SPRING BREAK, ZION'S STYLE!

QUE TAL AGGIES! 

After 4 days of camping, I survived and made it back to Logan! Many students went to California, Las Vegas, Mexico, or other big scenes. As for me, I made a trip with my buddies down to one of Utah's biggest attractions, Zion's National Park! Let me just tell you this,  I'm not the biggest fan of camping, but there was something at Zion's that made it one of my favorite camping trips yet (considering I've only been camping twice ever)! First we stopped at this rock shop that had tons of cool souvenirs! Of course I needed a classic duck face selfie with the cool blue glass!

They had so many rocks and stones, which were pretty sweet to look at! Next we got everything set up at our campsite, and it was so nice because we got to camp inside the actual park! This is just a glance of the few features we had at our campground, and may I add that it was at least 70 degrees the whole time we were there! There's nothing better than getting some warm sun to get some tanning done during our camping trip! 

The one thing that you need to take advantage of while in Zion's is definitely all the HIKING, and we for sure did that! Without a doubt, the best hike to do there is ANGEL'S LANDING. As we began the trail, there were facts that stated that 6 people have died from falling off cliffs ever since the trail was built! You can only imagine how much this freaked me out! And as we got closer to the top, there were chains to help you reach the top of the cliff, not to mention the old lady that told us to not continue hiking if we were already scared because it only got scarier. 

Once you're this high though, there's no room to stop. We kept going and going and finally managed to reach the end of the trail. The view was incredible and all the sweat and heavy breathing was way worth it! 

So much to do in Zion's and if you haven't had the chance to visit this great location yet, you need to check it out! 

If you're looking for an adventure full of thrills and excitement, this place is meant for you! And not to brag or anything, but out of all the schools in Utah, UTAH STATE was in full effect at Zion's, it was so awesome seeing so many fellow AGGIES! 

And that was my spring break Aggies! I hope all of you enjoyed your week off from school! Until next time! Take care!

PEACE. 

ALEX 

MAKING AN IMPACT, MAKING A CHANGE.

Hola mis queridos AGGIES!

These past few weeks have been full with so many different things! It has been hectic with USU/SA elections going on, but as of yesterday they have come to an end! There were A-Frames all over campus and it became apparent that we had some people that without a doubt, showed how passionate they are for our university! We had some incredible candidates this year running for various positions and it was so cool listening to every individual's ideas for office next year!  Here are some my favorite moments from the week! 

Ambassadors putting in work for a successful day at HLC! 

Next, we had HLC (Hispanic Leadership Conference)!!! One of my most favorite events on campus for sure! I LOVE events like this! This event hits so close to home and it is seriously so inspirational seeing all of the different talent and passion Hispanic high school students from Idaho and Utah have about pursuing a higher education. I learned so much from my group members and can't wait to see the amazing things they will accomplish as college students after graduating high school. Coming from a first generation background, similar to many of the students present at the conference, I was able to have so much in common and share life changing stories that I will forever cherish. Thank you to everyone for coming and making this day such a success. Shout out to my group leader Anapesi and group black! Hope to see you all here pretty soon! Recuerden que Unimos Venceremos, Together We Will Overcome! 

GROUP BLACK. #UNIDOSVENCEREMOS 

PEACE. 

ALEX 

GIMME SOME OF THAT SNOW!

HEY HEY HEY AGGIES! IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT! 

FIRST OF ALL, I need to tell you about one of the most exciting basketball games I have EVER been to here at USU! Not too long ago, we had a WHITE OUT GAME against SDSU and it was CRAZY!!! We tied with 2 seconds left and had to go into 5 minute overtime! Unfortunately we didn't end up pulling off the win, but the feeling of being in the spectrum full of Aggies is unbeatable. 

And can you believe all this snow in February?! CRAY CRAY! But with that comes benefits... any guesses as to what I did this weekend??? SLEDDING DOWN OLD MAIN HILL! Seriously one of the funnest things to do at USU during the winter time! The adrenaline rush you get from riding down a super steep slope is indescribable. Who needs a far drive to a ski resort, when you have Old Main right on campus, a great group of friends, fresh powder snow, and some slick sleds to have a grand time?! 

FUN IN THE SNOW WITH MY BEST BUDS!

Roomies making this snow beast! 

