From Wyoming With Love – Part 5

Meet UW Trustees’ Scholars Award alumni living and working in Wyoming.

 

By Micaela Myers

 

The University of Wyoming Trustees’ Scholars Award is the premier scholarship for Wyoming’s top high school students. Hundreds of students have benefited from the award over the years, and in this issue, UWyo Magazine sat down with 20 former scholars living and working in Wyoming. These alumni are giving back to the state that supported them throughout their education. They represent a small sampling of alumni award winners living around the state and across the country. These scholars leveraged the support Wyoming gave them and turned it into big impacts in their industries, families, states and communities.

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Natural Resources Analyst Ryan Speight
Hometown: Cheyenne 
UW degrees: B.S. in biology and philosophy, 2019

After graduation, Ryan Speight left Wyoming — but not for long.

 

“I tried moving somewhere else, but between having less sunlight and trees crowding the horizon, I couldn’t stand it,” he says. “Wyoming has the space and the daylight that I need to stay sane and happy.”

Now, he serves the state as a natural resources analyst and wetland specialist for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, based in Cheyenne. 

“I love that my work goes into helping the state of Wyoming and the people who make it up,” Speight says. “I get to be part of developing and maintaining the roads and facilities that longtime residents and first-time visitors see and use on a daily basis.”

His education at the University of Wyoming connected Speight with important people and state agencies.

“Getting to know people who were key in developing programs meant that I already had familiarity with the work and people that I am working with now,” he says. 

Earning the Trustees’ Scholars Award was a financial weight lifted for Speight and his parents. It allowed him to save and prepare for life after college. 

“My UW advisers — who were also my professors — always were able to make time and help me understand how to navigate the courses I needed to obtain my degrees and how to fit them into my semesters in order to finish while I was still using the Trustees’ Scholars Award,” he says.

Speight believes that offering the Trustees’ Scholars Award to top Wyoming high school students incentivizes them to try hard in high school and rewards them for pursuing higher education.

He’s thankful to be back in his home state and loves the people and environment Wyoming provides: “There’s a strong sense of individuality and push for self-sufficiency, but Wyomingites still show that they care for and look out for other people and the environment in their state. A balance of the two is necessary if you want to have a functioning community.”  

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Teacher Sydney (Pomajzl) Musser
Hometown: Cody
UW degrees: B.A. in elementary education, with minors in honors and literacy, 2022 

Growing up in Cody, Sydney (Pomajzl) Musser always knew she wanted to stay in Wyoming after college.

“My family is the most important thing to me, and I love living and working near them,” she says. “I also considered the high-quality school districts that are found in Wyoming and wanted to be a part of that community as a teacher.”

The UW Trustees’ Scholars Award allowed Musser to focus fully on her teacher preparation.

“Beyond the financial aspect, being a Trustees’ Scholar gave me a sense of pride and made me want to be the best student I could be,” she says. “Understanding how special the scholarship was made me want to make the most of it during my time at UW.”

The scholarship acknowledges and rewards the hard work Wyoming’s top high school students put in. Musser says: “High school students have a lot on their plates between school, extracurriculars, and figuring out how to navigate increased responsibilities and big life decisions. Students deserve to be rewarded for maintaining high expectations for themselves through all of those changes.”

Her family and UW go way back: Musser’s great-grandfather was in the first pharmacy class at UW in the 1940s, and her sister, Kelsey, is a current Trustees’ Scholar.

Wyoming truly is that small town with long streets, she says, and UW is an extension of that. The connections she formed here were the highlight of her student experience, along with a stellar education.

“The campus events and class culture at UW helped facilitate relationships with people that I maintain to this day,” she says. “I had so many outstanding professors in the College of Education who made sure I was prepared. I had many opportunities to work with children in classrooms around Laramie, to work with preschoolers at UW’s Early Care and Education Center and to tutor at the Literacy Research Center and Clinic, which really fueled my passion for teaching early structured literacy.”

Musser is entering her fifth year as a first-grade teacher at Livingston Elementary School in Cody. 

“I went to Livingston as a child, so it has felt very full-circle coming back as a teacher,” she says. “Every student is unique, and I love getting to know their little personalities. I really enjoy the challenge of finding new and creative ways to teach foundational skills. First grade is such an important year for reading development, and I have been able to continue learning about and implementing the most effective reading strategies in my classroom. I have a sign on my door that says, ‘The future of the world is in this classroom,’ and that is something I take very seriously.”

There is truly no place like Wyoming, Musser believes, and she’s thrilled to be able to plant roots in her hometown, along with her husband, Wyatt.

