Kristen Walton advocates for her students’ mental health

Utah State University’s Brigham City statewide region recently gained a new director of students. Kristen Walton was promoted to the position on Aug. 17 through a selection process that included interviews and a presentation in front of an open audience.

In this position, Walton oversees student services for the Brigham City, Tremonton and Kaysville campuses. This includes admissions, advising, USUSA, Little Brigham Aggies, scholarships, counseling, concurrent enrollment, disability resources, student life, financial aid, veterans resources and all other student-facing programs and events.

“As DOS, I will also be highly involved in local community engagement—building relationships in the community and creating connections with local businesses, campus partners, and the Statewide core team,” Walton wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman.

Walton first started at USU as a concurrent enrollment student at Box Elder High School. From there, she attended Weber State University before returning to USU Brigham City to pursue a degree as a post-traditional student.

“​​I hope to use my experience as a post-traditional Statewide student to help incoming students navigate the Statewide system and take advantage of the myriad resources that are available to them. I know, on a very personal level, that story is an important aspect to consider when considering recruitment and retention efforts,” Walton wrote.

Most students that attend statewide campuses are post-traditional students. Post-traditional students are those who are above the age of 25, care for children or work full-time while enrolled.

In an email to the Statesman, Emily Davies, USUSA Brigham City Region Vice President, said campuses rely on the director of students to do what is in the best interest of their students and to work with the elected student body representatives. They are the facilitators for successful student life at statewide campuses.

“A Director of Students is important to statewide campuses because they ensure that our voice and interests are being heard at a higher level in the university. Our needs and concerns differ on statewide campuses, so it is important to have someone who understands that and can advocate for our specific necessities,” Davies wrote.

In 2022, USU’s Brigham City Center enrolled 588 undergraduate and 98 graduate students. The Brigham City Center offers live broadcasted classes and fully online courses. The center also currently offers 120 undergraduate degrees and 25 graduate degrees.

“I love being able to meet students one-on-one and hear from them—they are bright, dedicated to social justice, and so capable. I can see that the future is in amazing hands and that these students are going to go out into the world and use their educations to do amazing things to benefit others. It is a beautiful thing to help them in my small way,” Walton wrote.

Walton’s future goals for this position include helping incoming statewide students take full advantage of all resources and to be a “safe space” concerning mental health and academics.

One of Walton’s goals is to raise awareness of mental health challenges and to provide students with critical tools to help them through the rough times.

“I want students to feel deeply that their journeys and stories matter, that they are seen and valued, and that they have a system and a team in place to support them and to help them fulfill their dreams. Above all, I hope to create an atmosphere of belonging for each of my students—a safe space for each of them, academically and otherwise,” Walton wrote.