My name is Karen Magaña. I am a junior at UVU, and I’m an accounting major. I serve as the chief inclusion officer of the Utah Valley University Student Association, so I work very closely with a lot of different clubs around the university, as well as with Dr. Belinda ’Otukolo Saltiban, the chief inclusion officer at UVU, to create an environment where all students feel like they belong.

I am the first person in my family to go to college. I have three older siblings, and they couldn't attend college once they came of age. My parents are immigrants from Mexico, and neither of them was able to finish high school. They came from an impoverished town. My mother didn't make it past 6th grade because she had 11 siblings — her parents couldn’t afford to send all their children to school. My father made it to his sophomore year of high school. I knew that ever since I was little, knowing what my siblings and parents went through, I was going to college. I told myself, "I have to. I have to do it because they didn't have the means to — and I do, so I’m going to do it.” My siblings are much older than me, and they supported me by telling me that they would help fund my education when I grew up. School has always been very important to me! You can ask any of my friends — I obsess over my education and my grades, which is how I managed to earn a scholarship to UVU.

My parents moved to the U.S. a year before I was born, so I grew up here, but I was still very in touch with Mexican culture. It was tough. In Utah, there isn’t a ton of representation. While I think it has gotten better, growing up I was surrounded by people that didn’t have the same background as me, and that was hard because my home life was so different from my school life. I learned to separate them. I also grew up without being a member of the dominant religion here, which also affected my identity, and it hit me when I started at UVU. I was trying to figure out who I was, and it was a very transformative period in my life.

I grew up in Provo and always knew about UVU. During my junior year, I began genuinely considering where I would go to college. UVU stood out to me because I loved their goals to make education accessible and give second chances. I think that everyone deserves access to education. It's been important to me since I was little because I've seen how valuable education is to people who were not given the option or the opportunity to receive one. It pushed me to attend UVU.

When I first started at UVU, I wasn't involved because I wanted to make sure I could handle college. I didn’t have anyone close to me to guide me through the process, so I had to learn how to be independent in my academics. I feel like a lot of immigrants and first-generation students know how hard that transition can be. It isn't easy to not be able to turn to my parents with my questions. They can’t directly relate to what I’m experiencing right now. The fact that I am here makes me proud of myself. I’m proud that I found the motivation and the self-confidence to pursue my dreams after my parents couldn’t go to college. I hope it makes their work worth it because they work so hard to support me.

I was able to get involved last semester when I applied for UVUSA. I got a message from a friend encouraging me to apply, and my first thought was, "There's no way. This is the big leagues! I was never in student government in high school.” But as I looked through the available positions, I saw that there was a position for chief inclusion officer. I said, "This is the one." I wanted it, and I ended up getting it! I was scared at first because I knew it was a big job. Inclusion, diversity, and equity are big topics that have many intricacies, but I’ve had support, and so many people care about the cause — ensuring UVU is a place for everyone — that I do not feel scared anymore.

My experience here has been amazing. I love how supportive the professors are, and I feel like the faculty and staff really care about students and put them first. If you need anything, they are there for their students and are willing to make time to listen and help you with your problems. In the realm of inclusion and diversity, feedback is everything, so I know how important it is for students to feel heard. There are so many opportunities at UVU. I never thought that I could be in student government, and here I am. When I began my position, the quote that I repeated to myself was, "Anyone can cook," from “Ratatouille,” because I feel like we are so hard on ourselves. We don't realize our potential. As a child of immigrants and a woman of color, I did not see myself represented all the time. It was hard to imagine myself in a position like this, but now that it has happened, I’ve gained a lot of self-confidence and self-efficacy. I can see what I am capable of, and I can do hard things.

I would encourage first-generation students, old and new, to take advantage of all the resources that UVU offers, including the First-Year program. I wish I would have joined that. I had the mentality that I couldn’t get involved until I knew I could handle college, but that is not the case. I would also encourage first-generation students to remind themselves that they CAN do hard things and that they DO deserve an education. Don't be afraid to get involved because we need your input. Being a first-generation student is hard, but the faculty and staff are working hard to ensure UVU is a place for all. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas!

After I graduate in December 2021, I hope to enter a Master of Accountancy program and become a licensed CPA. I'm not enrolled in my program yet, but I've been taking more accounting classes, and I'm very excited! I know accounting isn't for everyone — when I tell people what I'm studying, they'll say something like, "Really? Accounting?!" But I really like it. I love problem-solving. I am so grateful UVU has given me the opportunity to receive an accessible education and enjoy many extracurricular activities.