The USU English Department has named Mersedez Clifford the Technical Communication and Rhetoric Student of the Year for 2022-23. 

TCR faculty remarked that, “Mersedez Clifford is a top-notch student who produces outstanding technical communication, from research reports and presentations to websites and social media. Mersedez contributes generously to teamwork and class discussions, and their portfolio demonstrates strong technical skills across a variety of programming languages and software.” Faculty note that this stellar work moves beyond the classroom: “Mersedez has also gained some impressive professional communication experience with the Utah State Division of History and CaptionCall (a captioning company).” 

Speaking on the importance of technical writing, Mersedez states, “Constructing quality, organized, accessible text is my goal. Nothing brings me more joy than to sit down with my laptop to conduct research, compile reports, draft spreadsheets, or create fantasies. Inspiration for such projects often come from unexpected places, which I then translate into a multileveled plan of action. With every creation, I imagine the needs of awaiting readers and edit for their understanding.” 

“I strive to improve my skills on a consistent basis in order to be a resource others can look to for support. I know it is only as I keep learning that I will be able to continue to write relevant material that will impact people's lives.”