Former Sumner High student operates food pantry at Boise State

Emily Hester, Class of 2017 graduate, is proving that the servant heart at Sumner High School extends past state borders and well into the future. 

As the current Campus Food Pantry manager at Boise State University, Emily is making a difference supporting the needs of thousands of students in Idaho. 

Shortly after graduation and joining Boise State, Emily started working as the pantry's first student employee in 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology in 2021 and stayed at Boise State. She's now responsible for guiding the food pantry program, overseeing the volunteer program, and more. 

"As someone who has experienced food insecurity when I was a kid, I never want anyone to have to look in their cupboard and realize that it's empty," Emily said in a Boise State alumni newsletter. "Being able to help make that not a reality for so many people coming through our doors is something really, really cool."

According to Boise State, since opening in 2018, the Campus Food Pantry has grown into one of Boise State's most impactful student support programs, recording more than 47,000 student visits, served approximately 8,000 unique students and distributed more than half a million pounds of food and hygiene products in 2025 alone.

We're proud of Emily's work supporting the community. Learn more about the Boise State Campus Food Pantry.