As Dulce Vargas was heading toward graduation from Hunter High School in West Valley City, she was considering her higher education options.

She knew she wanted to attend the University of Utah, but didn’t have the financial resources to do so immediately. So … what, then? Take a gap year and save up? Start off at community college?

“One of my friends told me about this scholarship called First Ascent: ‘It’s a full ride to the University of Utah. You should apply for it; I think you’d be a great fit,’” Dulce recalled. “I applied, went through the interview rounds, and ended up getting it. That was my golden ticket to the U.”

Now a junior, she is one of 11 students in the First Ascent Scholars Program’s third-year cohort. With them, she’s had many memorable experiences, big and small, ranging from a cohort trip to Spain this past May to meaningful mentorship from Advisory Board members Jeff and Helen Cardon. But what’s most significant to her is how “closely knit” the cohort has become over the past three years.

“The peer and community aspect has been the most impactful part of being a First Ascent student,” Dulce said. “… It’s really cool to be able to have that sense of family and community on campus. Having people that are just like me, that have grown up in similar situations, has been super-meaningful to me because if I didn’t have them, my university experience would have been completely different.”

Of course, her time at the David Eccles School of Business has included so much more, as she has fully immersed herself in university life.

She’s also participated in Business Scholars, the Fashion in Business student organization, and the Goff Strategic Leadership Institute. And she’s now part of the Doman Innovation Studio, and is working as an Eccles Ambassador, giving tours to and answering questions from prospective and just-admitted students and their parents.

“I had a parent ask me, ‘Why go to college if you’re going to be an entrepreneur? What’s the value in going to college if you’re going to start your own business?’ And I explained to him we really want to make our students well-rounded. Once you come in, you’re going to start your first two years taking the intro courses, dipping your toe in finance, accounting, getting a good understanding of the basis of business fundamentals,” Dulce recounted. “And then with their entrepreneurship … whatever they want to build or whatever business they want to start, they will be supported from people here at the university to help their business excel. We really incubate the students to help them flourish.”

That’s been the case for her, as well. She came in intending to major in something like Management or Business Administration or Marketing — “something more creative, with soft skills.” But all those introductory classes and learning business fundamentals led her to conclude that she was ready to take on something more analytical, and she picked Accounting.

Whether she’ll wind up pursuing a career in accounting remains to be seen — she’s exploring all her options and isn’t ready to solidify any one path just yet: “I just go where the wind takes me!” she said with a laugh.

She does have an idea, however, of continuing her academic journey past an undergraduate degree, and is investigating myriad master’s programs (perhaps an MBA, or a MAcc to earn her CPA) with a goal of being admitted to an Ivy League program.

That is still a bit down the road. For now, she’s focused on wringing as much out of her college experience as she can. She’s already made a ton of memories, including participating in Homecoming Court, helping to organize Fashion in Business’s annual Fashion Show, and immersing herself in Oviedo, Spain for a semester via an exchange student study-abroad program.

“I always tell anybody I talk to — whether they’re an incoming freshman or whatever — to get involved on campus,” said Dulce. “It can be any club — I’m in the Country Swing Dance Club! I think it’s fun; I’m not very good at line dancing, but I can dance a little bit. But just get involved. We have over 600 clubs on campus, so just find what you like. … Getting involved and meeting new people has really made my experience.”