Exemplary Engaged Learning Student
Kirsten Verdi
College of Aviation and Public Services
All it took was one flight for Kirsten Verdi to start her future in aviation.
“I caught the buzz on my first flight and it never left,” Verdi said. “It’s definitely an addiction.”
Verdi, a junior, received her private pilot license in high school in New York. She is the UVU flight team captain and is leading her team to a national competition this year.
Not only does Verdi study aviation, she is also a flight instructor.
“I love my job,” Verdi said. “I take someone who knows nothing about flight and turn them into someone who is certified. There is nothing more rewarding.”
Exemplary Engaged Learning Student
Bradley Fuhriman
College of Aviation and Public Services
Ever since he could remember, Bradley Fuhriman wanted to be a cop. Now he is living his dream and studying criminal justice at Utah Valley University.
“I’ve always loved criminal justice, especially police work,” Fuhriman said.
Fuhriman, a senior, loves that all the teachers in the criminal justice program have plenty of experience in the field. He said the teachers at UVU have been a big influence on him, one in particular, former adjunct instructor, Wade Raab.
Fuhriman plans to pursue his dream further after graduation and join a local police agency or try to be a correctional officer.
BS Valedictorian
Chelsie Reynolds
Bachelor’s of Science in Emergency Services Administration
[Question] Graduate school or workforce? Or other?
[Answer] I will be working with Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Copper Mine for a summer internship under the direction of their emergency manager
[Question] Do you feel that UVU prepared you for your future career and other endeavors?
[Answer] Most definitely! As students, our career preparation mirrors the same effort, which we put into our academic experience and if we let them, our teachers will be our guides.
[Question] Who has been your mentor/example? Someone on campus you talked to frequently, someone who represented an ideal, a friend who pushed you to keep going, a parent/family member who loved and helped you?
[Answer] On a personal level, my Heavenly Father and my family have been my biggest supporters, comforters and guides. On an academic level I have had two main mentors: Eric Russell and Rodger Broome, both Emergency Services professors. They have both been a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Their faith in me has made me want to be the best student I could possibly be and opened doors into my future that I never thought possible.
AS Valedictorian
Tanner Jordan Ricks
Associate of Applied Science in Emergency Services
[Question] Graduate school or workforce? Or other?
[Answer] Workforce, then school. I hope to start my career as a firefighter paramedic and then return to school to receive my bachelors in emergency services management.
[Question] What has been your motivation to succeed? Family, power, ambition, money, fear, OCD, etc.
[Answer] My sweet wife is the true person behind my success. She helped me to want to do the best I can. I know it sounds cheesy but before I was married I just “floated” through school.
[Question] Do you feel that UVU prepared you for your future career and other endeavors?
[Answer] Yes absolutely! The firefighter program at Utah Fire and Rescue Academy at UVU is an awesome program and gives you a lot of real-life examples.
