USU Southwest Student Sarah Wilcox Selected as Legacy of Utah State Award Nominee

Sarah Wilcox, a full-time student at Utah State University Southwest, has been selected as the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business nominee for the Legacy of Utah State award. Wilcox will graduate in May with a degree in Management Information Systems.

“I am humbled to be selected as the Huntsman School of Business Legacy of Utah State nominee. Even though I completed all of my coursework online, I feel like a valued student at Utah State University,” Wilcox said. “This is because of the wonderful professors in the DAIS department and the great Southwest faculty. This has not been an easy road and I have been tempted to quit many times along the way, but I am so glad that I am seeing it through. I am finally able to achieve my goals because of USU's statewide campuses and I will always be grateful for this experience.”

Wilcox is a full-time student who has maintained a 4.0 GPA while also working part time and being a mother of four children, all while balancing the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilcox is also an enthusiastic volunteer in her community, with a particular focus on areas of youth education. She was nominated by Pam Dupin-Bryant, a professor in the Data Analytics and Information Systems Department at USU Tooele.

“Sarah is a delight to work with since she is extremely positive, intellectually humble, internally motivated and a hard-working individual,” Dupin-Bryant said. “She is dedicated to her education and excels in her coursework while seamlessly balancing myriad family, work and community responsibilities. Sarah’s personal story of perseverance exemplifies the criteria for the Legacy of Utah State award.”

Wilcox has always been a firm supporter of higher education and lifelong learning. She began her college career at Snow College, where she started working toward an associate degree. It was there that she met her husband, Brent, and priorities began to shift for the time being. After 10 years, Wilcox decided to return to school, finishing her associate degree at Snow College in 2019. She then began her bachelor’s degree at USU in 2020.

“Sarah is determined to succeed,” Dupin-Bryant said. “She will graduate from USU with high honors, a top-rate education, and a marketable skill set — having taken all of her coursework as a statewide campus student.”

The Legacy of Utah State Award is given each year to recognize and emphasize a student who represents the heart and soul of the university. Students should show a commitment to the institution and their program of study, as well as demonstrate internal involvement and service, department dedication, perseverance during times of adversity, and contribution behind the scenes.

“Sarah Wilcox typifies what many southwest students balance as they complete rigorous USU degrees­ — working, raising children and serving as an active member of their local communities,” said Nancy Glomb, associate vice president for the Southwest Region. “What is exceptional about Sarah is that she has done all of that and achieved a level of excellence worthy of the Huntsman School of Business' nomination for the Legacy of Utah State Award. We are fortunate to have Sarah working for USU Southwest this semester as a DAIS intern. She is analyzing data within the Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation that will help us make better data-informed decisions about student recruitment, retention and completion efforts.”

The final criteria for a student to be eligible for the Legacy of Utah State award is they must be a USU student. In her nomination letter, Dupin-Bryant makes special note of how, although Wilcox attends USU via a statewide campus, she is as much an Aggie as anyone.

“At USU, we have long championed the important goal to help students pursue their dreams and achieve a higher education degree regardless of their geographical location,” Dupin-Bryant wrote in the nomination letter. “A student should be able to receive the same high-quality education regardless of the delivery method and where they live — Manti in Sarah’s case. Regardless of her geographic location, Sarah is an Aggie through and through — she is the epitome of a Utah State University student.”

Wilcox will be one of eight nominees for the award, one from each of USU’s colleges. The award will be presented at the annual Robins Awards on April 8, 2022.

With locations in Beaver, Bicknell, Cedar City, Delta, Ephraim, Junction, Kanab, Nephi, Panguitch, Richfield, and St. George, Utah State University provides higher education access to rural communities via USU Southwest. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees and technical education opportunities, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at southwest.usu.edu.