Stephanie West
Where are you from?
Delta, UT
What and where have you studied?
I consider myself a USU Aggie, however, I graduated with my AAS (Health Information Technology) and BS (Health Services Administration) degrees through Weber State University, which partners with USU for some of their medical/healthcare degrees. I also have an MS in Instructional Psychology and Technology from BYU.
Where have you previously worked?
I have been working for the last 4 years as a graduate student instructional design and research intern with the BYU ARTS Partnership. Before this I was a stay-at-home mother to 5 children for 12 years. Previous to that I worked at Athens Regional Hospital for 2 years in the Medical Records department.
What is your current job title?
BYU ARTS Partnership Research and Design.
Here is a list of my job responsibilities:
Design and implement research in arts, arts integration, teacher development, student learning, and instructional practice.
Conduct research and evaluation within existing BYU ARTS partnership programs.
Provide consulting to improve course content and resources such as online lesson plans, PD courses, and microcredentials.
Publish articles and prepare reports on program outcomes.
Build needs assessments and analyze data to create training content.
Design and build instructor-led training, e-learning, and blended learning solutions.
Create engaging learning experiences incorporating best practices and adult-learning methodologies.
Program Development and Implementation
Why did you choose to work at BYU?
I've worked as a graduate student employee for the last 4 years with the BYU ARTS Partnership (BAP) Native American Curriculum Initiative. I love the focus of BAP, the difference it makes for teachers and students, and the people I work with.
Growing up, what teacher inspired you the most? How?
I have two teachers that inspired me growing up. One is my high school Spanish and History teacher. He had high standards, and I could tell he cared about me as an individual. My 7th grade math teacher also inspired me. Even though he taught us math, he would always take time to emphasize the importance of also developing our character. For him, it didn't matter what we knew as much as what we would do with it.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
It took me 12 years to graduate with my bachelor's degree. By the time I graduated, I had served a 1 1/2 year mission, my husband had completed his doctoral degree, and we had 3 children, but I never gave up on the goal of getting my degree.
What do you regret not starting or doing when you were younger?
I wish I had known enough about retirement accounts to have started saving for retirement from the time I started my first job. I now teach all of my children to begin saving for retirement from the time they receive or earn any money. When they have saved at least $1000, we invest it in a target retirement account.
What was the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?
As a child I wanted to be an architect. As a teen I wanted to be a doctor. My favorite career so far has been as a mother to my 5 children.
What’s the most exciting thing you’ll do in 2025?
Finish writing my dissertation!
What would you rate 10/10?
My husband, Rick.