Zachery Baty

Contact Information

Biography

Growing up in Roy, UT, I quickly found a passion working in youth sports when I was in high school. I got involved officiating youth sports and assisting summer camps as a sophomore in high school. At that time, I had no idea that I would pursue a full-time career in Parks and Recreation. Originally I came to USU because of a scholarship that I received in the Math and Statistics major. After a year, I realized that I didn't like math or stats. I took a semester off to figure out what I wanted to pursue. At this time I was working in the intramurals department within campus recreation and I had a friend who referred me to the Parks and Recreation major. I quickly met with my counselor and refocused my time and energy on the parks and recreation major. My passion for campus recreation led me to the University of Utah to be a graduate assistant for their intramural program and this opportunity led me to get a Master's Degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism in May of 2021. I currently work for American Fork City as one of there two recreation coordinator over youth sports and I absolutely love my job.

Most meaningful thing learned or experienced during my time as a student:

Spend time fostering relationships with students, counselors, and professors. There have been numerous occasions where I have utilized the relationships I made at USU to get my foot in a door here or asking those people for advice in both my academic journey and occupational pursuits. 

Advice for current students/recent graduates:

Always strive to be a life-long learner. After I finished school, I hopped straight into a full time job. Long and inconsistent hours led me to have less time that I had available in college for hobbies. I found what free time I did have was spent to relaxing and resting. I wanted to continue to push my mind to grow when I stopped taking class. I am currently working towards learning French! It is difficult to continue to learn when it's not built into your schedule. Make it a priority to continue to push yourself when no one is holding you accountable.