Presidents and key officials from Utah’s public colleges and universities, and local public figures are helping to kick off Utah College Application Week (UCAW) by speaking to high school seniors about the importance of postsecondary education. UCAW gives Utah high school seniors in partner schools the opportunity to apply to college during the school day. Thirty-two additional high schools this year (with a total of 116 high schools) have partnered with the Utah System of Higher Education in supporting over 20,000 high school seniors as they apply to college. A specific focus is placed on students who are first-generation, low-income, underserved, or who would not have otherwise considered applying to college. Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared November “Utah College Application Month” in support of these efforts; it is also “National College Application Month.”
In October, Snow College President Gary Carlston spoke to high school students at Payson High School emphasizing the importance of college and that college means a certificate, two-year degree, or more. Utah Valley University’s Dr. Kyle Reyes, from the office of UVU’s president, shared his college story and provided encouragement.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams spoke to high school seniors at Cyprus High School, encouraging them to take advantage of Utah College Application Week and apply to college. Weber State University President Chuck Wight shared his college experience with Ogden High School students encouraging them to apply to college and to take advantage of all the opportunities college can offer.
Dixie State University President Biff Williams, recently spoke to high school seniors at Desert Hills, Dixie, and Snow Canyon High Schools during their kick off assemblies and events, encouraging all high school seniors to apply to college and encouraging all other students to start thinking about college now.
Last week, Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox spoke to high school seniors at Kearns High School at their kick-off event and encouraged them to prove the statistics wrong and apply to and go to college. He also shared his college story and how it has changed his life. USHE Commissioner of Higher Education Dave Buhler also attended the event and emphasized the importance of applying to college now in order to secure financial aid and to meet critical deadlines.
Utah’s Lt. Gov tells high school seniors to prove stats wrong, apply for college | The Salt Lake Tribune https://t.co/jDpQ11DKf6 via @sltrib
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) November 8, 2016
“We want you to have your wildest dreams come true, and that won’t happen if you see high school as the end.”
—Lt. Governor Spencer Cox
Earlier this week, Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin spoke to Horizonte Instruction and Training Center students on the importance of some type of post-high school education, whether it be a certificate, two-year degree, or more.
Southern Utah University President Scott Wyatt will speak at Cedar City High School for their UCAW kick off assembly and share tidbits of college knowledge with students, later this week.
About Utah College Application Week (UCAW)
UCAW is coordinated by the Utah System of Higher Education and is part of the American College Application Campaign (a national initiative of the American Council on Education). For more about Utah College Application Week, visit StepUpUtah.com.
