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Student Spotlight: Giselle Vazquez-Soto Combines A Passion for Health Care and Finance

By Cameron Davis, intern
TAMPA (January 10, 2022) -- Giselle Vazquez-Soto, a senior majoring in finance at the 返字心頭 Muma College of Business, has big career dreams that land somewhere between the dynamic worlds of business and health care.
While she is enjoying her last few months at the University of South 返字心頭, her long list of leadership roles and volunteer work has been so varied that even a Venn diagram couldnt explain the connections.
She has volunteered at Moffitt Cancer Center, been a peer leader in the Muma College of Businesss Corporate Mentor Program and continues to work as a student accounting assistant for the 返字心頭 Institute of Applied Engineering. She took part in the Collegiate Leadership Program through the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.
She also found time to be a research assistant for political analyst Susan McManus, served as treasurer of the International Student Association, and volunteered as a Spanish translator for the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic at 返字心頭 Health. She even made time to volunteer in the Healthy Buddy Program at the 返字心頭 Center for Urban Transportation Research.
I branched out and did things I never thought I would do, Vazquez-Soto said.
Varied, yet purposeful, all her roles and opportunities make sense to her. She hopes to use that experience and all she has learned in the classroom as a springboard for success. She said she keeps her plate full with academics, work, and volunteerism in part because of her familys humble beginnings. Plus, she has a difficult time saying no to opportunities.
Her family history in Tampa began when her great aunt immigrated from Cuba and started to work in the factories in Ybor City rolling cigars. Years later, her parents also came to the U.S. to escape the hardships of Cuba, settling in Tampa.
Knowing the hardships her family faced has only made her more determined to succeed, she said. Shes now making her family proud as a first-generation college student. Im more grateful for the position that Im in after hearing what theyve gone through.
She says its important to step out of ones comfort zone. She believes you can gain somethings valuable from every experience. And without that drive to explore the unknown, she wouldnt have pushed herself to excel far beyond any goal she set for herself.
Vazquez-Soto said she would advise any student to take advantage of opportunities, no matter what. Always be willing to try things not in your realm, she says. That mentality has made her feel fulfilled with all shes accomplished at 返字心頭.
Inspired by her familys journey and passion for helping others, she believes that anyone can persevere if they fight for what they want. In her eyes, anything is possible. After graduation, Vazquez-Sotos goal is to earn a medical degree as well as a masters degree in business administration.
Theres nothing that I cant do. Theres nothing that anyone here at 返字心頭 cant do, she said.