Date of Award:

8-2024

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education

Committee Chair(s)

Rose Judd-Murray

Committee

Rose Judd-Murray

Committee

Tyson Sorensen

Committee

Michelle Burrows

Abstract

The Utah State University Ambassador Program focuses on leadership, recruitment, and service. In addition to the Logan Main Campus, there are ambassadors on the USU Eastern and Statewide Campuses. The Logan Program is the most competitive, receiving 450-700 applications each year. Selected applicants receive a scholarship of 100% tuition and fees renewable for up to four years. This study looked at what factors predict whether students are accepted into the University Ambassador Program in Logan for in-state and out-of-state first-year applicants. Factors considered included involvement in student government, school and community activities, whether the student is the first in their family to attend college, and the size of their high school. Data from applications submitted between 2019-2023 was collected and analyzed. The analysis showed that being highly involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, and community, as well as being a first-generation college student, did not significantly impact acceptance into the Program. The size of the high school also did not matter. However, the data showed that very few applications came from students attending rural high schools in the state. Leadership roles such as class officer, student body officer, or student body president were strong predictors of acceptance for both in-state and out-of-state students. Recommendations included updating the criteria to recognize all types of leadership, such as sports team captain, club president, and community leader, in addition to student government roles. It was also recommended that students who achieve high scores in leadership and involvement should automatically progress to the next stage of the selection process. Finally, efforts should be made to encourage more students from rural high schools in the state to apply for the Program.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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