She says, “I feel blessed every day to be close to my family, and I cherish the time I am able to spend with my parents, sister, grandparents and extended family.”  

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Community College Instructor Megan Baker
Hometown: Torrington
UW degrees: B.A. in history with minors in anthropology and classical civilizations, 2022

For Megan Baker, the chance to live near her family, the low state taxes, the access to nature and the career opportunities all influenced her decision to return to her hometown after graduation. 

“Compared with many other places, I feel that Wyoming has a good work-life balance,” Baker says. “Many people here understand that, as important as it is to do your best at work, it is equally as important to spend time with loved ones, take advantage of our beautiful natural spaces and participate in community life. This attitude is beneficial in and of itself, and it also seems to foster pleasant workplaces full of kind and supportive people.”

That’s exactly what Baker found at Eastern Wyoming College, where she serves as an adult education instructor and site coordinator in the College and Career Readiness Center. 

“My job involves many types of adult education, the most common of which is helping people who did not graduate high school to earn their high school equivalency certificate,” she says. “I love this job because I get to come alongside people who are taking steps to create the future they want. Compared to traditional teaching, my colleagues and I help our students master multiple subjects, which means that no two days are alike. Furthermore, it is very gratifying to watch people’s hard work pay off when they finally reach their goals. My job also includes other kinds of adult education such as English as a second language and support to help adults with disabilities gain more independence. I’m very grateful for the chance to play a part, however small, in the lives of so many kind and hard-working people.”

The critical thinking, problem-solving and research skills she learned at the University of Wyoming all play a role in her career success. At UW, she also learned how to connect with people of various backgrounds.

“My professors were truly excellent and helped encourage a love of knowledge and a determination to learn that persists to this day,” she says. “I had the opportunity to make friends with many wonderful people from all different walks of life. Additionally, there were numerous fun experiences, such as movie nights in the student union, a Plain White T’s concert my freshman year, and playing with kittens and puppies before finals.”

The Trustees’ Scholars Award allowed Baker to take full advantage of all these opportunities while dedicating herself to her studies. 

“Being a Trustees’ Scholar gave me extra motivation to work hard and perform well in my classes,” she says. “I am very grateful to everyone at UW for helping me become the person I am today. My experience there as a Trustees’ Scholar shaped me in many ways and helped set me on a path toward happiness and career success. Go Pokes!”  

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Nonprofit Director Hank Hoversland
Hometown: Casper
UW degrees: B.S. in economics and political science with a minor in honors, 2022; MBA, 2026

Like many University of Wyoming alumni, for Hank Hoversland, it was the people and connections that made the biggest impact. He enjoyed taking part in student government all four years, participating in the Political Science Club and meeting key players in Washington, D.C., during his internship for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 

“The thing that I loved most about UW was being able to meet new people from around the country and throughout Wyoming,” he says. “The financial assistance I received through the Trustees’ Scholars Award really made it a great offer, and once I got there, I knew it was the right place for me, with the small class sizes and being able to really know your professors. I gained a broad knowledge base and made friends for life.”

It’s important for alumni to stay engaged, he believes, to ensure that the next generation of UW students receive the same benefits he enjoyed. 

The connections UW provides help graduates find their career paths after graduation, Hoversland says: “It’s really where you learn that there are tremendous opportunities in Wyoming.”

Hoversland used his degrees to hit the ground running, serving first in Wyoming’s Legislative Service Office as a fiscal analyst and now as the executive director of the nonprofit Wyoming Taxpayers Association in Cheyenne.  

“We’re a member-based organization, so it’s much akin to a trade association except that we don’t focus on just one industry,” Hoversland says. “We’ve been around since 1937, so we’re coming up on 90 years as an organization. Our mission is to promote sound tax policy for a healthy Wyoming economy, and that ties right into what the university does as well — trying to foster an economy that is attractive to young people in Wyoming who want to stay here and build community and family.”

Its membership includes everything from large multinational corporations to small businesses and individuals. On any given day, Hoversland might conduct research, meet with legislators, communicate with members or work to educate the public. 

“I think the educational component is key because our tax structure affects people every day,” he says.

Hoversland loves living near his family and taking advantage of all that the capital has to offer — from Cheyenne Frontier Days to dining and concerts. He’s also a big sports fan, attending UW athletics events and golfing and officiating at high school football and basketball games. 

“We have a really ingrained culture here to help your neighbor, and I think that’s super important,” he says. “I love the people and the small-town feel of Wyoming as well as the opportunities for growth. I want to give back and really see the state flourish and grow.”