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The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the college graduate experience of a junior officer who decided to finish their bachelor’s degree despite any temptation to drop out of school; participants were selected from a midwestern military installation. The guiding theory of this study was Duckworth’s grit theory; the study related to her theory by examining participants’ passion and perseverance and their relation to the motivation in the context of choice to finish the goal of graduating from college and commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Army. This qualitative design used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach; data collection consisted of an interview, a letter to their former self, and a focus group. The participants were all junior military officers who leaned heavily on their family values and school standards, and each had established goals to match their plans; their chosen institution was culture-driven, cared for the wellbeing of the individual, and constantly worked to change the student’s outlook. The study revealed that these one-time students expected both their college and military training to be a difficult lifestyle, but all were set to make the sacrifice and enrolled in school with the intention of joining the military. Each step of the study aimed to help participants clarify background information, bring to light behaviors, and help recall past events. The central research question addressed the experience of the participant's decision to push through their trials; the study described how motives affected them and what drove them despite the challenge. It also revealed the power of connection and the need for belonging in the context of community.

This is "Wild," a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources podcast with your host, Faith Heaton Jolley. In this episode, DWR Wildlife Section Chief Justin Shannon, DWR Habitat Restoration Biologist Nicole Nielson and Troy Forrest, the director of the Grazing Improvement Program with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, talk about some of the impacts of drought conditions on big game animals, livestock, and their habitat and grazing areas. They also discuss how limited food and water during drought years can cause competition between livestock and elk for those resources, and how the two state agencies work to minimize those conflicts.

Powerpoint presentation prepared for Utah Wildlife Board and Regional Advisory Councils. Fawn production has been steady at 60 to 65 per 100 does. Doe survival has been 84 to 86 percent and fawn survival has increased to 78 percent in 2012 and 82 percent in 2013. The mule deer statewide estimate is now 355,600, slightly above the mule deer short-term objective. The elk statewide population trend shows that there are currently at 81,300 elk; above the 71,000 statewide objective. Of the 10,000 elk above state objectives, about 70 percent are found in the northern region and many of those are found on private lands. DWR is working with private land owners to reduce that number. The plan was presented to the Utah Wildlife Board at their meeting on April 30, 2015.