Both of my parents put college pursuits on hold to raise their nine kids, making me a first-generation college student. Despite this, the importance of obtaining an education was a priority in my home and hard work and self-sufficiency were instilled in us, teaching us to work hard for the things we wanted. I got my first job at 8 years old and started working full time over the summers at age 14. My cell phone, gas, car insurance, much of my clothing, athletics, my two-year religious mission, and my college education were all personally funded.

School never came easy for me, and for most of my life I believed I had a learning disability. As a perfectionist, this was very frustrating. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than an A, but it always felt like I had to work twice as hard as my peers to get that. I went to school early every morning to meet with my teachers to the point where I felt even they were annoyed with my constant lack of understanding.

Considering my lack of confidence in the core subjects of math, science, English, history, and, frankly, my lack of interest in them as well, I decided to study behavioral science at Utah Valley University. I knew people fascinated me and that my people skills were something I felt confident in. The plan from the beginning was to get in and get out as fast as possible. I just needed the piece of paper, right? I felt my connections would continue to land good jobs for me as they had done up to that point.

With this mindset, I took a full load of classes and went full time in the summers as well. I applied for scholarships but was told that a high GPA wasn’t enough — they needed to see more program involvement from me. This was not an option for me as I was working 40-50 hours a week on top of my class load.

I heard a quote from renowned heart surgeon Russell M. Nelson that goes, “The difference between those who want to help people and those who can is education.” That quote really hit home but I didn’t quite understand how it applied to me. I wasn’t trying to be a heart surgeon. I was struggling more and more to find any value in my education and thoroughly entertained the idea of dropping out of college. I wanted to push back on the system and show that I could make it in the world without a traditional education and a college degree.

It was at this point that I heard about the presidential internship opportunity on campus. Being the highest-paid student position, this opportunity would allow me to keep working but also get involved like I’d wanted to. I attended an information panel where President Matthew Holland spoke. He said something that really stuck out to me: “The fact that you are in this room today tells me you will be successful in life. You may not get this opportunity today, but you’ll get the next one. You are the kind of person who seeks out opportunities, and that will set you up for success in life.” I decided to apply and told God half-jokingly if he wanted me to stay in school, this would be a great way to ensure that. 

With no previous leadership experience on campus, I did have a strong enough working resume for Vice President Scott Cooksey and his team in Institutional Advancement to take a chance on me. My experience as a presidential intern changed my whole life trajectory, but, more specifically, my outlook on education and the opportunities it brings. Once I put forth the effort, I found people who believed in me, people who helped me to recognize my gifts and abilities, and people who encouraged me to dream and shoot for the stars.

Since then I have co-founded and served as VP of the Wolverines Fight Porn Club, an ambassador for the university's foundation, and I am currently serving as chief of staff for UVU’s Student Association as well as a partner in UVU’s Venture Capital Fund. I will graduate in the spring of 2019, and I plan to pursue a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology.

My goal is to help other people in similar situations believe in themselves early and discover what their strengths are. My advice for anyone trying to decide what to do in college is that no matter what happens, don’t let classes or work get in the way of a real education. There are unlimited connections and potential for opportunity in universities, and UVU’s specific model of engaged learning helped me to truly find my strengths and invest in my success.