Humans of USU: Grecia Jiménez
Senior Grecia Jiménez laughs as she thinks of a theme song for her life to accurately portray her “awesomeness” and culture while working in the Access and Diversity Center on Monday afternoon. Photo credit: Mikayla Kapp
Utah Statesman interviewed Grecia Jiménez, a senior in human development from Miami, Florida.
Utah Statesman: What is your full name?
Grecia Jiménez: Grecia Andrea Jiménez Barriga Leal Cuadros, but you can call me Grace.
US: You work at the Access and Diversity Center. What is a little-known secret about the center?
GJ: It’s not really a secret. This place is awesome because it’s just here to help students with whatever they need. You can come in here to sleep, eat, lounge or talk our ears off about anything. I have a very close, personal love for the Access and Diversity Center because my freshman year I came and I was really struggling out here by myself … I didn’t have anyone to turn to. I came in here and they had program coordinators who aid us like mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters … They literally held my hand through this whole freshman year process. If there’s a huge reason I’m still at Utah State, it has to be with the wonderful people who still work here.
US: What is your favorite dessert?
GJ: Anything chocolate. I know that’s like such a cliché of a woman, but seriously. I like chocolate on anything, anyone. Just kidding.
US: What is your favorite holiday?
GJ: Can my birthday be a favorite holiday? Because it’s my birthday. Not that I want to be totally into myself, like “you’re welcome for being born.” My friends are lame, they don’t like to make a big deal about their birthdays. So my birthday comes along, I throw huge parties, and I’m like, “everyone come, I’ll feed you even though it’s my birthday.” …Dream goal would be, so my family’s Colombian, to be in Bogotá for a holiday season would be so great. That would be the best holiday.
US: What article of clothing could you wear for the rest of your life?
GJ: I love leggings, I wear them all the time. I’m not a huge fan of yoga pants because I don’t want to give off the effect that I exercise when, you know, most of what I do is sit in this chair … Leggings, jeggings, spandex, anything stretchy that I can just do whatever I feel like doing. Jeans are too restrictive.
US: When have you felt strongest as a person?
GJ: It’s actually been within the last couple of years. One of my little sisters, Naomi, she’s in her senior year of high school and is really looking up to me to help her with college. I’m a first-generation student; I had no one to help me … It feels really great knowing all this hard work I’ve done in the last couple years, even when I wanted to give up and blow my brains out, is worth something. I get to help my sister now and she’s going to help our other little sisters.
US: What does nobody know about being a first-generation student?
GJ: You have a lot of support but at the same time you don’t … Being a first-generation student, your parents, your family, they don’t have any experience in higher education so they support you emotionally … but when it comes to everything else, they don’t know how to support you … You don’t want to go home and give up because they are there to support you one hundred percent in the best way that they can. When it comes to everything else, you kind of have to figure it out on your own, maybe find a mentor or be really careful how you do things.
US: What is the theme song to your life?
GJ: It depends on the day of my life, maybe the week … So many songs are going through my head right now. What one represents me in both awesomeness and culturally? Okay, he’s a Colombian singer, his name is Jorge Celedón. When it comes to Colombian music it’s kind of considered “country” or from the coast, but the song is called “Qué Bonita es esta Vida,” so that means how pretty and beautiful this life is … I love it because it’s like my family’s theme song. Whenever that song comes on, we just drop everything, we sing, and if we drank, we would. I would say that’s probably the theme song of my life, of family and everything that’s good in life.