articles about everything Weber-related.
The Signpost is part of WSU’s Communication Department, which includes other clubs that we collaborate with, such as KWCR, Studio 76, Ogden Peak and the Speech & Debate teams.
The Signpost is made up of six desks: news reporting, sports reporting, culture reporting, photography, copyediting,
WHAT IS THE SIGNPOST?
translation and graphic design, all managed by the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Collaboration Editor.
The three reporting desks write the majority of our published content. These reporters go out on campus to interview and report. Reporters receive press passes to some sporting and events. These reporters also have the ability to work their way up to a leadership position as editor.
Our photography desk is tasked with taking photos that correlate with the stories that our reporters are working on. Our photographers also write photo essays from time to time.
The copyediting desk edits articles to make sure that we produce the highest quality content possible. They work tirelessly to edit our articles for accuracy and quality before the paper goes to print.
The translation desk translates articles from each desk for our Spanish-speaking population. We are proud to boast being the only college newspaper in Utah that
regularly translates our stories into Spanish.
Our graphic design desk makes our paper look great. The graphics team works hard to ensure that our paper is easy to read and that the layout makes sense to our readers.
The Signpost offers a tuition waiver to our team members to reward them for their hard work and the time and dedication they put into our paper.
In addition to putting out our newspaper, The Signpost also is active on social media promoting our paper and other campus events. Our website features a WSU and Ogden events calendar for those wanting to get involved locally.
The Signpost will also be actively in your inbox as a WSU student with our biweekly newsletter, The ‘Post, which features a recap of our paper and links to read our articles.
The Signpost is always hiring for the upcoming semesters; join now!
The Signpost editors Nathanael Stout (left), Adam Montgomery (middle) and Kennedy Camarena (right) looking at issues of The Signpost.
The Signpost 2022-2023 staff gathered around the table.
By MEGAN SWANN Editor
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS EDITION
Every spring semester, dozens of booths line up across Weber State University’s Shepherd Union building for the annual Weberstock event. During this time, club leaders have the opportunity to set up a table and tell other students what the organization does and why they should join. Snacks, candy, lip balm, stickers and other freebies are given out while live music plays.
The room is electric, with students talking about the end of the school year. While students will return in the fall, some of these clubs may not have that same outcome.
Club turnover is a problem when current club leaders graduate and do not pass the title along to somebody else. It’s an issue former Weber Advisory Team for Innovative Film Production President Zander Cooper
had on his mind last semester.
WATIF, a student organization and class centered around supporting student filmmakers, was created in 2022. Cooper has been involved in this club since its formation. He kept his upcoming graduation in mind when laying the groundwork for his final contribution to the club — WATIF’s first international film festival, which took place last April.
“I’m hoping I built all the connections. I have everything in place, and then I’m graduating and leaving,” Cooper said, noting that the festival was something like his final gift to the group.
Paige Aardema, who led alongside Cooper last year, will take over this fall and continue running the organization. This plan for her leadership transition has been in the works for a while. In this regard, WATIF is lucky.
Heather Cimino, assistant director of student involvement and leadership, holds monthly club officer training sessions. Cimino said that the last training of the year revolves around officer transition.
“We know that a lot of outgoing officers are graduating,” Cimino said. “Before we lose them, once the semester ends and they’re onto grad school, jobs, careers, whatever, if we can use this little window of time at the end of spring semester to bring the incoming and outgoing officers together and have that smooth transition.”
Cimino said that from what she’s seen, clubs that go through this training do better and succeed more often in the next year than clubs that do not.
Find free academic resources: weber.edu/studentlife
During this training, club officers are given a checklist of things they should do for a successful transition. These tasks include recruiting new officers as early as possible, meeting with the newly elected officers to help them plan their first actions, letting the elected officers shadow the outgoing officers and introducing the incoming officer to the key people they need to know to succeed in their role.
The checklist also encourages outgoing officers to hold an event to commemorate what they refer to as “the changing of the guard.”
The list then recommends that the outgoing officers give the incoming ones critical club information, such as the organization’s
Block Party.
Members of the First Gen Club volunteered at the Youth Futures Shelter Home.
history, social media passwords, the organization’s calendar and status reports on continuing projects.
Aardema from WATIF will experience continuing projects early on in her time as club president.
