Family Foundations and Academic Triumphs

March 2024

By Christian Diaz '20

 

Throughout my academic career, I have been very fortunate to have had a family that instilled the value of education. I have never taken my family's support and integral role in guiding me through my educational journey for granted. My mother was a UTEP graduate, my uncle Joe was an engineer from UT Austin, and my aunt Lori had her master’s in education from UTEP. They all served as great role models for me regarding education from the very beginning. Obtaining a bachelor`s degree and a graduate degree was always expected. As I got older, I saw many of my older cousins go off and graduate from college, but my goal was always to be the first of my generation's family to get my graduate degree.

For my undergrad studies, I chose to leave El Paso and attend Texas A&M. It was the hardest decision I had ever made as I had always wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a UTEP Miner. Those four years were challenging at times, and there were moments throughout my four years at A&M when I wanted to pack up and transfer to UTEP to be closer to my family and friends. Without the constant support and encouragement, I received from my family, I would not have been able to finish what I had started.

 

After I graduated in May 2019, I decided to make. I could either enter the workforce or pursue my M.B.A. in the full-time program that UTEP. As I did with most of the big decisions in my life, I confided in my family members that I trusted the most. Although some suggested it would be good to spend some years in the workforce before pursuing my M.B.A., my mother offered to assist with half of my graduate degree if I chose to start the full-time program at UTEP. I decided on that route and was blessed to be the last full-time M.B.A cohort at UTEP.

 

In addition to a fellowship through the M.B.A program at UTEP, my mother and aunt also allowed me to help them with the company on the side to try and practice some of the things I learned in the classroom. This is something that, at the time, I may have yet to consider. Still, now I understand how significant it was for them to do that and how fortunate I was to have their guidance, mentorship, and an additional opportunity to develop professionally as I furthered my education and began to prepare to enter the workforce full-time. As a business student, I have always felt like the classroom extended to my home, living with my mother. Her company is her life, so most of the conversations we had during my time at UTEP were related to her business.

 

I have always had to follow in my mom’s footsteps and become like her academically and professionally. She is a 1992 graduate of UTEP with a degree in accounting and, for the last 20 years, has run her own business, Mirador Enterprises. I have been with her through the start of the company and have seen the ups and downs, the wins and losses. She has tried to steer me away from her business throughout my life. She has always encouraged me to find something I am passionate about and pursue that instead because she does not want me to share the burden she has endured through her years in business. For a few years, I thought about listening to her, but my time working on my graduate degree at UTEP made it clear that I would probably not listen to her.

 

She supported me at UTEP by getting involved with the M.B.A program in a mentorship and speaker role. Through the M.B.A Association, we brought her in for our speaker series, where she spoke to our fellow M.B.A students about her journey from being a College of Business student to starting her business, along with different lessons learned and advice that would hopefully resonate with young up and coming professionals. To me, it meant a lot to see her in this role, and I take great pride in all that she has accomplished professionally while still doing an exceptional job as a mother.

 

In addition to my family`s role in supporting me as a student at UTEP, they support my fandom for UTEP athletics. After I moved back from Texas A&M in December of 2018, I rarely missed a basketball or football game and, as such, made my family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, and my mother) come to the games with me. Many of them have gone above and beyond by attending games and purchasing season tickets. It has become a family tradition to attend basketball and football games together. I have been truly blessed with an amazing and supportive family; this is just one example of the lengths they will go when I am passionate about something.

 

I would not be anywhere near where I am without the support system that I have had my entire life. Any success I have had and will have will not be possible without my family. The foundation they built for me at a young age and how they have all played a role in cultivating me is hard to put into words. Not a day goes by when I am not grateful and appreciative for the family I have been blessed with.