Ruth Khan is a fifth-year student at the David Eccles School of Business. She is double majoring in Finance and Film & Media Arts, with a minor in Documentary Studies and a Digital Literacy Certificate.
She is a part of eight clubs and organizations around the university, including: the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA); Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Emerging Finance Professionals; Film Production Club; Women in Business; Pakistan Student Association; Finance Club; and Dance Club. She is also in two scholar programs, Opportunity Scholars and Kahlert Initiative on Technology (KIT) Scholars. Khan is the Vice President of ALPFA and a Student Organization Leader for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
While discussing her time at the University of Utah, Khan described one of her favorite college experiences, this year’s Opportunity Scholars Zions Ponderosa Leadership Retreat. She had the opportunity to be a student leader and loved how she was able to create an experience for herself and fellow peers.
“This became a memorable experience for me because I appreciated how everyone was having a good time and looking out for one another,” Khan said.
Khan’s favorite Eccles Experience so far has been through her BUS 3800/3900 Tourism and Hospitality course, where students compare Hawaii and Utah’s approaches to tourism. During the course, to further immerse students into the topic, they are given the opportunity to go to Hawaii for a week.
“I was able to complete my film work project for the semester on Hawaiian Pidgin,” Kahn said. “It was also memorable because it was the final trip with [former Opportunity Scholars Director] Rich Kaufusi.”
When asked about advice she would give to her fellow peers, Khan thinks back to a quote from poet Bayt Al Fann’s NoorInmyheart: The Chance, “He gifts you every morning with a new day. And it’s not just a day, it’s a chance, an opportunity, a way to be better than yesterday. Be mindful of that chance; you might not be given another one.”
Further elaborating, she says, “I want my peers to know that they woke up with a mission and that risk must be taken. Grow! It is acceptable to fall and then get back up. Life is a challenge, and you will face it in a variety of ways. Love yourself and others. Do your best to excel and achieve your ultimate objective. Never give up! Make an impression because who knows when my children or I will hear your story.”
Khan’s core belief of doing the most with what you have and never giving up is a great way to work through higher education. There are many ways to get out there and experience your life the way you want. The Eccles School offers many opportunities and resources to help guide you through this journey and support your goals in higher education.
“I want my peers to know that they woke up with a mission and that risk must be taken. Grow! It is acceptable to fall and then get back up. Love yourself and others. Do your best to excel and achieve your ultimate objective. Never give up!”
Haylie Heale is a senior studying Marketing and Information Systems at the David Eccles School of Business. She is currently an intern for the Marketing and Communications department and a Diversity Ambassador for the Office for Student Inclusion.