Cooper said that while he put together the film festival, Aardema ensured the club’s main project, a Christmas horror film, stayed on track to be completed.
Aardema hinted that she already has big plans for WATIF, feeling confident in the club’s future.
“We’re trying to rebuild our foundation,” Aardema said, “We’ve got lots of plans and lots of surprises coming on for our team and our production company.”
While WATIF’s story has been successful, Cimino said that another factor that causes clubs to disappear is a lack of interest in a particular club with passing time.
Cimino cited the hammock club as an example.
“The student who started the club was really passionate about laying in hammocks and hanging out in hammocks, and they found another big group of students who also had a passion for laying in hammocks,” Cimino said. “And then once that group graduated, they weren’t able to recruit underclassmen to share in that passion. And so once they left, the club died with them.”
Recruiting underclassmen is important and a large reason why events like Weberstock, or even Weber Block Party in the fall, exist in the first place.
Cimino said that each year, the number of
clubs usually balances out with old clubs dying and new clubs starting. In spring 2021, there were 129 active clubs at Weber State, and now there are 114. Cimino predicts that this same sort of semi-balance will take place again between now and next fall semester.
“We are in the unique situation where we are vying for the attention of our students with other things that they have going on in their lives off campus,” Cimino said, acknowledging Weber State’s commuter school nature.
Chloe Sanow, Weber State University Student Association vice president of clubs and organization, said that when attending summer conferences about clubs, she’s seen that other schools also struggle with maintaining them, showing that Weber State isn’t necessarily singled out by being a commuter school.
“I think we’ve done pretty good this year. I’ve seen a lot of our clubs hosting recruiting events,” Sanow said. “Just try to find new members all the time and host events.”
Sanow also emphasized that if a club is struggling, it is not alone. Clubs and organization officers can always reach out to her or Cimino for help.
“We can help them try to figure out the best way to keep that club going because obviously they put a lot of work into it, and they cared about it so much,” Sanow said.
Block Party revs up on Aug. 30 this year and will celebrate all new and returning clubs while supporting the need for recruitment to keep these clubs returning year after year.
Tents of various clubs and organizations line the campus during a Spring Block Party.
Jakob Fuhriman plays table tennis at the Table Tennis club during the Block Party.
NEW STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER OPERATING THIS FALL
By COOPER HATSIS Assistant Editor
Following the recent closures of Weber State University’s various cultural centers comes the new Student Success Center. The Student Success Center works to create a campus culture that supports individual students’ needs to help achieve academic and personal goals.
While a Student Success Center existed in the past, this new center has been built from the ground up with new goals while also still honoring the preexisting centers’ objectives. Over the course of this summer, the Student Success Center has worked hard to establish an identity and clear vision for providing students with the assistance they may need.
Executive Director of the Student Success Center Brandon Flores believes that students who are engaged with their campus have a stronger connection to the institution, inspiring learning and creating a sense of belonging. This can be achieved through the programming and activities that are offered.
When it comes to activities, the center currently has a community cookout planned for Sept. 12. The center is currently developing a series of activities for Hispanic Heritage Month in September and October. Flores wants to continue creating events where students can connect with others and network with faculty, staff and professionals.
An important aspect of the Student Success Center is the programming that is offered. Through experienced coaches and program managers, this division of the center pushes students to reach their full potential by setting attainable goals and building confidence.
“We encourage everybody to come out, learn about the culture and make
new friends and participate in social and academic opportunities,” Flores said.
Navigational advisors are offered through the center. These advisors are here to help students work cohesively and navigate higher education.
“What sets us apart is that our advising is holistic, but also our support is very intentional and tailored to the unique needs of each student,” Flores said.
Over the course of the next semester, Flores would like to create a strong base of operations for the staff of the Student Success Center. Establishing a strong foundation for the internal mechanisms of the center is a top priority so that students can get the best possible support. The center would also like to showcase that their help is beneficial to Weber State by producing professionals that can go out into the work field after graduation.
The Student Success Center is currently in the process of reworking their student staff position. The new title is Student Success Advocates and that position is available now for students who are looking to help bring their campus population closer together.
The Student Success Center is located in Student Service Center suites 150 and 160 for anyone who wants to stop by and use services that are provided or schedule an appointment with an advisor. The space offers amenities such as areas for students to study, computers, printers, and a snack bar that is currently in development.
“We want students to be able to come here and feel a sense of home away from home,” Flores said.
