When I was 9 years old, my family and I moved to Herriman, Utah, which is where I spent the formative years of my childhood. As a child, I wanted to do a little bit of everything. I loved school, music, and running, and I was very involved in my classes and musical groups. In high school, I could be found in the orchestra pit or on the stage as I participated in choir, theater, and band. I was lucky to have parents who were always supportive of me being involved in extracurriculars and who helped me succeed in the classroom. My thirst for learning pushed me to take classes in as many different areas as I could. One of the classes that I took ended up helping me in my future career. That class was computer-aided drafting 101. It was very different from the other classes that I took, and it wasn’t until later that I developed a passion for it. 

During my senior year, I had applied to a lot of colleges, but I ultimately wanted to stay close to home, and UVU offered me the best scholarship opportunity. I knew that a good education depended on the student’s effort to learn, and some people paid a lot of money to attend a top-notch school but didn’t put in the time to educate themselves. UVU looked like the perfect school for me because I would be able to attend a great school for a lower cost, apply myself like I would at any other school, and not end up with mountains of debt. 

My first year at UVU was my dad’s last year at UVU. From the time my parents had gotten married, my dad had been working on his degree. He was an amazing example of perseverance. My father grew up on a farm as one of 13 children in Highland, Utah. It was inspiring to watch him press on with his degree and give an example to his family as a first-generation student. He already had a great job in computer technology, but he wanted to set an example for us by being a college graduate. He graduated from UVU in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. I am so grateful for the hardworking examples that my parents gave me, which taught me to live life to the fullest. All of my siblings except one went to UVU at some point as well, so I was following in all of their footsteps.

During my first semester at UVU, I decided to follow my passion for music and declare myself a music major. At first, it seemed like the perfect major for me. Halfway through the semester, I was accepted into the vocal performance program, my sister and I had the opportunity of being in choir together, and I was really enjoying my classes. But after a while, I started to dread music, and I realized that I was losing my passion for it. I didn’t want to be a music teacher or an opera singer, so I wasn’t sure how I would be able to use my degree. During that semester, I also started dating an awesome guy who encouraged me to pursue something that would make me happy. 

As I thought about what would be best for my life, I decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This ended up being the best thing for me. While I was on my mission, I discovered my passion for engineering. When I returned home in 2015, I switched from music to pre-engineering. The classes were very different, but I still felt like I could use the creative parts of my brain in a productive way. Because I took a drafting class in high school, I was able to get a drafting job with Jacobs Engineering Group, which I later learned is ranked among the top design firms in the world.

That awesome guy that I dated before my mission waited for me and asked me to be his wife. I said yes, and we were married a short time later. He was also a UVU student, so it was fun going to school with my husband.

While studying at UVU, I knew at some point I would have to transfer up to Utah State to enter their engineering program because UVU did not grant bachelor’s degrees in engineering at the time. When I was close to finishing my associate degree, one of my professors approached me and told me that I was a great fit for the new engineering program that was going to be formed at UVU. I finished up the pre-engineering program, then entered the UVU civil engineering program in 2018 as one of eight students. 

At first, I was afraid that I had made the wrong decision because programs at other schools had been around for a lot longer. However, I soon realized that being part of such a small group meant that I would receive a more personalized education. I enjoyed having small classes, which allowed me to get to know my professors and classmates really well. This made group projects easier because we all knew each other and learned to work well together. Throughout the program I continued to work at Jacobs, and my professors helped me with problems I ran into at work. Those professors took engaged learning to a new level, and I know that I received the best education possible. 

After graduating, I continued to work for Jacobs and smoothly transitioned to an engineering role. 

I am so grateful for the many opportunities that I received from UVU. Making the transition from music to engineering was difficult, but I am so glad that I did it. It is never too late to change life’s course. That said, music will always be a big part of who I am. I often like to say that civil engineers make life livable, and artists make life worth living.