“I am somebody who, for better or worse, is interested in a lot of different things—side quests—you could call them. Whether that’s baking, outdoor activities, coding, videography, photography—all sorts of things. But here at the University of Utah, I’ve found myself primarily involved in research.

I have been fortunate enough to work with Dr. Frankie Laanan, Dean of the College of Education, and Dr. Jason Burrow-Sánchez, Professor in Counseling Psychology and current Faculty Athletic Representative. Under their mentorship, I was able to conduct a study on specific demographics and their risk of sexual assault on college campuses.

Being able to work through that, understand the existing knowledge, and then look to expand upon it is a communal feeling for me. You’re helping to achieve progress for the community and that specific research area. It’s been an incredibly rewarding opportunity and experience.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to help fundraise for the Rape Recovery Center, an organization that I deeply respect and have a great relationship with now. I will continue to improve that relationship beyond just fundraising and help them with their fight against sexual assault in Utah.

I hope I can bring my experience and apply my research at the University of Utah with communities like the Rape Recovery Center and McCluskey Center because college campus sexual assault is underrepresented despite how impactful it is. It is crucial that we take action to improve the lives of students on our campus, rather than being deterred by the discomfort of the topic. Bringing together the state’s advocacy networks, institutional support and policy initiatives can be instrumental in this pursuit. It’s something I want to accomplish during my time in college and beyond.

With everything going on in the world, I hope our generation hasn’t lost the spark of curiosity, the ambition and the drive to make a lasting impact that previous generations had. The sense of freedom to create, explore and grow into whoever we aspire to be, rather than feeling confined by the weight of the world around us. To quote Ted Kennedy during Robert Kennedy’s eulogy, ‘Some see things as they are and say why. I dream of things that never were and say why not.’ I try to embody that in all my work—to hold onto courage in very complex and intense times, letting a sense of purpose turn ambition into lasting impact.”

—Michael Molenaar, a fourth-year student double majoring in data science and Quantitative Analysis of Markets & Organizations, born and raised in Salt Lake City