“I came to the U because I have always lived in Salt Lake City, and it seemed like a really cool place to come to school. 

I am studying elementary education. Growing up, I always wanted to play teacher. But when I eventually came to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in, and my parents suggested I try out teaching. 

I decided to get a job with kids to get a feel for the job, which led me to the Utah Reads work-study program with the Bennion Center, where I tutor kids at Title I schools. I also started taking elementary education classes with a community engagement learning component. As I started going into classrooms regularly and talking to kids and teachers, it just seemed like a really awesome field. The mission of teachers and educators is really meaningful because they help people every day. 

I love working with these kids and I see so much of myself in them. I want to become a teacher so I can keep being someone who cares for them. My Utah Reads placement is at the Mountain View and Glendale Community Center, which provides a lot of support for students and their families, including a food bank and a neighborhood health clinic. This experience has made me want to be a good teacher, because it showed me what it’s like to really care for students and not just go to work every day. 

The Bennion Center is such an amazing place full of really passionate people wanting to change the world, and they are starting with our little city. I really love the service projects that we do—even the little ones like knitting hats. It is so fun to be there. It’s a really safe environment and a wonderful community. 

I love what the Bennion Center stands for and its mission. If you love social justice and you want to know more about how it affects you, the Bennion Center is a really amazing place to learn more about it.”

—Idaly Tapia Munoz, a third-year student majoring in elementary education