POR NATHANAEL STOUT
Traductor
POR COOPER HATSIS
Editor asistente
Después de los cierres recientes de los varios centros culturales de la universidad Weber State viene el nuevo centro de éxito estudiantil. Este centro trabaja para crear una cultura del campus que apoye a las necesidades de los estudiantes individuales para ayudar a lograr metas académicas y personales.
Aunque un centro de éxito estudiantil existía en el pasado, este nuevo centro fue construido desde los cimientos con nuevas metas mientras que honrar también a los objetivos de los centros antiguos. Durante el curso del verano, el centro de éxito estudiantil ha trabajado duro para establecer una identidad y visión clara de proveer a los estudiantes la ayuda necesaria.
Un aspecto importante de este centro son los programas ofrecidos. A través de entrenadores y directores de programa experimentados, esta división del centro impulsa a los estudiantes a alcanzar su potencial para crear metas alcanzables y aumentar la confianza.
Brandon Flores, el director ejecutivo del centro cree que los estudiantes que se involucran con su campus tienen una conexión mejor con la institución, lo que inspira el aprendizaje y crea un sentido de pertenencia. Esto puede lograrse a través de los programas y actividades ofrecidas.
Con respecto a las actividades, actualmente el centro tiene una barbacoa comunitaria planeada para el 12 de septiembre. También está desarrollando una serie de actividades para el mes de herencia hispánica en septiembre y octubre. Flores quiere continuar creando eventos en que los estudiantes puedan conectar con otros y establecer relaciones con la facultad, los empleados y
los profesionales.
“Animamos a todos a venir, aprender sobre la cultura y conocer a nuevos amigos y participar en oportunidades sociales y académicas”, dijo Flores.
Consejeros de navegación son ofrecidos por medio del centro. Esos consejeros están presentes para ayudar a los estudiantes a trabajar con cohesión y navegar la educación superior.
“Lo que nos aparta es que nuestro consejo es holístico, pero también nuestro apoyo es muy intencional y personalizado a las necesidades únicas de cada estudiante”, dijo Flores.
Durante el curso del próximo semestre, Flores querría crear una base de operaciones fuerte para los empleados del centro de éxito estudiantil. Establecer cimientos firmes para los mecanismos internos del centro es una prioridad alta con el propósito de dar el mejor apoyo posible a los estudiantes. El centro también quiere demostrar que su ayuda es beneficiosa para Weber State
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al producir profesionales que pueden salir al campo laboral después de la graduación.
Actualmente el centro está en el proceso de revisar su posición de empleados estudiantiles. El nuevo título es defensor del éxito estudiantil y su posición está disponible ahora para estudiantes que quieran ayudar a unir a la población de campus.
El centro de éxito estudiantil está ubicado en las suites 150 y 160 del centro de servicios estudiantiles para cualquier estudiante que quiere venir y usar los servicios provistos o programar un apuntamiento con un consejero. El espacio ofrece amenidades como áreas para los estudios, computadoras, impresoras y un bar de refrigerios en desarrollo actualmente.
“Queremos que los estudiantes puedan venir y sentir que es una segunda casa”, dijo Flores.
DO PROFESSORS CARE ABOUT RATE MY PROFESSORS?
By CHRISTIE GUTIERREZ Reporter
By the time students finish college, many are experienced with using the Rate My Professors website. This site allows students to write anonymous comments on professors at their university and rate them in different categories such as easiness, helpfulness and clarity. The ratings go from one to five, where one is poor and five is excellent. This allows students to feel safe to write a review without feeling afraid of repercussions.
These reviews can be helpful to students when choosing what course they’d like to take. But it’s important to remember that professors can also read what is said.
“I have used students’ comments to clarify concepts that students found difficult, especially when it comes to grading or classroom structure online,” Diego Batista, a foreign language professor at Weber State University, said.
Rate My Professors does not allow educators to edit or erase student comments, but
it does allow them to respond to students’ evaluations.
Professors are only removed if they no longer work at the listed University. On the other hand, there’s no guarantee that the reviews are from actual students who took the course. Some students may base their decisions on the professor’s political views, race, gender or teaching method.
