Jesler Molina presented in person at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals class at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday, February 28th, 2024. Jesler is currently a policy analyst for the Office of Professional Licensure Review (OPLR) of the Utah Department of Commerce. In his role, he reviews and makes policy recommendations for the current requirements for each regulated occupation in the state of Utah.
Jesler Molina Speaks Before Students at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Class
Jelser Molina grew up in Venezuela and was first introduced to politics from a Model UN class he took in middle school. After coming to UVU in 2011, he noticed there wasn’t a model UN class available. He and three other students were founding members of the class in 2011. This also led to the creation of the Model UN club at UVU that same year. Just one year later, the club was invited to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Jelser attributes this trip to building a strong foundation for his future college endeavors and allowed him to connect and network with high-level leaders.
As Model UN continued to develop at UVU, so did the ideas behind sustainable development. The concept started small, with an essays writing contest being held by UVU political science students at local highschools in Utah County. This allows highschool and college aged students to do research and write about sustainable development and energy in the state of Utah. From there, more research and contributions were asked of UVU students. This includes research on the sustainable development of Sierra Madre Mountain Range made by Jesler and his 18 other peers from UVU. It was a contribution to the Sustainable Mountain Development in North America report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20) in 2012. Projects like these allow UVU students to explore ideas and interests outside of the classroom.
Group photo of Jesler Molina with Students from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Class
This, and much more, led to the creation of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU. The club's goal was to promote sustainable development in mountain communities through UVU’s model of student engaged learning (SEL). SEL encourages students to work as a team, be hands-on with real-world problems under the mentoring of faculty. The model involves traditional and non-traditional students to advocate for SMD. Through the UIMF, Jelser was able to advocate for mountain targets implementation by helping host New York Times Correspondent Somini Sengupta on October 29, 2014, the president of ECOSOC, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, Ambassador Martin Sajdik in 2015 and Women of the Mountains Conference during October 7 -9, 2015 at UVU.
Janessa Purcell, UIMF VP, presents gifts to Jesler Molina after his presentation at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Class
As one of highlights of his time at UVU and being the UIMF President, Jesler Molina spoke at the Open Working Group session on Sustainable Development Goals in United Nations headquarters on December 11, 2013. Since this moment he was also able to build ties with both co-chairs of the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development, Macharia Kamua and Csaba Korosi. As an outcome, Jesler Molina was glad to come back to UVU after graduation and greet Ambassador Macharia Kamau in 2017 and President of the United Nations General Assembly, Ambassador Korosi on May 15, 2023. These events propelled the UIMF into its advocacy of the Sustainable Development Goals and established the patterns the club still follows to this day.
Noah Farnsworth with Jesler Molina after his presentation at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Class
I really enjoyed Jesler’s simple and dedicated approach to his work and careers. His work at UVU through Model UN and the UIMF were pivotal in establishing the guidelines of these programs and expectations for future students. His ability to work in a team in collaborative efforts made him a valuable asset to his current work for the Utah Department of Commerce.
The presentation of Jesler Molina was an excellent example of how the UVU SEL model empowers its graduates to build their personal skill development, networking, and leadership experience. The SEL model gives students a chance to enhance their communication skills and learn to collaborate in groups with people of diverse interests and experience. UVU offers students, no matter their background and age, and opportunities for continued growth and opportunity.
Noah Farnsworth, Vice-President Of Social Media and Outreach, UIMF
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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
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