[INSTRUMENTAL BEATS PLAYING]
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
[INSTRUMENTAL BEATS CONTINUE PLAYING]
Hi, I'm Scott Barnes, Director of Athletics.
Aggie athletics is about cultivating excellence.
We want to achieve excellence in competition
in winning games and winning championships
while competing at the highest level
of intercollegiate athletics.
We want excellent facilities that our student athletes
can use daily.
We want to achieve excellence in the classroom
by leading the WAC in all academic measures,
including GPA and graduation success rate.
We want to develop an excellent sense of pride
in Utah State for our students, alumni, and community.
But above all else, we want to provide opportunities
for young men and women to pursue excellence
by becoming Aggie student athletes
because these opportunities are truly life-changing.
It was my dream to play athletic profession ever
since I started playing sports when I was eight years old.
Coaches would talk to me all the time and different teachers
and counselors and my own father--
guys who really cared about me and my future.
They said, if you really don't get your grades right,
you're not going to do anything.
You're not going to go anywhere.
I really took heed to that and really buckled down
on my grades.
If I hadn't had a chance for an athletic scholarship,
my life with opportunities would have been somewhat of a blur.
My best friend that I grew up with-- he
was going down the path of drug dealing and things like that.
Without this opportunity that I have,
I probably would have went down the same path.
I am thankful for the opportunity
that I've been given because it took me away from that life,
and it opened up so many doors for me as a person.
I remember going home one December, and Monty said,
you know what?
College has really matured you.
I'm really thankful for that, truly I am.
I can't wait to see what happens life after college.
I'm Marissa Sanchez of the women's soccer team.
And I came to Utah State to play soccer and take
advantage of this opportunity to get a world-class education.
My family sacrificed taking me to and from Boise
from Twin Falls, which is a two-hour drive, three days
a week for four to six months out of the year.
I did this for three years, and they took me to tournaments
and just put forth the effort to give me a chance
to let me play college soccer.
If I didn't have an athletic scholarship at Utah State,
I would be working my way through college
at a two-year institution and living at home
trying to save money and hopefully
transferring to a four-year university later.
It's not just me, but many of our athletes
would not be at Utah State today without the support
our scholarships provide.
My name is Nnamdi Gwacham of the Aggie football team.
I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and immigrated to United States
with my family.
I'm currently in graduate school here at Utah State and plan
to head to medical school next.
Because of the scholarship I have
as an Aggie football player, I'm living the American dream.
What if I didn't have an athletic scholarship?
That's very difficult. Yeah, perhaps I
wouldn't have had an athletic scholarship,
but I would have found a way to make sure
that I went to college.
Without my scholarship, I wouldn't
have had the opportunities that I had
here at Utah State University.
What has my scholarship been worth?
Everything.
My scholarship has provided me the opportunity to become--
A personal trainer.
Working with teenagers.
Physical therapy.
A CPA.
Sports broadcaster.
School counselor.
Orthopedic surgeon.
My name is Nate Wickizer, and I was
fortunate to have a basketball scholarship to Utah State.
This scholarship provided me an opportunity
to receive a world-class education
and prepare me for life after college.
I have been pleased to give back in big ways
and in small ways in supporting today's Aggie athletes.
Won't you join me in supporting Aggie athletics?
Thanks, Nate.
The Big Blue Scholarship Fund supports over 320 student
athletes annually.
In the next few days, you'll be receiving information
on the 2010 Aggie Fund Drive.
In coming weeks, volunteers will be calling,
asking you for your support.
While being a Big Blue donor provides exciting season ticket
benefits, the central mission is to assist young people
in going to college.
By becoming a Big Blue Scholarship Fund donor,
you are creating opportunities for young student athletes
to cultivate excellence at Utah State.
Join the team behind the teams.