“I’ve taught English 2010 for more than 20 years to hundreds of students, but on RMP, there are only 17 reviews — last time I checked, anyway — which means that is not a good sample,” Weber State Professor Sylvia Newman said. “The reviews tend to be written by either the most disgruntled students or the most enthusiastic students. You don’t get a full picture. However, I think students today are more savvy about interpreting reviews — if they read them. If they just go by the rating without reading the reviews, I think they will be misled.”
Many students nowadays use Rate My Professors when making enrollment decisions. These decisions can affect how
many students the professor gets in their classroom and a possible evaluation by the school.
“I wish there was a way to separate what students think of the professor and the course itself,” Batista said. “Sometimes students rate the professor based on the content of the course, but many times, professors don’t have a say over what the class
material or content can be. I wish students would rate the professor’s performance separately from how they felt about the textbook, for example.”
Carla Woodmansee, a Weber State University film professor, hosting a Sundance film screening event on Jan. 24.
FREE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO WSU STUDENTS
By TENAYA HYDE Reporter
Most students can agree that college can influence mental health. Times of excessive stress, anxiety and trauma can make therapy a critical step in achieving and maintaining mental health.
“Not everybody needs to be seen by a therapist, but everybody has to pay attention to their mental well-being and be able to take care of themselves so that we can be good students, good partners, good employees, whatever it might be,” Aaron Jeffrey, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Weber State University, said.
Student fees go toward various services that the student population can use. One of these services is the Psychological and Counseling Services Center at the Student Services Center, Suite 280. Here, you can speak with a therapist confidentially, attend one of the group sessions, see a psychiatrist and, most importantly, you can get rid of some of that stress on your back.
Students constantly work against deadlines. Tight schedules with steadily approaching due dates can cause pressure. Students do not have to suffer alone or in silence.
The Psychological and Counseling Services website provides many effective tools to alleviate some of the pressures college students experience. The “Self Help” tab on the website covers a few options that students can use to help their mental health independently. The website also goes over different symptoms, problems and types of diagnoses to give students a starting place for discovering what mental illnesses might be affecting them.
Therapy Assistant Online contains modules for guidance on mental health topics.
“These modules are designed to help you have a better understanding of your personal experiences and equip you with strategies to aid you in feeling less anxious today and as you go forward in your life,” TAO’s website states.
Additionally, a mental health screening tool is available on the Counseling Center’s website. The screening tool is a short
test that identifies potential mental health issues and can help students decide if it’s time to see a therapist.
“It’s a symptom inventory, and it’ll give them a readout of different areas and how they’re doing with those and maybe some encouragement to contact the counseling center if they feel like there’s a need for that. They can do that for free,” Jeffrey said.
Another service on the website is Trula, an online peer coaching program available to Weber State students for free. These peer coaches help students on a variety of topics, from managing stress to figuring out their goals.
These services are offered with the understanding that many students are new to learning about their own mental health.
“A lot of mental health issues aren’t manifested until 18 to 25. And so, this might be the first time that students are even recognizing that they have depression or that they can put a name to something like anxiety.” Jeffrey said. “What we found is that different mental health issues impact the very skills that students need: memory, attention, focus, being able to organize, being able to do task completion and motivation.”
While these services help general mental health concerns, anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves or others should seek help immediately by calling 988, the US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Individuals can also text HOME to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor or call 1-800-985-5990. A chat option is also available to anyone who would prefer to text or type with a qualified mental health professional. Additionally, the SafeUT app provides Utahns with free 24/7 support from their cell phone.
Anyone seeking in-person therapy can call Psychological and Counseling Services at 801-626-6406.
A person sits through a therapy session as a therapist listens and jots down notes.
COUNSELING & PSYCHOLOGICAL
Manage stress
Cope with depression and/or anxiety
· Improve relationships
· Build self-esteem
Resolve grief
Explore other concerns
801-626-6406 weber.edu/CounselingCenter
WSU Davis: Building D2, Room 262
WSU Ogden: Student Services Center, Suite 280
Ogden Clinic at Professional Center North 4650 Harrison Blvd. Ogden, UT 801-475-3010
Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to find federal scholarships, work-study and loans available to you. Do this every year. It only takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Financial Aid Verify allows you to view your financial aid requirements and submit your requirements electronically. If you have not yet created a Financial Aid Verify account, it only takes a few minutes and you only have to create it once. This account cannot be created until WSU has received your FAFSA, so wait 10 business days from the day you submit your FAFSA to create this account.
