The English Department named Racquel Bera the Literature Student of the Year.

In her time at USU, Racquel received both the Judge Janice Dee and Lilly White scholarships, contributed greatly to Sigma Tau Delta, and worked as an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for Literature faculty. Professor Shane Graham, who worked with her as a UTF relayed, “Racquel is highly self-motivated, intellectually curious, and possessive of a strong work ethic.” Before graduating from the Logan campus, Racquel studied at USU Eastern. One of her professors, Michaelann Nelson, noted: “Her work is consistently insightful, thorough, and well-researched in all areas from discussions to formal essays. I begged her to stay in Price to tutor at the Writing Center, but she really wanted to be in Logan.”

Racquel expressed equal appreciation for her time at USU. "From the beginning, being a student at Utah State University was extraordinary,” she reflects. “Thanks to the English Department's remarkable faculty, and my peers, I was given the chance to do what I love every day for four years. I cannot offer the English programs enough praise. The classes were taught with passion. The diverse materials challenged my every perception, and of course I got to read every day. It really doesn't get better than that. My greatest aspiration for the future is to enrich the lives of others by working in the publishing industry and supporting the growing representation of diverse literature. Like Robin Williams said in the film Dead Poets Society, ‘No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.’ With everything I have learned during my time at USU, I hope to contribute to that change one day.”