These are common student worries, and right now it’s an exceptionally chaotic time. Economic uncertainty rules. In January, it seemed the White House would freeze financial aid — a threat that was walked back, but not before unnerving students who depend on loans and grants. At the Ogden IRS office, 1,000 people may lose their jobs by May. Those working for the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies are living with trepidation: Will they have a job in a day, a week, a month? Last week, 2,000 Forest Service employees were fired across the nation. Proposed Defense Department budget cuts (8% annually) mean Hill Air Force Base personnel with spouses working in the probationary positions targeted for federal cuts may find their families with one less paycheck. Civilian jobs from government military contracts are also at risk.

These are not just numbers. These are people. And many of them are Weber State University students, including active military. Our average student age is 25. These are people with children, mortgages, rent and car payments. These job cuts will impact not just those students who are part of the federal workforce, but they will also impact students whose parents are federal employees.

Then there are undocumented students or those with undocumented family members, as well as international students wondering what’s coming at them.

Students are feeling the pressure, and WSU faculty and staff know it. Midterm student surveys indicate economic struggles and mental health, family and other personal issues. Some WSU students have been homeless; others often attend school while struggling with intermittent homelessness. Others are food insecure. The Department of Agriculture describes food insecurity as something that ranges from “reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet” to “reduced food intake” — in other words, going hungry. If you have ever been hungry, even if only for a short while, you know how impossible it is to concentrate, let alone succeed as a student. A 2023 WSU survey found that 43% of WSU students are food insecure.

Against a challenging backdrop that might drive people to focus narrowly on one’s self, our students continue to find time to serve others. One example is Family Promise of Ogden, an organization helping get homeless families off the street and into jobs and housing through a structured program. In 2024, Family Promise served over 2,000 people, including 536 families. They provided 257 children with Christmas clothing and presents, as well as 4,390 individual shelter nights.

This is an impactful organization, making a difference in Ogden. I serve on their board, and as demand for services continues to grow, it’s clear the organization needs more volunteers. As part of that effort, we sought students in WSU’s English department in the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities interested in helping us spread our message. These students came with great passion, creativity, technical skills and the broad perspectives that come out of a humanities degree. They know to ask questions: Who is the audience? What’s the best way to reach them? What are the most effective hashtags for social media at the moment?

The student applicants were so impressive that we created two positions instead of just one! Aspen Kip, majoring in professional and technical writing (English), and Jennifer LaMontagne, an English major, bring writing ability and media savvy to the team. Also, for years we’ve hired for a grant writing internship position. Currently, Alexia Stocks, a senior English major with a minor in communication, serves in this role. Her work helps the organization win grants to fund its mission. Students coming out of the Family Promise grant-writing internship program land well-paying jobs as professional grant writers, sometimes earning nearly $70,000 per year, while doing meaningful work that benefits all of us.

Often, you’ll read that employers feel college graduates lack the “soft skills” and/or “durable skills” that help them succeed. I first heard of this latter term this past week at WSU’s First Year Summit, an event focused on how to best serve our first-year students. The Utah System of Higher Education recently commissioned a survey sent to industry leaders statewide asking them what skills college graduates needed. One need was “durable skills.” Employers saw room for better stress management, conflict management and time management. Certainly, WSU can do better in helping develop such skills — we always seek to improve! But to find students willing to volunteer to serve the less fortunate at a time of profound educational, social and economic stress is remarkable. These English students own durable skills!

You might say that students are our future: Where would we be without well-trained teachers, scientists, law enforcement personnel, engineers, librarians, mechanics, nurses, entertainers? But for students investing in an uncertain future, the present is itself uncertain, and a little encouragement is in order. Next time you find a WSU student at their job or coming into your business, consider letting them know you support them. Say, “Thanks for being a student — our future depends on you!”

Hal Crimmel is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of English who served for nine years as chair of the English department at Weber State University. He currently serves as the academic director of Concurrent Enrollment. This commentary is provided through a partnership with Weber State. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent the institutional values or positions of the university.