Ale's first time making a snowman with Laura!

Make sure to check out the rest of our

BlueCrew Videos!

AAAAAAND WE'RE BACK!

AGGIES!

Can you believe it???!!! We're back in action for Spring semester! I don't know if it was just me, but I feel like those three weeks were a breeze! Hope all of you had a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year! As for me, my break was amazing simply because of the fact that I got to go home to Kimberly, ID, and spend some quality time with my parents and little sisters. Having home cooked Mexican meals like posole, tacos, and more...couldn't get any better! 

Happy New Year from the Aburto's! 

Now that we're back in school though, there's been one thing on my mind since I got back to Logan, and that's lose all the (or at least 1%) belly I gained after eating and eating over winter break! So....for my New Years resolution, I decided to get on that daily Insanity grind and get back to WERK. And what better way than to get some new running shoes, and some slippers to relax after almost dying after Shawn T's insane workouts. Fingers crossed I'm still alive you guys after this, but here goes to a healthy and active Spring semester! 

And there you have it Aggies! Good luck to all of y'all this Spring! If you surpassed and dominated Fall, let's make it a repeat and do it again! Make sure to attend all the events going on this week for BACK TO SCHOOL EXTRAVAGANZA! Enjoy the fun before all that studying comes into play! Take care Aggies and see ya soon! 

PEACE. 

ALEX 

DUH DUH DUH DIVERSITY!

SO GUESS WHAT I WENT TO TODAY EVERYONE?! DIVERSITY DAY!!! It was BY FAR one of the BEST days of the year at USU so far! This event really hits close to home for me, so I couldn't resist, but to let you know all about it. Diversity Day happens every Fall semester at Utah State; it is an all-day event that invites multicultural students to visit campus and participate in motivational workshops, network with students, enjoy entertainment, and recognize the importance of obtaining a higher education. This year we had about 270 students attend and we had such a great turnout!

Eunice and Julia rockin' their Polynesian number during entertainment !

Fiefia's doing what they do best! 

My group leader was Anapesi and we were over the orange group! We had students from all over Utah and Idaho that were present, which was awesome! Not to mention that I reunited with my little sister Gissell, and I was so lucky to have her in my group! There's no doubt we showed these students what the life of an Aggie is all about and all of the great things they can accomplish here. But for real tho, group orange was where it was at all day!

My group leader Anapesi!

Duckface with my little sis at Diversity Day!

For many multicultural students, this is a very impactful event to come to. Many times students like us are doubted, judged, or have to overcome difficult circumstances to continue our education in college. Diversity Day gives life changing opportunities to students who interview and qualify for the Educational Opportunity Scholarship. It is such an incredible experience to witness these amazing moments of students receiving this award. We all couldn't help, but to shred a tear or two seeing the reactions of the scholarship recipients when they got  their names called to step up on stage. For me, being an Educational Opportunity Scholar made such a huge difference not only in my life, but in my family's. As a first generation college student, my goal was and continues to be to pursue my dreams of obtaining a four-year degree, be a role model to my younger sisters, and providing a better life for myself and my family.

USU Recruiters announcing Educational Opportunity Scholarship recipients

I took so much today from helping with Diversity Day this year and I'm so grateful to be able to participate in special events like this. This goes to show that we are all one happy Aggie family here at Utah State University, and we are all here to pursue one goal, attain a higher education. Thank you to everyone who came, and we look forward to seeing some future Aggies! #EXPANDYOURWORLD

DIVERSITY IS UNITY 

PEACE.

Alex

FALL IS COMING TO AN END...

Hey Aggies! It's been a while!!! Espero que todos esten bien! The month of October just flew by super quick I feel like! Mixed feelings about finals getting closer and closer and the fall semester coming to an end, but I'm starting to get in that Christmas mood after having our first snow fall this year in Logan, UT! But let me fill you in on a few things I did this month!

First, I experienced MY FIRST HARRY POTTER ANYTHING! Growing up, my classmates in elementary, middle, and high school would always rage about Harry Potter and I never carried any interest for it. Every time I'm around any HP peeps, I usually just nod and smile to pretend like I know what they're talking about. To any of you readers whom I've done this to, I sincerely apologize, but you know I still love you. ANYYYYYWAYYYYY, just a couple weeks ago the Transfer Ambassadors threw the most wicked Harry Potter party I have ever witnessed! Get this, as soon as I walked in, I got a sweet decked out wand, then I took a picture with two LIVE owls, and we all got assigned to one of the four houses (team #ravenclaw baby)! We also had a magician, that literally blew everyone's minds away! It was crayyyyy!!! After this experience I've contemplated, and I think I'll give Harry Potter a try!

