By Alumni Association, University of Utah

University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) at the University of Utah just celebrated its 15th year of Partners in the Park. UNP works to increase community engagement with the U with the long-term goal of increasing access to higher education for west side residents. Programs such as Partners in the Park connect potential students with the U and other institutions of higher education, raising their awareness of and access to the lifelong value of higher education. Partners in the Park also provides west side residents with access to local resources and organizations.

The Summer 2018 Partners in the Park kickoff event was held on June 19 at Jordan Park, where the Alumni Association granted five scholarships to well-deserving west-side Salt Lake City residents who will be attending the University of Utah in the fall. U President Ruth V. Watkins attended the event and introduced the new executive director of Alumni Relations, Todd Andrews, who then presented the awards to each of this year’s scholars.

Partners in the Park is a multi-week summer program designed to bring university faculty, staff, students, community partner organizations and west-side residents together in local neighborhood parks.

The remaining 2018 Partners in the Park program schedule is:

• July 17, Riverside Park, 739 N. 1400 West, 6-8 p.m.
• July 31, Constitution Park, 300 N. 1300 West, 6-8 p.m.

2018 Alumni Association UNP Scholarship recipients:

Maria Pesantez

Originally from Ecuador, Maria Pesantez has a passion for helping people in her community. She has been volunteering since high school, when she first worked to help low-income rural people, and has most recently worked with AmeriCorps and the Latino success program SLCC Amigos Mentores. Maria completed her general education requirements at Salt Lake Community College and is now enrolled in the social work program at the U. Her personal goal is to help victims of domestic violence in the Latino community. Maria is the mother of a two-year-old daughter, whom she hopes to teach to follow her dreams. She writes, “I know that I will be able to make a difference because I have empathy for my community, being a migrant myself.”

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