“I’ve been in business since my dad and I started working together in 2014. My goal is to help him in the future, maybe start a company and see it grow and succeed.

The industry I want to go into is supply chain—how to get something from the start to the end consumer. Like when you place an order, it’s the whole process in between ordering and receiving it.

I’m a first-generation student, the first to attend college in my entire family. My First Ascent scholarship is the whole reason I’m in college. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to attend. I’m fortunate to have this opportunity to come to college and graduate. That’s why I want to try to give back as much as I can.

I’d want to come back as an alumnus specifically for my scholarship and be a spokesperson, helping give tips and tricks to any students currently in college. I’d want to find a way to expand the program and bring in more students on scholarship. That’s the good thing about the program: we are a whole family.

I love being a Presidential Intern and learning about higher education from leaders across campus. Now, every time I walk around campus, I think about how the campus itself has changed and matured, how each department collaborates or operates, and how they help students succeed.

It’s been a great experience working in the Office of Student Experience. I had no idea what to expect because it’s still a brand-new office. But now I’m working with them on a huge project, and when I look back to the start of the year, I see how we’ve set the groundwork for the future.

The big idea I want to put out there is: don’t give up—keep trying to succeed, and go Utes!”

—Jesus Martinez-Rodriguez, a fourth-year student studying operations and supply chain with a minor in Information Systems, born and raised in Salt Lake City