Laura and Cho Chang! Hollllaaaaaa

Next, I attended one of the happiest and cutest events this year. Two of my friends got married! I have been so fortunate to meet so many great people from the valley, and these two are such good friends. Colby and Kat hosted their wedding at the American West Heritage Center in the coolest barn I've ever been to and it looked just like a Pinterest wedding! The decorations, the ambiance, and the setting was just perfect. But like really tho, no joke, it was so neat and I'm pretty sure I'll be pinning this on one of my boards. There were also horse carriages that picked up you and dropped you off at the reception! Congrats you two!

Colby and Kat during their slow dance.

Arturo, Laura, Chris, Ale, and I at the wedding!

Continuamos with the Access & Diversity Center Halloween Party! Access & Diversity is on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center (TSC). For those of you who don't know what Access & Diversity Center (ADC) is, it helps diverse students at USU become better leaders, learners, and helps us work hard and value the opportunity we have of obtaining a higher education. The Latino Student Union put together a spooktacular Halloween event, inviting all students and other clubs in the ADC to celebrate, eat lots of pizza, play games, and more! Good work LSU!

#coolkids

Laura (LSU '12-13 VP), Mario, Me (LSU '12-13 President)

One of the biggest reasons for this party was to celebrate Mario Pereyra's birthday! Mario has been a HUGE part of Access & Diversity. He has helped many of us diverse students achieve a lot of our academic, leadership, and personal goals. Last week was his last week here as he has been given the opportunity to continue and pursue his educational and career goals at BYU. Thanks so much for everything you have helped us with Mario, words can't express all of our gratitude! We're gonna miss you so much, but as we all know, "ONCE AN AGGIE, ALWAYS AN AGGIE!" Best of luck!

Sandi looked beautiful!

And lastly, I finished off the month by taking a trip back home to Idaho for a very special event! In the Latino culture, one of the biggest traditions is Quinceañeras. A Quinceañera is when the daughter of a family turns fifteen, her family and friends host a very big celebration in in honor of her turning into a young woman. I love going to quinces because a) I love seeing my family and friends b) there's always great Mexican food and c) I love dancing Latin music!!! There is usually a "banda" or "conjunto" (musical groups) that play music during the "baile" (dance) for the entire event, so there is never time to stay seated! Everyone is literally dancing unitl the night is over. My dad's step sister, Sandra, had her quince this past Saturday and it was so much fun! I was so lucky to be a part of her celebration and be present in great festivity of my Mexican culture! Felicidades Sandi!

My sister Gissell and cousin Crystal dancing the night away!

 Until next time Aggies! Stay warm y cuidense!

PEACE.

Alex

ROADTRIPPIN' HOME!

HOLA HOLA HOLA! Como están Aggies?!?! Guess what I did this weekend???? I GOT TO RECRUIT FOR USU BACK HOME IN IDAHO!!! As I mentioned a while back in my blog, I'm from a very small town in Idaho called Kimberly. So small, that we finally get our first stoplight!!! WOOOOO HOOOO! GO KIMBO! But the best part was definitely going back to the home of the Bulldogs, Kimberly High School! It had been a while since I'd been back, since I graduated in 2011! Hope to see some of you senior Bulldogs become Aggies next Fall!

Laura and I reppin' USU at KHS in Idaho!

Another highlight of this weekend, was my little sister coming down for the USU vs. BSU football game! It was so great to have her here to experience her first Aggie football game ever! Even though, we're both Idaho natives and are super used to seeing that Bronco blue and orange throughout Magic Valley, we still bleed blue for our Aggies! My goal was to show her how much fun #AGGIELIFE is here at UTAH STATE and I think she's hooked! Can't wait for her to be a future USU AGGIE! Love you little sis! 

Gissell and I cheering on our Aggies! 

WHITEOUT 4 USU vs BSU!

Y con eso me despido!

PEACE.

Alex