In her high school, others looked to Genesis Diaz as a role model, because she served on student government, played volleyball, and was a stage manager, producing dances at which she also performed. But, when it came to a college, Genesis was the one looking for role models. Although her family was supportive of her successes, none had attended college themselves.
But, from the moment when she connected with Kat Swantak, an assistant dean of admission at Juniata College, Genesis knew she’d find the partners she needed to live her dream and pursue a career as a doctor.
“When I was interviewing at other colleges, they just kept asking me, ‘What can you bring to Brown or Yale?’ At Juniata, I was told, ‘Here’s what our college can do for you,’” Genesis recalls.
Juniata has lived up to that promise. Here, she enjoys the comradery of a roommate who is also a first-gen and the partnership she shares with her professors, who support Genesis in many ways including by attending the diversity and inclusion events that Genesis herself is programming. She was recently thrilled to see her chemistry and sociology professors at a Black Excellence Dinner she and her peers held in cooperation with the College’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The mentorship Genesis has experienced at Juniata has helped her magnify her interests and talents. She has interned at New York Presbyterian Hospital, studied abroad in Guatemala, and has been a mentee and become a mentor in student organizations. Now, Genesis has a message for you:
If you’ve promised yourself the kind of mentorships that will enable you to design a life of meaning and happiness, we want to meet you and tell you about the ways Juniata can partner with you.
“At Juniata you can find a friend, a mentor in nearly everyone. There were times when I needed to have someone in my corner, yet I did not have the courage to ask for help. Then, someone noticed. When you get to know your professors and the staff at Juniata, they also get to know you.”
