Student Spotlights
Pierce Kester
OGDEN, Utah — Pierce Kester knows his degree in computer science will help him land a job in the tech sector, but he also wants to stay open to pursuing other dreams, such as filmmaking.
Kester was born and raised in France, three miles from the Swiss border. He attended a private school, where he honed his innate computer skills.
“When I was six years old, I knew computers like the back of my hand,” Kester said. “In my last year of high school, I took a computer programming class and since then I’ve just been continuing to learn.”
Gissel Santoyo
OGDEN, Utah — As a first-generation college student, Gissel Santoyo came to Weber State University a bit timid but left with a computer science degree and newfound confidence.
“I decided to go to college because my parents are immigrants from Mexico and over there, they didn’t have the opportunities that I did to get an education,” Santoyo said.
Artem Koval
Weber State University opened a new world for Artem Koval, a computer science major who moved to the United States when he was 16.
Koval was born and raised in Zaporizhzhia, an industrial and cultural center in southeast Ukraine. His father worked there as an electrical engineer, helping shape young Koval’s fascination with technology – from playing video games to building computers.
Shelby Watchman
Three years ago, Shelby Watchman sat quietly during her first class at Weber State University, too anxious to engage with her professor or classmates.
“I came from a small college, and so coming here felt like this big university — big and scary,” Watchman recalled.
Jessica Stratton
OGDEN, Utah – A few years ago, Jessica Stratton was living in her car with $2.08 to her name. Now she’s a 4.0 student studying computer science at Weber State University, and last month received the Student Pathway Award from Women Tech Council.
Stratton left a turbulent home at 18. There were stretches when she survived on cereal, showering at a gym and sleeping only every other night because she worked graveyard shifts – all while trying to save money to reach her dream of going to college.
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WSU international student now among Utah’s top tech women
OGDEN, Utah — Davina Kamikazi developed her passion for technology growing up in Kigali, Rwanda, often solving problems with computers and televisions. Now, she is turning her passion into a career, and recently won an award putting her in company with Utah’s tech industry leaders.
Continue reading WSU international student now among Utah’s top tech women
Cory Britton
The first day Cory Britton tried to enroll at Weber State University, fear kept him in his truck. This week, at 42, he will proudly join nearly 6,500 other graduates as he picks up his diploma in computer science.
A first-generation college graduate, Britton and his family are still astounded at the accomplishment and transformation of a student who walked away from high school at the beginning of 11th grade.