The English Department’s American Studies program gladly named Caitlyn Rogers for their 2021-2022 Student of the Year Award. The committee chose Caitlyn because she “exemplified the interdisciplinary spirit of the American Studies program. She was a double-major in American Studies and Communication Studies, with a focus in Environmental Studies.” Caitlyn was incredibly ambitious in her undergraduate degree, and her efforts did not go without recognition.

As well as receiving the department’s Student of the Year Award, she also earned the CHaSS Kiwanis award. Caitlyn was further appreciated for her involvement with the Honors program and contribution to “various projects involving community health and wellness through USU’s Extension program.” After wrapping up her undergraduate degree, she hopes to work with USU’s Community and Natural Resource Institute then study either Communication or Environmental Studies in graduate school.

About her experience within the American Studies major, Caitlyn expressed, “American Studies has been a wonderful experience for me, and I am so grateful I stumbled into the major. I have been afforded an opportunity most students don’t have—to explore and work in a variety of disciplines. I wanted to become a well-rounded individual who was prepared to tackle life’s challenges in many fields, and I feel that this major has helped me work on that goal. American Studies creates an environment where I can work on making connections between disciplines, thinking critically, and articulating those discoveries to other people. I feel as though I have a much better understanding of the complexities of the big picture in our society, and I have acquired the tools in this program to continue developing my understanding beyond graduation. I am excited to see where my journey takes me next, and I feel confident that no matter where that is, I have the tools and the drive necessary to succeed.”