PLC members engage in service, make friends
When Kristy Nilsson was told she had been awarded Utah State University’s most prestigious leadership scholarship, she was more than excited.
“I always wanted to go to USU,” Nilsson said. “But, this scholarship was the deciding factor.”
Nilsson, a freshman studying political science, had spent weeks producing a portfolio that would earn her a spot on the President’s Leadership Council (PLC). In addition to the portfolio, she was required to write an essay and was interviewed by a number of staff members.
Becoming a part of PLC meant showing leadership capabilities and a love for USU, she said. Of around 200 students who applied for 2001-2002, Nilsson was one of 21 who made the cuts.
To justify her four years of full-paid tuition, Nilsson’s primary responsibility as a freshman has been recruiting prospective students, she said.
Scott Teichert, an enrollment counselor and PLC alumnus, said the program is supervised by USU’s Recruitment and Enrollment Services. It was designed in 1983 and has been emulated by other universities in the state.
“We want to project the university in a positive light,” he said.
Different divisions of PLC have different responsibilities for accomplishing that goal. Freshman members are assigned to return to their high schools and recruit. In following years, members can become mentors for freshmen or university ambassadors who give tours, Teichert said.
Nilsson said the university ambassadors are the ones “walking backwards around campus.”
Members of PLC are required to know almost everything about the university. They have been tested on facts about buildings, departments, people, events and more, she said.
Jeff Krommenhoek, a junior in economics and finance, is at another level of PLC leadership as one of the president’s ambassadors.
“We are the right hand people of the president and the Board of Trustees,” he said. “It’s an honor.”
The president’s ambassadors of PLC host dignitaries who come to USU and represent the university at banquets and open houses, Krommenhoek said.
Members of PLC help the community as well as the university. They do service projects throughout the year. For example, PLC collected money for Habitats for Humanity.
“This year we were nominated for the Robin’s Award for service,” Krommenhoek said.
Hillary Krommenhoek, a PLC freshman in broadcast journalism, said the council has put together hygiene kits for orphans in Russia. They have done food drives and assisted the Red Cross in their efforts during the Sept. 11 crisis.
“PLC enables me to do what I love,” Hillary said. “I’ve learned from others how to improve myself as a person.”
But PLC has perhaps meant more to Hillary than it has to other members. It was because of their membership on PLC that Hillary and Jeff Krommenhoek met and were married, she said.
“I found out that there really can be love at first sight,” Hillary said.
There is a reason PLC members are put on the council, she said. They are diverse people who come together to fulfill PLC’s three-fold mission – recruitment, leadership and service.
Teichert said students should be aware of all the behind-the-scenes work PLC does for the university.
“It’s almost a full-time job,” he said. “A lot of people don’t understand how hard they really work.”
Hillary said the “professionals,” the staff of Recruitment and Enrollment Services, should be recognized as well.
“They play an important role and are very supportive of us,” she said.
Nilsson said she has loved being a member of PLC. It has made the transition to college easier for her.
“I have learned how to be a leader in a group of leaders,” she said.
PLC members strive to help prospective students, as well as current students. Anyone who has questions about USU should feel free to ask someone on PLC, Nilsson said.
“We want everyone to enjoy Utah State,” she said.