This only takes a moment to report your planned enrollment, living arrangements and your interest in work study. This will help us award you more accurately.
Find WSU and national scholarship opportunities by completing the Scholarship Universe Application, under Financial Aid and Scholarships in your eWeber Portal. Scholarship applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. This account takes 30 minutes to one hour to set up, but you only have to create it once and update the questions as needed to ensure that the program is finding all of the scholarships you are qualified for. You will have to go in every year to apply for the scholarships you want to apply for.
WORKING AND LEARNING: THE BENEFITS OF A CAMPUS JOB
By WIKTORIA KOLODZIEJCZYK Reporter
Juggling academics and personal life can be difficult enough, but another added responsibility in college is trying to get real-life work experience. One way to ease this struggle while improving the college experience would be considering on-campus employment.
Campus jobs have many benefits such as flexibility and convenience. Many positions are designed to fit around students’ class schedules and are typically located close to classes or housing.
Weber State University Student Employment Coordinator Jill Montgomery emphasizes that one of the biggest benefits for students working on campus is “having a great connection with others, finding their own community at Weber State, as well as being able to develop skills that will help them in future careers.”
Montgomery found that having that opportunity to make new friends and focus on being a student first is extremely important considering that students who work on campus have higher chances of graduating than
those that are not employed on campus.
More importantly, employment supervisors across Weber State know how to help you develop and improve skills that future employers are looking for when hiring. This approach of prioritizing growth and networking helps to set a tone for what students are going to need to succeed after graduating.
“As a student you need to develop more connections with people before you graduate,” Veronica Lajarthe Figueredo, a Weber State student and career services employee, said. “So getting good references is extremely helpful as well as knowing how to apply for a job.”
Another reason to consider getting an on-campus job is the pay factor. The minimum wage in Utah is $7.25 per hour, meanwhile Weber State guarantees workers will be paid a minimum of $11.50 for their first, entry-level position on campus.
The big first step to apply for on-campus positions is to go to jobs.weber.edu and click “Search Jobs” from the left menu. Then, make sure that the “Position Type” is “Hourly.” Adding keywords to narrow the search is encouraged, as well as bookmarking jobs to come back to them later.
The second step is to get professional help from Career Services on campus. Their services include one-on-one career counseling, drop-in hours for resumé review, and even practice interviews are free and unlimited for all Weber State Students and alumni. Montgomery said that applying for differ-
ent jobs can be an overwhelming challenge if students have only one standard resume. She encourages to have different tailored versions for various positions and let Career Services professionals help with these resumes.
TRABAJANDO Y APRENDIENDO: LOS BENEFICIOS DE TRABAJAR EN CAMPUS
POR NELLY HERNANDEZ TEJADA
Traductor
By WIKTORIA KOLODZIEJCZYK Reportero
Crear tiempo para la escuela y la vida personal para los estudiantes ya es lo suficiente difícil, pero otra responsabilidad en la universidad es tratar de obtener experiencia de trabajo. Una forma para ayudar con esto mientras mejorar la experiencia universitaria es considerar un trabajo en campus. Los trabajos en campus tienen bastantes beneficios como conveniencia y flexibilidad creando un horario. Bastantes posiciones son diseñadas para acomodarse con las clases de los estudiantes y normalmente están ubicados cerca a las clases o por la vivienda estudiantil.
La Weber State University Student Em-
ployment Coordinator (Weber State University Coordinador de empleo estudantil), Jill Montgomery, insiste que uno de los mejores beneficios para los estudiantes que trabajan en campus es “tener buenas conexiones con otros, encontrando su comunidad en Weber State, y también aprendiendo como crear habilidades que podrían ayudarles en sus carreras en el futuro”.
Montgomery descubrió que tener una oportunidad de hacer amigos nuevos y enfocarse en ser un estudiante primero es muy importante, especialmente considerando que estudiantes que trabajan en campus tienen una probabilidad más alta de graduarse que los estudiantes que no trabajan en campus.
Importantemente, los supervisores de empleo en Weber State saben cómo ayudarte a hacer y mejorar habilidades que los empleadores busquen en el futuro cuando es-
tán contratando. Esta manera de priorizar el desarrollo y establecimiento de contactos ayuda crear un ambiente para lo que los estudiantes van a necesitar para ser exitosos después de graduarse.
