2020 Distinguished Alumni
Christina Andino
Social Worker, Canyons School District
Resilient. Tenacious. Insightful. Eager to learn. These are qualities Christina Andino cites for having accomplished so much since graduating from Salt Lake Community College in 2015 with two associate’s degrees, one in social work and the other in general education.
“SLCC was a learning experience for me, both personally and academically,” Christina says. “As a student, I was navigating the life of adulthood, college and work. I experienced many challenges but was able to overcome them through the compassion and flexibility of professors and mentors.”
Within the next three years, Christina earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Utah, and she currently works as a school social worker for the Canyons School District. She also pours herself into working with FosterClub, a national network for foster youth, and as a youth coach for the University of Utah’s First Star Foster Youth Academy. Christina was a foster child for five years and recalls a social worker denying her any voice or say in critical life decisions, an experience that has led her to be the fierce advocate for foster children she is today.
“Advocacy allows me the privilege to have a voice, and it is my responsibility to use it and be heard,” she says. “As an alumna of the foster system, I have the lived experience and expertise, and I represent, educate, inspire and impact systemic and generalized change.”
Christina’s experiences as an intern, advocate and leader in the community are vast, and she has many awards and honors as a result. Her advice to SLCC graduates is to get connected. “Community is everything you need because others can relate and help you through your experiences. The more involved you are, the more support you will have as you pursue your personal, educational and professional goals.”
Davis M. Smith
Founder & CEO, Cotopaxi
Davis Smith was in college when he read an article about an entrepreneur, Steve Gibson, who used success to fuel philanthropic endeavors. Davis was so moved, he cut out the article and carried it with him everywhere he went. “I wanted it to remind me every day of what mattered,” he says. The reminder paid off for both Davis and the people who now benefit from his entrepreneurial accomplishments.
Growing up, Davis’ family frequently moved as his father’s job building churches took him to the Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Ecuador. He worked hard and saved money for college, first attending Salt Lake Community College in 1996-97. He went on to BYU and then to the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute and Wharton School, earning a BA, MA and MBA along the way.
Two individuals played a pivotal role in Davis’ early academic path. While at SLCC, Davis says marketing education professor (retired) Curtis Youngman’s class “spoke” to him. “I loved learning about brand building, marketing and consumer behavior,” he says. Later in college, he followed entrepreneur Steve Gibson into an elevator and asked to work with him. Davis was surprised when Gibson urged him to become an entrepreneur rather than work for one.
After college, and several successful online ventures, Davis combined his love of travel with a “poverty-fighting business model.” In 2014, he launched Cotopaxi, named for Ecuador’s Cotopaxi National Park. Today, the fast-growing Salt Lake City-based company manufactures outdoor gear in factories around the world, providing more than 1,000 jobs.
When his business took off, Davis started the Cotopaxi Foundation, which provides dozens of grants in six countries to fund education and employment opportunities. One beneficiary of Davis’ philanthropy includes Utah Refugee Services, through which Cotopaxi offers “bridge employment opportunities” to help displaced individuals.
Davis says he still likes SLCC for what it was in 1996, an affordable start with small class sizes and great professors. He was inspired when guest lecturers spoke in his college classes. “As a student, I was trying to soak it all in and figure out life and my passions,” he says. It’s partly why Davis still guest speaks at SLCC. “I always enjoy going back to work with students.”