crafting a better life
by Jenny Hor
Allie Tahbo, an eighth grader at Mount Jordan Middle School, attended the Multicultural Youth Leadership
Summit in good spirits. As she and her classmates walked into the ballroom of the Salt Palace, an introductory video of students declaring “I’m Utah” in various languages looped on the big screen.
“Hi, I’m Allie Tahbo and I am Utah,” she says on the video followed by some air guitar and mini hair flips.
The Summit brought together 1,700 students and educators from diverse backgrounds. I’m Utah served as
a unifying platform letting students know, despite their differences they are the wave of the future. Speakers
endorsed the importance of higher education and culture and Allie was listening.
“[Going to college] means giving yourself a better life,” she says. “It shows you how to give yourself something to go off of instead of staying in the life you have now. You can have something better.”
Allie’s higher education goals don’t stop at a traditional undergraduate degree. She wants to pursue medical
school outside of Utah, and possibly the U.S. Adding some perspective, she explains one of the challenges
she faces as a Native student. “A lot of people in my culture don’t go to college. I’m going to be the third
person in my family to go.”
Through extracurricular activities, Allie is making sure she makes the most of her time. As a member of Mount
Jordan’s advanced orchestra, she plays the violin to relieve her of stress. She’s been playing since
the third grade. Additionally, she plays softball and looks to get more involved in swimming.
Attending Mount Jordan gives Allie the opportunity interact with students from various cultures. She believes
diversity is driven through people’s personalities. “Be who you are,” she says. Simply put, she’s being who
she wants to be — air guitar and all.
09 | VOICES | MCA.UTAH.GOV