{"id":2723,"date":"2026-02-18T21:46:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/?p=2723"},"modified":"2026-02-18T21:46:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:46:52","slug":"choosing-to-lead-choosing-to-serve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/choosing-to-lead-choosing-to-serve\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing to Lead, Choosing to Serve"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Conner<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

At EOU, student leadership is more than a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 line\u2014it is a voice that helps shape EOU\u2019s future. Conner Fecht, a sophomore pre-nursing major who serves as EOU\u2019s student representative on the Board of Trustees, understands that responsibility. His recent appointment by the Governor to the EOU Board of Trustees helps ensure that the experiences of students are present in decisions that affect every aspect of the university. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This responsibility and dedication to service is part of a much larger family story for Conner.  His parents, Russell, \u201999, and Jennifer, \u201999, Fecht, met at EOU while studying education. His older brother, Tim, graduated in 2024 after serving in the student government and studying education. Conner, who grew up in Lovelock, Nevada (pop. 1,823), is now building his own legacy centered on community, service, and the belief that EOU changes lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like the small community,\u201d Conner said. \u201cYou really get to know people here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conner plans to apply to the OHSU\u2013La Grande nursing program. \u201cI find joy in caring for people,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For his parents, seeing Conner serve at the highest level of university governance is profoundly meaningful. \u201cAs EOU graduates and longtime supporters of the university, watching Conner continue the Mountaineer legacy is both humbling and deeply meaningful,\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer remembers how EOU embraced her after arriving from a high school graduating class of seven. \u201cEOU was more than just a college. It was a community that made me feel at home and prepared me for success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sense of connection shaped her sons\u2019 choices as well. \u201cWatching Conner feel confident to join clubs, participate in student government, and become a resident assistant makes me proud,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Conner, rural healthcare is not an abstract issue\u2014it\u2019s personal. \u201cThere\u2019s a big shortage of healthcare in rural areas. I want to go where I\u2019m needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That desire reflects a lifelong pattern his parents have witnessed in countless acts of kindness: the teammate he encouraged, the classmate he refused to be left out, the moments he chose compassion without seeking recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWhat stands out most,\u201d Russell said, \u201cis that this isn\u2019t just a career choice for him; it\u2019s a calling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conner\u2019s story is a reminder of why EOU matters. When students are empowered\u2014supported by family, surrounded by community, and given a real voice at the table\u2014they become the kind of leaders who return home, uplift their communities, and carry the Mountaineer spirit forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At EOU, student leadership is more than a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 line\u2014it is a voice that helps shape EOU\u2019s future. Conner Fecht, a sophomore pre-nursing major who serves as EOU\u2019s student representative on the Board of Trustees, understands that responsibility. His recent appointment by the Governor to the EOU Board of Trustees helps ensure that the experiences […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":491,"featured_media":2759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/491"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2723"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2760,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723\/revisions\/2760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}