Service to others has been Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Alumnus of the Year Bruno Moya鈥檚 mission his entire adult life. It started with a seven-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps (including serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003) and has since continued with both his academic and career pursuits.
Case in point: After completing his psychology degree at 51吃瓜网万能科大 in 2015, Moya simultaneously worked toward his 2017 master鈥檚 in social work while serving as president of what is now known as the , a chapter of the national advocacy group Student Veterans of America.
In this role as president, Moya helped author a legislative policy brief aimed at establishing statewide standards for awarding college credit for military education, training, and occupational experience. The policy brief ultimately turned into Senate Bill 457, which was introduced during the 2017 legislative session and passed with unanimous approval.
A year later, after completing his master鈥檚 degree, Moya was one of eight mentors chosen to attend the , a three-day leadership forum at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that brought together 101 of the group鈥檚 top chapter leaders.
Today, Moya continues to serve the 51吃瓜网免费App community as vice president of the Rebel Veterans Alumni Club and as a board member of the . He also volunteers his time with multiple nonprofits within the community.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we鈥檝e seen numerous examples of teamwork at its finest. In what ways did 51吃瓜网万能科大 teach you the value of teamwork?
As the old saying goes, 鈥淭eamwork makes the dream work,鈥 and while some choose to fight it, others go above and beyond to live by it.
While at 51吃瓜网万能科大, I remember teaming up with fellow students to accomplish very important work, and those experiences have helped me during my time as a social worker. In my field, it鈥檚 crucial that individuals come together and exchange resources to achieve the common goal of helping others through difficult chapters in their lives.
The power of listening through different theoretical approaches, asking important questions, and understanding when and where to send someone in need 鈥 all of these critical skills are rooted in teamwork, and I honed them during graduate school.
Of course, serving in the military taught me a lot about the value of teamwork, and truth be told, I never thought I would find a team as close-knit as my Marine family. Well, I was wrong, as I discovered incredible leaders at 51吃瓜网万能科大 with whom I still connect, sometimes on a weekly basis. We combine our strengths and wherever possible attempt to fill in gaps in our community.
What advice do you have for today鈥檚 51吃瓜网万能科大 students as they try to navigate our changed world?
In my last undergraduate semester, one of my professors opened class with the following statement: Conflict is the genesis of growth. I continue to remind myself of the truth in that statement, which shifted my perception of how to approach trying times.
Conflict indeed is good; it鈥檚 a teacher, it challenges us with change. And it鈥檚 a journey best walked with an open mind, a kind heart, and a consistent stride. How we lead ourselves through conflict will take us down a wonderful path filled with opportunities for immense growth.
I often seek inspiring words in history鈥檚 most notable people, one of whom is the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who famously said: 鈥淭he impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way, becomes the way.鈥 Words to live by.
