In his address titled, “A Steady, Upward Course,” President Henry B. Eyring said, “I hope I live long enough to someday meet some employer who employed one of you and says, ‘Where did that come from?’… And I’ll smile and say, ‘Well, come with me to Rexburg... And I may not be able to show it to you, and I may not be able to prove it to you, but you’ll feel it.’”
With a charge from President Henry B. Eyring to “come with me to Rexburg,” the Admissions Office worked to develop an event to help cultivate the special Spirit of BYU-Idaho and better assist prospective students in feeling that Spirit.
Data has proven when a prospective student visits campus, the likelihood of the individual attending BYU-Idaho increases dramatically. This year, 1,029 people participated in Campus Day events—594 of which were prospective students—representing 20 states from across the country.
Campus Day is strategically held during the week when many Utah and Idaho students are on fall break. This way more students are able to come and visit campus, and tours can be coordinated.
Tyler Williams, director of the BYU-Idaho Admissions Office, works closely with his team to educate prospective students about all the great resources offered by BYU-Idaho. Admissions strongly feels that BYU-Idaho’s campus is a powerful tool to help high school students understand what sets BYU-Idaho apart from other higher-ed institutions and has the ability to change hearts.
“We are blessed to have had a prophet tell us that when people come to this campus, they’ll feel the Spirit here, so this is what we did. We found a date where we knew a lot of people could come, with the hope we could help prospective students gain a greater desire to apply and attend BYU-Idaho,” Williams said.
Participating departments on campus played a significant role in cultivating this special atmosphere. This year, 52 departments participated at the department fair. Showcasing the university’s services and academic offerings is a great opportunity for employees to demonstrate how BYU-Idaho fulfills its mission to provide a high-value education, along with showing genuine care for each individual student.
Olivia Carey, a high school senior from Cedar City, Utah said of her experience, “Everyone here seems to really care. I didn’t know about the Spirit of Ricks before I came, but I can definitely feel it and that impressed me the most about campus.”
Kyler Yancey received a scholarship to play football at another college in the Intermountain West but something drew him toward BYU-Idaho, and he decided to participate in Campus Day.
“This is my first time on BYU-Idaho’s campus, and I notice a distinct difference in how I feel. I can just tell. I know this is where I need to be,” Yancey said.
Kyler was not the only student who had an experience like this. Many prospective students who come are surprised to find something more than they anticipated. Williams hopes to increase the number of participants who have experiences like this, even if they have to coordinate more logistics to accommodate more participants.
This semester, many Campus Day participants had to stand in the back of the Taylor Chapel during the opening session. With such a high turnout, Admissions hopes to move the event into the Hart Auditorium next year.
Employees are strongly encouraged to participate next year by inviting prospective students within their own families and their friends’ families to attend. The date for Campus Day 2019 will be shared with employees and students when it is scheduled. If you have questions about how to get involved with Campus Day next year, contact Tyler Williams at williamst@byui.edu.