During Tuesday’s inauguration of President Alvin F. Meredith as the 18th president of BYU-Idaho there were several speakers and recognizable people on the podium. So many, you may have missed one of the speakers.
Among the speakers were Elders D. Todd Christofferson and Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Meredith and Kate Timmerman, a student and director of the Student Leadership Council.
Timmerman was asked to speak at the inauguration back in August.
“I was so excited,” Timmerman said. “I remember getting the text message and thinking, ‘Out of all the students on campus, why was it me? Why was I the one that was chosen?’ and I honestly felt so special and excited for the opportunity to speak.”
Timmerman hopes her speech inspired students to heed President Meredith’s counsel from his last devotional as well as his inauguration address.
“My hope was just that students be accepting of his invitation that he gave us to follow the honor code as well as I feel like he gave us more invitations at his address yesterday on just how we can maintain the spirit of Ricks and the spirit of BYU-Idaho on campus,” Timmerman said.
While she didn’t get to speak to Elder Christofferson or Elder Rasband, she enjoyed a sweet moment with Elder Christofferson after her speech.
“Elder Christofferson was sitting right in front of me to the left a little bit and as I came and sat down after speaking, he was so kind and just turned back and looked at me and put his hand back and I got to squeeze his hand like, ‘thank you!’ So that was a really unique opportunity,” Timmerman said.
As the director of the Student Leadership Council, Timmerman attends the President’s Council every Monday with President Meredith, deans of colleges and administrators. These meetings have given her a chance to see President Meredith in action.
“In those President Council meetings, I just feel like whenever he speaks the whole room stops and listens because we all want to hear what he has to say because he is so respected and he’s so good at leading but I think also just leading as Christ would lead,” Timmerman said.
Click here to watch the inauguration.