Megan Battleson is an outstanding graduate in the Colorado State University Department of Human Development and Family Studies due to her strong work ethic and heavy involvement in various roles across the department. 

Born and raised in Greeley, Colorado, Battleson was attracted to CSU for several reasons. 

“As a family-oriented person, I knew that I wanted to attend a university that would allow me to remain close to my family, while providing me with opportunities to challenge my personal growth and development,” she said. “As an incoming student, I enrolled at CSU without a declared major and needed time to explore the academic programs offered at the university as well as assess my personal and professional interests. As a result, I valued the support systems that CSU had in place to support undeclared students like me who had transfer credits from Advanced Placement and dual enrollment. Of course, the beautiful campus was not a deterrent, either!” 

After eventually declaring as a HDFS major, Battleson was confronted by the obstacle of the COVID pandemic. 

“The pandemic imposed academic challenges as I had to learn how to adapt my learning style to accommodate to the new, online format for courses when I had only ever learned in a classroom setting before,” she said. “Finding ways to engage with material thoughtfully while managing the personal turbulence that the pandemic imposed was an immense challenge that helped me learn a lot about myself as a student and as a person.” 

While the pandemic created certain challenges, Battleson was able to emerge successfully with the help of those in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.  

“The department not only adapted to the challenges that the pandemic imposed, but also modeled what it looks like to meet students where they are at and exercise empathy and compassion to support others,” said Battleson. 

Battleson lauds her professors for their advice during COVID closures. 

“My professors were also helpful beyond the scope of the pandemic and lockdown in ensuring my academic success and professional development by making sure that my learning did not end in the classroom, as they encouraged me to take the extra step and apply the content to real life,” she said. 

Looking toward the future 

Battleson took the extra step and paired with her strong work ethic, was able to hold several positions at CSU. Her extracurricular involvement reflects her desire to work closely with college students and gain insight into the profession. 

Battleson is now finishing her internship at the HDFS advising office this semester, after spending the past three semesters as a Peer Advisor and Lead Peer Advisor. She also served as a mentor for the Campus Connections youth mentoring program, an Honors Program Peer Mentor, and held leadership positions with Orientation & Transition Programs on campus, including being a Ram Welcome Leader in 2020, as well as being an Orientation Leader, Ram Welcome Leader Supervisor, and Peer Facilitator in 2022.  

“During my time at CSU, I am proud of the initiative that I have taken to contribute to the community of care that has been established at the institution through my experiences in student-leadership roles as well as daily interactions,” she said. 

Emerging from the struggles of COVID, Battleson is grateful for her experiences at CSU. 

“CSU offered me the opportunity to establish an outstanding support system and I cannot thank the individuals within it enough for guiding me through my personal and professional journey to commencement,” she said. 

“I was lucky to have a multitude of opportunities to connect with others and establish relationships with many of my professors, peers, and mentors, and I will miss the daily interactions that brought me joy, comfort, and insight the past four years,” she said. 

Battleson also completed an undergraduate Honors thesis that explored college adjustment among students in the Army ROTC program, which invigorated her passion and interest in student affairs. Following graduation, Battleson plans to pursue higher education and hopes to come full circle, mentoring and supporting CSU students in the future.  

“Upon graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I intend to build upon my experience working in the field of student affairs for a year before pursuing a master’s degree from CSU’s Student Affairs in Higher Education program, with the goal of remaining at CSU as an academic or career advising professional.” 

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.