Crystal Crest Awards

Wildcat Achievement Award, Armand Berry

Despite being legally blind and having other health challenges, senior Armand Barry has maintained a nearly perfect grade point average. He is a physical education major with minors in family studies, sports coaching education, and health promotion teaching. He has participated in the Child & Family Student Association, Future Educators Association, First Generation Club as well as the anthropology and sociology clubs. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He also volunteers at the Children's Treehouse Museum. Armand hopes to use his own story to inspire others who face challenges.

Master Teacher Award — David Aguilar-Alvarez

Assistant professor of nutrition David Aguilar-Alvarez was raised in Mexico in a community he describes as very low socioeconomically. During his childhood, he experienced food insecurity and was exposed to violence. Academics, from elementary school through higher education, was his only escape from economic oppression. He is aware of higher education’s importance for students facing similar obstacles, who want a chance for a better life. He believes that higher education is critical for the advancement of society, so he is committed to contributing through teaching and research. David considers it a privilege to educate individuals, so they can effectively evaluate the claims that confront them each day.

Male Athletic Achievement  Award—  Jonah Williams

Jonah Williams earned All-American honors and was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year while leading the Weber State football team to a third-straight Big Sky title, a trip to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs and a third-place national ranking, the highest in school history. He served as a team captain and earned All-American honors and first-team All-Big Sky honors. In his 54 career games, Jonah finished fifth in the Big Sky in sacks, which ranks ninth in school history, and he ranks 12th in tackles for loss.

Man of the Year Award —  Kade Crittenden

Kade Crittenden was selected as “Man of the Year” because he is a true Wildcat in word and deed, always serving the campus and local community with the genuine desire to help others. He aspires to represent WSU in a positive and inspirational way and makes focused efforts to better student life and the academic experience for his fellow students. His passion and commitment lies within serving others, and he has chosen to switch his career path from chemistry to higher education administration, so he can serve in a greater capacity. Kade loves WSU and sees this award as a continual reminder of what it truly means to be a Wildcat.

Volunteer Service Award —  Kylee Treseder

A first-generation student, Kylee Treseder took the opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities. She considers serving as director of Alternative Breaks as one of her greatest accomplishments. The position required hours of planning, meeting and coordinating. The opportunity helped Kylee feel connected to her own community and motivated to focus on social justice for all. Kylee learned the key to growth comes from serving others and working for something greater than yourself. She plans to continue that path both as a student and a graduate.

Excellence in Inclusivity Award —  Liz Homez

A criminal justice major, Liz Homez has made a big impact through her role as president of WSU’s Latinos in Action program. She has also worked with the Asian Student Involvement Association, Amnesty International and Weber State Democrats. She has fostered connections among campus organizations to expand their impact with more diverse students. Liz also volunteers in the community via UServeUtah. She believes “Opinions matter, and the more diverse, the better.”

Woman of the Year Award —  Rachel Creer

Rachel Creer is a senior in organizational communication with minors in business administration and Spanish. Maintaining an almost perfect grade point average, Rachel found time to serve as activities chair of the Achieving Women’s Excellence Club and coordinator of the annual WSU Suicide Awareness Walk. For three years she worked as an assistant site coordinator at a Title I elementary school for the Boys and Girls Club of Weber-Davis. She particularly enjoyed the Smart Girls program where she helped teach a group of fifth and sixth-grade girls values such as integrity, self-respect, perseverance, and kindness. Rachel strives to empower women by encouraging them and making sure they feel the same sense of belonging she feels as a Wildcat.

Female Athletic Achievement Award —  Takesha Saltern

During the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Takesha Saltern played and started at right field in all 72 Weber State softball games. Takesha was named the Big Sky Player of the Year and helped the Weber State softball team to the 2019 Big Sky regular-season title, a Big Sky Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Championships. She led the conference in stolen bases and finished second in batting average, runs scored, on-base percentage and triples, and ranked fourth in hits and fifth in walks.

Friend of Students Award — Teresa Martinez

As Student Engagement Coordinator for the Center for Community Engaged Learning, Teresa Martinez currently advises the WSUSA Service Team and the American Democracy Project, teams. She teaches FYE and public speaking courses. As the Weber Cares Pantry specialist, she helps make sure students have food, especially in times of crisis. She chairs/co-chairs three committees: Engaged Learning Series, 2020 Census Complete Count Committee and the Political Engagement Coalition, where she works to include student representation. Teresa also oversees the Tanner Fund, which supports students experiencing financial barriers to engagement. For 13 years, Teresa has made Weber State students the focus of her life.

Scholar of the Year Award — Tyler David Browning

Tyler David Browning is a biochemistry senior with an interest in small molecule drug design and development. For the past two years, he’s served on the Honors and Aletheia Student Advisory Board, currently as president. He received the Nye Award for Outstanding Junior and the 2018-19 Organic Chemistry Award. Tyler was selected to participate in a competitive summer research program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he was selected as a top researcher and awarded a grant to present his work at the American Chemical Society conference in Philadelphia and the 2020 Sci-Mix conference. Tyler plans to earn a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, in order to become a university professor.

Talent of the Year Award — Yuqi Liu

Business administration major Yuqi Liu has studied Chinese traditional watercolor painting and western oil painting since she was 7 years old. She has used her talent to assist a charity in China as they sell her donated art to raise money for children's education. Yuqi plans to attend law school, but one of her other long-term goals is to create a business where she can inspire employees to create their own works of art and then make charitable donations to help those less fortunate pay for school.

Presidential Award: WSU Energy & Sustainability Office and the Sustainability Practices and Research Center (SPARC)

Through its multiple sustainability efforts, Weber State saved $1,984,280 on its water and energy costs in the fiscal year 2019. Since 2007, WSU has reduced its direct carbon footprint by 39 percent, while the university has grown by more than 475,252 square feet.  

The university is currently installing its first solar covered-parking array over the W10 lot on the northwest side of the Ogden campus. The array will house 550 kilowatts of solar panels that will feed directly into Lindquist Hall and the campus electrical grid. The power produced by the array is expected to offset 80 percent of Lindquist Hall’s energy consumption.

Other Weber State’s sustainability efforts have included a series of ground source wells that help heat and cool campus. The university built a seven-acre solar field that supplies the energy needs to the WSU Davis campus in Layton. Students are also involved in a collaborative project with Ogden City to construct a net-zero home in Ogden as part of an international competition hosted by the Department of Energy. Weber State also has hosted the successful Intermountain Sustainability Summit for 11 years..

President Brad Mortensen selected the Energy & Sustainability Office and the Sustainability Practices and Research Center (SPARC) for the Presidential Award in recognition of their
“collaborative work, community impact and industry-leading practices that clearly establish Weber State as a sustainability leader in Utah and the country.”

Registered Organization of the Year Award — Weber State Hockey Club

In the 2019-20 school year, Weber State’s Hockey Club was extremely successful in making sure players were academically eligible for competition. Every year the Hockey Club supports the campus by helping new students move into the dorms in the fall. They also hold events to help elementary students learn to read. Club members encourage participation in the sport of hockey by mentoring children who participate in recreation hockey leagues. Hockey has earned a loyal, boisterous Wildcat fan base.