“I first became aware of Transform because I was taking my elective credits for psychology and there was a feminist theories class. I love feminism, so I decided to take the class. I absolutely loved the professor, Ella Myers, and she first introduced me to Transform. I went to a couple of their community events and I really liked the vibe.

That was in my junior year and I was debating on whether or not I wanted to pursue a double major in sociology and psychology. Ultimately I decided to do a minor in sociology and double major in gender studies and psychology.

After I joined Transform, I became an outreach ambassador for the school. A lot of the time, this entailed me tabling and getting to meet with prospective students for the U and just trying to get them to know what Transform is.

I feel like even a lot of the students at the U don’t necessarily know what Transform is. People often find the school their sophomore or junior year and then they feel like it’s a lot of pressure to add another major or minor. So the goal of my effort was to get to these students earlier. So many people are interested in the ideas of Transform but don’t necessarily know what they can do with a Transform degree or that it even exists.

I don’t find community all too easily. As a multiracial person, it’s sometimes hard to find that acceptance, even within my own communities. So I really like to find a place where I fully feel like I belong. I really feel like I have that in Transform.

Transform really embodies community, because it’s such an accepting place. It just offers an unconditional sense of belonging to anyone- no matter how they identify. It’s a safe space, especially for those who might not feel as welcome in other parts of campus. I think that’s really important and I’ve been so happy to be a part of Transform for as long as I have.”

—Brendan Hatch, 2023 University of Utah graduate