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Brigham City Students Receive Valedictorian Honors

Two USU Brigham City Regional Campus students have been named departmental valedictorians for the College of Education and Human Services. Tonya Waldron has been named Elementary Education valedictorian and Laurie Wise has been named Psychology valedictorian.

Having two departmental valedictorians selected from distance education students demonstrates the kind of academic experience Regional Campuses and Distance Education offers students across the state said Robert Wagner, executive director of distance education.

“Part of our message has always been that the quality of education received through distance education is the same as what students are getting in Logan,” Wagner said. “The honor these students are receiving is proof of that statement.”

Tonya Waldron is the Elementary Education valedictorian. She began her education at BYU in 1985 and recently returned to school after 18 years in order to fulfill her dream of being able to make a difference in the lives of children. Tonya and her husband Carl have four children. Tonya’s teaching experience has been very useful to her children in their education and they have enjoyed having their mother for a personal tutor.

Tonya was not aiming to be a valedictorian, she just did her best. “It was a shocking experience to read that I was department valedictorian,” she said. After going for a walk one evening, she stopped to pick up her mail and received notice of her honors, “I just started jumping up and down in the middle of the road.”

Laurie Wise, Psychology valedictorian, decided to pursue her bachelor degree when she saw the success of her husband, who also attended USU Brigham City Regional Campus. Laurie is the mother of four sons and has three grandchildren. She graduates with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology and a minor in both Family and Human Development and Sociology. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Like Tonya, Laurie was not seeking to become valedictorian. “When I received the letter notifying me that I was valedictorian, I thought they had the wrong person,” she said. Laurie attributes her success to the caring, attentive staff and the outstanding instructors at Brigham City.