Transfer Student Spotlight

Clayton Booth

Clayton is a transfer student who came to the U from Weber State University.  He is majoring in International Studies with an emphasis in global health. His long-term goal is to go to dental school. 

Clayton is actively involved on campus working for the University of Utah Ambassadors Program in The Welcome Center.  For many prospective students, Clayton and the other U. Ambassadors are their first contact with the University of Utah. Clayton does a fantastic job welcoming these students and their families providing them with the information they need to find their place at U. Clayton is also involved at the LDS Institute on campus, and he volunteers in the Emergency Department at the U Hospital once week.

Getting to know people and offering them helpful services are the reasons that Clayton has chosen to be a dentist. Another thing drawing him to dentistry is his love for learning about the human body; Anatomy and Physiology are two of his favorite classes. He also loves to learn about different cultures and communities thus his major in International Studies.

After graduating from dental school he hopes to set up practice in his home town, Ogden, Utah.  He also hopes to travel the world helping people with his dentistry skills.

Clayton chose to transfer to the U because he knew it was a great research institution which offered an ideal place to prepare for dental school.  He likes the U’s dynamic environment. He enjoys seeing all the new construction and brand new buildings on campus. He also appreciates the emphasis on entrepreneurial activities at the U. It’s exciting for him to see faculty and students pushing boundaries with their innovations.

The biggest challenges that Clayton faced as a transfer student were in the early stages of transferring. He found it difficult to negotiate the complex transfer process and make a smooth transition. Transferring credits, finding a new job, getting to know campus, and accessing resources for Pre-Dental students were all early challenges for Clayton. The U offers lots of resources for transfer students, but it can be hard to discover opportunities and find out how to participate in them.

Clayton has certainly overcome these challenges and has gone on to become extremely knowledgeable about programs, resources, and policies. He uses this hard won knowledge and his own experiences as a transfer student to help others as they make their own transition to the U of U.