Last week, our new First Ascent Scholars traveled to the Gates of Lodore on the Green River. Students and leaders camped for three nights off the river, rafting throughout the day, and hiking to waterfalls and scenic lookouts. They saw eagles, big horn sheep, beavers and other animals as they bonded and built community. Group discussions centered around the book "The Social Change Model" [...]
First Ascent Scholars celebrated their End-of-Year Celebration on Saturday, May 25. This was a big celebration where all the First Ascent Scholars got together with their friends, families, and mentors to celebrate the end of a successful school year and to welcome all the new scholars. So far, First Ascent has been able to graduate six scholars. Every year, the program admits 10-12 [...]
What better way to spend Spring Break 2019 than on the other side of the world? That is how the current third-year First Ascent Scholars spent their Spring Break this semester. Not only did they go to the beach, meet Chilean college students, and visit an up-and-coming international Chilean company, but they also took a tour of “La Moneda” (the Chilean White House)! Our [...]
After finals week for the Fall 2018 semester, why not relax and explore the hot and humid state of Florida? Our current 4th-year First Ascent Scholars were able to spend a week in Miami after finals week in December. They not only got to explore the beach, and the culturally rich “Little Havana,” but they also were invited to visit a few companies down [...]
Fall Semester is in full swing here at the Eccles School with a lot of new faces, including many first-generation students. We kicked off the first week back to school with a variety of tabling events highlighting different programs we have here at the Eccles School. We are a Doers Wanted school, and know that anyone can be a Doer. [...]
Kylie Moon is the first First Ascent Scholar to graduate from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. At a recent dinner honor current and new First Ascent Scholars, she delivered this speech. In light of this annual celebration dinner, I want to start by saying congratulations to each scholar, new and old, here today. For those of you I haven’t had [...]
Being the first person in your family to graduate from college is definitely something to be proud of, but getting there can come with its own set of challenges. It's an experience well known to Jack Elizondo, who recently shared his experience with the First Ascent Scholars. Here are a few takeaways: Lean on your family, and get help where you can Elizondo's family [...]
The 3rd Annual Diversity and Business Ethics Case Competition hosted by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder had 13 teams competing this past weekend, two of them from the David Eccles School of Business. Arriving late Thursday night in Boulder, Eccles School teams Wasatch Consulting and Green Elephant Consulting were both comprised of Opportunity Scholars and First Ascent Scholars. [...]
Spring Break — warm weather, excitement, memories, relaxation and sunshine. While countless students took this period to escape from studies, the First Ascent Scholars did quite the opposite. We spent our time learning and studying valuable leadership skills in the balmy weather of Southern California and had a chance to visit Disneyland. We had the unbelievable opportunity of being the first group to be involved with [...]
Editor’s Note: Victoria Cabal, director of the First Ascent Scholars program, talks about the group’s recent trip to Moab and what her students did in order to prepare for the adventure. First Ascent Scholars cultivates, encourages and enables academically focused students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to attend the Eccles School, connect with the University of Utah, local and global community, and reach their full [...]