Jose Morales Diaz
Jose is a
transfer student from Salt Lake Community College. He was born in Mexico but
grew up in Salt Lake City. Ever since
high school he knew that he wanted to attend the U of U. He liked its
reputation as the “flagship institution” of Utah and considered it the best
university in the state.
Jose is
majoring in Communication at the U. He
selected this major because it fits his interests and gives him skills that he hopes
to use in his future profession.
One of the
most meaningful experiences that Jose has had at the U has been working as a
peer mentor for the Diversity Scholars Program in the Office of Equity and
Diversity. In this role he advises
prospective and current transfer students. He also tables at various transfer
events across the city and is a Teaching Assistant in the Diversity Scholar’s class.
Jose has learned some incredible skills in his peer mentor role including
speaking in front of large audiences and creating educational videos. He has
also participated in a variety of other extracurricular experiences at the U.
He has collaborated with a professor on a research project, has been a member
of several national honor societies, and has attended a variety of national and
international conferences.
Jose’s only
regret is that he didn’t apply for more scholarships during his time at the U.
He urges other transfer students to start looking into U or U scholarships in
January or February of the year they plan to transfer.
He also
advises transfer students to get involved on campus. He suggests finding clubs
or an on-campus job as ways to build their resume and start developing valuable
networks. He also suggests visiting the Career Services office early and often
- http://careers.utah.edu/. This office helps students develop a resume,
use LinkedIn, sharpen networking skills and get a job after graduation.
Jose also
strongly suggests that students get to know a Student Success Advocate during
their first semester. Student Success
Advocates are academic “life coaches” who help U students deal with problems
and achieve their educational and life goals: http://studentsuccess.utah.edu/advocates-home/.
Jose is
committed to education and its transformational role in people’s lives. He loves
the university environment and plans to go on for a graduate degree. He would
like to eventually work in higher education.
Check out
Jose’s excellent video promoting the Diversity Scholars Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm5pZi-PfZ8!
