The Jessica Clark Tayon Memorial Scholarship Jessica Clark Tayon dreamed of following in her daddy's footsteps and being a wildlife biologist, but before she got to realize that dream, Jessi passed away on January 15, 2007 at the age of twenty-one from respiratory complications. At the time of her death, Jessi was a junior at Utah State University in Logan, majoring in wildlife science. She was a Dean's list student and a Quinney Scholar. Jessi loved to camp and hunt and fish, first with her dad, and later with her husband Scott, to whom she was married just five months before she passed away. Despite her young age, Jessi got to do a lot of stuff people who love wildlife love doing . . . At age eight, she kept black bear cubs warm in her jacket while the mama bear was radio-collared. As a teenager, Jessi did bird surveys along the Great Salt Lake with her dad, raised and rehabbed a kestrel fledgling, boiled thousands of bobcat jaws to extract teeth for aging, captured and banded Canada geese, collected biological samples from deer at hunter check stations, helped with moose transplants, and participated in the first black-footed ferret transplant in Utah. Jessi worked three summers using telemetry to track elk, sage grouse and deer around Ely, Nevada, Deseret Land and Livestock, and the Cache Valley. She loved to shoot shotguns, rifles and handguns, and was a good shot with all three. She enjoyed hunting deer and pronghorn. She loved taking photos of wildlife, too. What some people might not know about Jessi is that she was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and trachea when she was just fourteen. No one has figured out how a healthy, athletic teenager could develop this kind of cancer. Jessi had three big open-chest surgeries and over forty smaller surgeries, weeks of chemo and radiation, and spent way too much time at University Hospital in Salt Lake City. She did most of the previously mentioned activities between bouts of surgery and illness. Jessi could be in ICU on a ventilator on Sunday and back to class or work on Monday, and nobody except her family and doctors would know a thing about it. That's the way she wanted it. She had trouble breathing and eating, but she was feisty, and through it all she kept her sense of humor . . . and her smile . . . and her faith. When Jessica passed away, her husband and her parents thought a fitting tribute would be to establish a scholarship in her name for future wildlife students at Utah State University. Jessi would be pleased to know that there'll be "Tayon Scholars" at Utah State, carrying on in wildlife where she had to leave off. Donations may be sent to: Jessica Clark Tayon Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o College of Natural Resources Utah State University Logan, UT 84322 BALL RAISES $1,000 FOR A SCHOLARSHIP HONORING DECEASED UTAH STATE STUDENT By: David Edwards Posted: 3/9/07, THE STATESMAN, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY The College of Natural Resources held its 64th annual Loggers' Ball on Thursday night at Hamilton's restaurant. The Ball was used to help raise funds for the new Jessica Clark Tayon scholarship. The event raised more than $1000 for the scholarship. People were encouraged to donate during the days leading up to the Ball and during the event itself. Donors were entered into a drawing to win various prizes. The drawing was held midway through the night. Among the prizes were two Beaver Mountain ski passes, a nature photo tour, an elk hunt, an antelope hunt, and a chainsaw. Daniel Reynolds was the winner of the chainsaw. When his name was announced, he jumped up smiling, pulled his wife Crystal to her feet, and kissed her in front of the whole crowd. Dr. Fee Busby, the winner of the antelope hunt, had a different response to winning his prize. He told James Stuart, the CNR senator who was officiating at the drawing, to either sell it to someone else at the Ball or on eBay to raise more money for the scholarship. The scholarship is in honor of Jessica Clark Tayon, a student in the College of Natural Resources who passed away on Jan. 15. Alan Clark, Jessica's father, said that creating the scholarship was an opportunity to help someone achieve what Jessica wasn't able to reach. "If she's not here to do it herself, she's contributing to make it happen," he said. Alan Clark is a wildlife biologist, and the assistant director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. He said that Jessica had long wanted to be wildlife biologist as well. From an early age she went with him to do various jobs, including placing radio collars on hibernating bears. He said that Jessica wanted to work for the state as a wildlife biologist and the scholarship may go to students with similar goals. Since there are already a number of scholarships for upperclassmen, this scholarship will most likely go to newer students, he said. The Loggers' Ball was not just a scholarship fundraiser, however. "The purpose is to get students and faculty to interact, number one, to know the professors outside of the classroom," Stuart said. It was a very social event, and included a live bluegrass band. The Loggers' Ball is an old tradition that dates back to the days when the college was known as the College of Forestry. It has become less and less emphasized over recent years. The CNR Student Council is trying to rejuvenate the ball, and a make it a high-quality event that people can be proud of, said Adam Brewster, CNR Student Council President. Before the prize drawing, Brewster and Stuart gave a scrapbook of thoughts about Jessica and a framed photograph of her on a summer internship to Jessica's husband, Scott Tayon, and her parents, Alan and Linda Clark. They also recognized two professors in the College of Natural Resources, Dr. Cliff Craig and Dr. John Malechek, for their diligent work. Stuart also announced to the audience that Katie Santini would be the new CNR senator. -dpedwards@cc.usu.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAKEDA J. TRUJILLO Awarded the First Jessica Clark Tayon Scholarship April 14, 2007 Scott Tayon, Makeda Trujillo, Alan and Linda Clark at the CNR Scholarship Banquet, April 14, 2007 The premier presentation of the Jessica Clark Tayon Memorial Scholarship was made at the Utah State University College of Natural Resources Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 14, 2007. The first- ever recipient of this scholarship is Makeda Trujillo, from Kearns, Utah. Makeda is a freshman at Utah State University majoring in wildlife science. Makeda was also awarded the Allen W. and Alice H. Stokes Scholarship. She will be working this summer in Montana on a Tehabi Internship. We (Alan and I) and Jessica's husband Scott got to sit at the same table at the awards banquet with Makeda and her parents, Terry and Elizabeth Trujillo. It was a pleasure to meet Makeda and get to know her and her parents a little bit. She's a bright girl, and it gives us great joy to know that Jessica's scholarship will help Makeda in furthering her studies in wildlife science. We were also pleased that the College allowed us to show a three-minute video presentation of Jessica's life. This beautiful video was crafted by Reed Sherman, a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources media specialist, to whom we are very grateful. PRESTON MICKELSON Awarded the 2008 Jessica Clark Tayon Scholarship April 12, 2008 Preston E. Mickelson, a sophomore from West Valley City majoring in wildlife science at Utah State University, was presented with the Jessica Clark Tayon Memorial Scholarship during the 2008 Annual CNR Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 12. This year the dinner was held at the new Blackstone Restaurant in Logan. Jessica's husband Scott and I (her mom) were honored to be present. It was a great pleasure to meet Preston and his mom and dad. Preston is a fine, solid young man who has plans to become a conservation officer when he completes his degree. Preston also received the Fisheries and Wildlife Emeritus Faculty Scholarship. Preston will be working with the Division of Wildlife Resourses this summer, monitoring sage grouse in Rich County.