Higher Education Attainment 
The Higher Education Attainment spoke focuses on increasing participation and completion rates of all women in Utah, including at the certificate, associate, bachelor, and graduate levels. This also includes a specific focus on women from marginalized populations. Although increasing the rates of postsecondary attainment is important for all residents—including men—it is critical to consider future initiatives and initiatives by gender. This spoke will include affiliates and participants across the state with all institutions of higher learning. It will also include additional voices, initiatives, and organizations that focus on increasing rates of women attending immediately after high school (particularly women of color), retaining female students, removing barriers, supporting completion, encouraging reengagement, and increasing aspirations for graduate education among Utah women and girls. Working groups within the Higher Education Attainment spoke are focused on: Barriers, Single Mothers, and Student Centers. To learn more, check out the resource box below.
Spoke Leaders
Bryn Ramjoue
Marketing Director, my529
LinkedIn Profile
Bryn Ramjoue’ Marketing Director for my529, Utah’s college savings plan. She serves on the CSPN Communications Committee. Her own SEM includes Who’s Who, a 40 under 40, a marketing person of the year, and a 30 Women to Watch.

Eric Dahlin
Professor, BYU
LinkedIn Profile
Eric Dahlin is a sociology professor at BYU. His research and teaching activities center on the social impacts of innovation.
Bold Vision & Goals
To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Higher Education Attainment spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below.
Vision: Boldly increase the participation and completion rates of Utah women at the certificate, associate, bachelor, and graduate levels.
Goals:
- Increase the college-going rate of female high school grads by:
- Increasing the enrollment of first-time, degree-seeking female students 1.5% by 2026 and 3.0% by 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increasing the enrollment of girls and women in technical college certificate programs. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase female students’ ability to pay the cost of attendance by:
- Increasing FAFSA completion rates in Utah by 5% in 2026 and 10% in 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the number of degrees and certificates awarded to women 8% by 2026 and 20% by 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the number of STEM degrees and certificates awarded to women (in support of STEM Fields Spoke Goal #1). [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the number of women awarded graduate degrees 4% by 2026 and 8% by 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
- Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
- In addition to improving economic opportunity, higher education is also important for intellectual growth, personal development, and life-long societal contributions. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
- Inclusive environments are critical to cultivating cultures of belonging in higher education. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
- It is important for more Utah women to complete graduate degree programs. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
- Women students of color face more barriers than other students when pursuing careers in high wage, high demand fields. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
- Increase female participation in college education during high school by:
- Increasing female enrollment in concurrent enrollment 3% by 2025 and 5% by 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increasing female enrollment in technical college dual enrollment by 2% by 2026 and 4% by 2030. [Metric Dashboard]
Thriving Statement: Women and girls thrive when they can aspire to and have access and opportunity to complete postsecondary education at all levels, no matter their backgrounds or previous life experiences.
- What Utahns Need to Know
- Informational Video
- Spoke Introduction Podcast
- Living Room Conversation Guide
- Research Summary
- Why Should Women Graduate from College?
- Perceptions of Higher Education: Gender Differences in Utah Secondary School Students
- Understanding the Gender Gap in Utah Higher Education: Qualitative Findings
- Understanding the Gender Gap in Utah Higher Education: Quantitative Findings
- The Value of Higher Education for Women in Utah
- Kem C. Gardner February 2024 Issue Brief: The Value of Higher Education
- Envision Utah’s Barriers to Higher Education for Utah High School Students
Partners
Working Groups & Leaders
- Barriers: Stefanie Adams (Director, Regional Pathways/Workforce Alignment, Utah Valley University) & Rachel Bryson (Assistant Professor, University of Utah)
- Single Mothers: Emily Martin Prisbrey (Director of Development, The FORB Foundation) & Katie Bunnell (President, Live Your Dream Foundation)
What You Can Do
Talk to the prospective students you know – and their families – about their perceptions of and plans for college. Gauge their interest, share information about college options and resources, and dispel myths you hear about higher education.
Encourage FAFSA completion; talk to the prospective college students and families you know about FAFSA and offer to help them complete it. Also, talk to your local high school to see when it offers FAFSA completion events and ask how you can best help spread the word and encourage attendance.
Expose the young people you know to real-world occupations by connecting them with the working professionals you know. These professionals might be able to engage in conversation, offer mentorship, or provide job shadowing opportunities aligned with the student’s academic and career interests, which could help influence their decision to pursue a postsecondary credential.
Get Engaged: Ways to get engaged include contacting Carly Erickson to get connected in a working group or if you’re interested in being a part of strategic discussions to increase success for young girls and women accessing and completing certificates and degrees; and get access to state college attainment data or to learn about statewide initiatives in higher education, visit ushe.edu. Thank you for your interest!
Carly Erickson
Spoke Coordinator
LinkedIn Profile
cjericks@gmail.com