Last modified: Monday, April 16, 2007 11:59 AM PDT Crystal Emery, president of Treasure Valley Community College Associated Student Government, has mixed feelings as she prepares to move to a four-year university, noting her experience at TVCC has gone very quickly. A successful tenure By Larry Meyer - Argus Observer ONTARIO - For Crystal Emery, it all came down to a choice. Emery, current president of the Associated Student Government at Treasure Valley Community College, was pondering which four-year college to attend when she discovered that she could study music without giving up soccer if she attended Ontario’s community college. “I didn’t want to give up soccer yet,” Emery said. “At TVCC I had opportunities to do several things. They have good classes.” Now, two years later, she is preparing to take the next step to a four-year university after she graduates from TVCC in June. Emery, a music education major, said she is still in the process of deciding which higher education institution she will attend. As she prepares for graduation, Emery had time to reflect on her time as the student government president. “I can’t believe it,” she said regarding her time in office and the upcoming elections for new student body officers. Emery plays the piano, and though she started out playing the violin, she switched to the viola. “I wanted to try something different,” she said of the change to the viola. She also has played the flute and plays a little guitar. “My mom is a piano teacher,” she said. “Everyone in my family plays soccer and two instruments.” She said she started piano lessons when she was 7 and started playing violin when she was 12, following in the footsteps of older sisters. “All the girls (four of them) played strings,” she said. “The (two) boys played brass.” Emery attended Nampa High School, and besides soccer and basketball, she played in band, concert band and orchestra. However, Nampa dropped its orchestra program and she ended up playing in Skyview High School’s orchestra. “I’ve got a Skyview letter for orchestra,” she said, noting with amusement that the two schools are rivals. “It was good though,” she said. Emery actually did not decide to go to TVCC until about a month before school started. “I was never really in leadership situations,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot — how to communicate, public speaking has been a big one.” TVCC has helped her make the transition from high school to a four-year institution, she said. “There are a lot of opportunities to get prepared for a four-year school,” she said, adding she is looking at Brigham Young University-Idaho or Boise State University. However, that school choice may change, she said, because of her experience with student government. “I was academic senator last year,” she said, which included being out in the community a lot. Being in student government helped her get a different outlook about things, she said. “You meet twice as many people” she said. “You tend to learn a lot more in many different areas. You find a lot more enjoyment,” Emery said.