“Como estudiante necesitas crear más conexiones con personas antes de graduarse”, dijo Veronica Lajarthe Figueredo, una estudiante en Weber State y empleada de Servicios de Carrera (Career Services). “Entonces tener buenas referencias es tan importante y también saber cómo aplicar por un trabajo”.
Otra razón para considerar tener un trabajo en campus es el pago. El sueldo mínimo en Utah es $7.25 por hora, en Weber State garantizan a los empleados ser pagados a lo mínimo $11.50 para su primer, básica posición en campus.
“El primer paso para aplicar en campus es ir a la página web jobs.weber.edu y escoger “Search Jobs” en el menú de la izquierda.
Luego, asegurar que el “Position Type” es “Hourly”. Agregando palabras relacionadas para reducir lo que estás buscando es incentivado, igual que marcar trabajos para revisarlo más tarde.
El próximo paso es conseguir ayuda profesional de Career Services en campus. Los servicios que tienen incluyen consejos de carrera individuales, horas de revisar currículums de trabajo sin-cita, y también práctica de entrevistas que son gratis e ilimitados para estudiantes y exalumnos de Weber State. Montgomery dijo que aplicar para diferentes posiciones puede ser algo difícil si los estudiantes tienen solamente un currículum normal. Ella anima tener diferentes versiones de curriculums individualizados para diferentes posiciones y dejar a los profesionales en Career Services ayudar con los curriculums.
Ana Morett works on a computer at Career Services.
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
Have questions about college?
Looking for support services?
Want to get involved and connect with others but don’t know how?
Come see us in the Student Services Center.
Our front-desk staff in suite 150 will get you settled in and connected.
By ABBY SMITH Contributor
TERESA MARTINEZ PROMOTED TO CCEL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
After spending the last six years at Weber State’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, Teresa Martinez has been promoted to associate director. Colleagues and students talked about her influence not only in the community but also in their lives.
Martinez started at CCEL in January 2017 as a program coordinator. CCEL’s mission is to engage students and faculty in the community through direct service, civic engagement and to research and enhance the educational process.
Her influence and connection with students led to her promotion as the student engagement coordinator, where she oversaw the CCEL student team through changes and development over the years. She originally oversaw a team of 21 students under WSUSA that supported students in their role in community engagement.
Martinez led the change in the consolidation of roles and, as she said, promoted more equity in students’ positions. These changes equalized responsibilities and improved students’ access to tuition waivers.
Those who know Martinez are quick to share about her determination and drive to make a difference in people’s lives.
Martinez had supported the growth of students, faculty and the community through her position. Martinez says she’s enjoyed seeing students’ college and career plans shift from a focus on earning money to the mindset of “I could do more.” She said that she saw many students shift from art and humanities majors to social service-related majors.
Martinez told the story of a student who participated in a CCEL-hosted alternative break located in Guatemala. These alternative breaks are direct service trips locally and abroad. Following this experience, the student, who was majoring in psychology, changed her major to health care. She wanted to be a part of immediate emergency responses and help address the food insecurity that she saw firsthand in Guatemala.
This was a common result, said Martinez. She said she saw it transform students and their life trajectories. Additionally, it helped them better understand social issues and who was being impacted in their community.
Students’ wedding invitations and life updates that continue to show up in Martinez’s office are evidence of the long-term impact she has on students. She shared how much it means to have a student “choose to include you in their life.”
Markéta Havlová, an international student from the Czech Republic, worked with Martinez this last year as the social issues chair through the community engagement team. When sharing her experience with Martinez, Havlová said, “If I truly had an is-
sue, I would go to her.”
Havlová said Martinez focuses on finding solutions, advocates for students and genuinely wants to know how people are doing. Havlová said she helped her see that issues aren’t just “black and white.”
Martinez’s attitude toward addressing challenges became apparent when reflecting on some of the challenges she faced at her last position. This included lack of funding, space and restrictions that often come with working for a state institution.
Alexis Bucknam, the executive director at CCEL, described Martinez as passionate, thoughtful and competent. She said Martinez’s efforts have helped students, faculty and staff have positive experiences in being a part of local change. Bucknam said Martinez is incredibly skilled at supporting growth experiences for student leaders. She said she is able to “build the scaffolding for them, but also hold them accountable.”
Teresa Martinez is now the Associate Director for CCEL. Weber
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