Caught on Campus: Sterling scholar can dissect a human but is scared of ‘creepy-crawly things’
Ashley Cowleyfreshman,
Major: pre med/ biochemistryMinor: psychology
Hometown: Providence, Utah
Caught: Education Building
Utah Statesman: Why did you come to USU?
Ashley Cowley: I don’t know, I like it. I’ve always known I was going to go to USU.
US: Was the pre-med program attractive?
Cowley: It’s a brand new program so, its kind of like, I didn’t even know about it until I got up here. But I just like Utah, I guess. And all my family and my boyfriend’s here.
US: What do you like about Utah?
Cowley: Mostly that my family is here.
US: What don’t you like about it?
Cowley: There isn’t anything. Well … I don’t like the weather. I hate the weather. I’m always asking myself why I live in Utah; mostly because my family is here and I’ve always lived here. I like that it’s small. Most people don’t like that it’s small.
US: Do you have a lot of classes in this building?
Cowley: No, I just always come in this building.
US: Do you live in the dorms?
Cowley: No. I live at home still, because it’s cheap.
US: Do you travel a lot?
Cowley: Not a whole lot. I love Oregon. If I wasn’t in Utah, I’d be in Oregon. But that’s about the only other place that I go frequently. I’ve been through all of Oregon. I’ve traveled through it twice. We drove, but my uncle used to live in Portland, so I used to go to Portland.
US: What is your favorite thing about USU?
Cowley: That people can talk to you and that you can be connected to people up here, because there aren’t so many people to compete with to talk to a professor or something. I just like that you can be involved in everything up here, instead of just being one of the students,. You’re actually involved in things.
US: Are you involved with a lot of the clubs?
Cowley: Yeah, and research. I try to be involved. I’m involved in AED and WIM.
US: What do you like least?
Cowley: The weather, when you’re walking and its raining, like about three weeks ago. On Tuesdays I have to walk all the way across campus. I have to run from my lab to get to my presentation in like 10 minutes.
US: Where do you park?
Cowley: Right back here usually, in the B lot. I just got a new computer and I don’t want to ruin it.
US: What kind is it?
Cowley: A Dell laptop, I don’t know what kind.
US: How do you feel about the whole Apple vs PC debate?
Cowley: I don’t like Apples. I have a few friends who have Apples and I hate them. I just think that they’re, I don’t know, I’ve never used one, but I’ve always heard that they’re bad and I just like my Dell. But I’ve never used one, so maybe I would like it; my friends all tell me they are great.
US: What is your favorite restaurant?
Cowley: Right now, Costa Vida and Angie’s – we go there a lot. It’s easy to find something we like.
US: Have you ever swam in the ocean?
Cowley: It’s been about a year since I’ve been swimming, but I’ve never swam in the ocean because I’m too scared of the ocean. I’ve waded in the ocean, but I only go in up to my knees. It scares me. If you took biology you’d be afraid.
US: What scares you about the ocean?
Cowley: It’s just the animals, the squid and everything we’re learning about those kinds ofd things right now. We’re planning a trip to Oregon this summer, but the water is too cold anyway.
US: When’s the last time you pranked somebody?
Cowley: I actually don’t remember the last time I did that. I was too paranoid that I would get caught and thrown in jail or something.
US: What was the last thing you won?
Cowley: In high school I won the Sterling Scholar overall technical education award in the state. It was really cool. I had to make a huge portfolio; it was so many pages long and write personal statements, but it was really good to get me used to doing that kind of stuff. I had to think back the four years I was in high school and everything I had done, so it was a good experience.
US: What did you get for it?
Cowley: I got a scholarship, cash scholarship and the honor. I got a banner up in my school, that was probably the coolest part. I got the first academic banner in the school.
US: Did you cry?
Cowley: I don’t think I cried, but I think I was on the verge because I was just this small-town girl and these other people were crazy insane smart.
US: When is the last time you cried?
Cowley: I honestly don’t really remember the last time I cried – that’s pretty good for being a girl – girls cry a lot.
US: What are you most afraid of?
Cowley: I can handle most things, but I can’t handle creepy, crawly worms and things like that. When I was little I used to cry if a spider was in my room, but I don’t do that anymore.
US: What was the last movie you watched?
Cowley: I recently saw “Walk the Line,” that was a really good one. I really like those kind of movies.
US: Who is your hero?
Cowley: I don’t really have a set hero, but I think my mom is one of my heroes because she went through a lot of hard stuff. She went through all the cancer stuff and everything.
US: If the whole world were just like you, how would it be?
Cowley: It would be very dramatic. In the words of my boyfriend, probably full of people who would get things done, be very productive. The world would be full of OCD/perfectionist/over-achievers.
US: What would you do with an unlimited supply of monkeys?
Cowley: I would probably give them to people who like monkeys, probably little kids. I don’t think monkeys are my thing, but there are little tiny monkeys. I like those. They are really cute. I’d buy them mini bananas.
US: What is the most mature thing you’ve done this last year?
Cowley: I wouldn’t say I’m that mature. I haven’t moved out or anything yet. I’ve kept my job.
US: Where do you work?
Cowley: Community Nursing Services as a home health aid. But this year, I’m going to be 20, and not a teenager anymore. I guess I should make some prank phone calls and do some immature things. This is going to be kinda embarrassing, to be in the paper.I read these in the paper and we have some pretty nuts students here.
–michaelsharp@cc.usu.edu