A Mother’s Fighting Spirit Inspires First-year Wildcat to Pursue His Goals
Ogden native Angel Solis first thought about attending college when he was 13 but started taking the idea seriously at age 15, motivated by a courageous, strong woman in his life.
“Seeing my mom work her butt off to provide for me and my brother was what inspired me to go to college,” he said. “When I see her strive for her goals, and reach her goals, she’s such an inspiration.”
Solis relates the story of how when he was 2 years old, his mother, a single parent, worked hard to provide the family with housing, even if it meant she had to sleep against the door because it didn’t have a lock.
Today, the graduate of Ben Lomond High School is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Weber State University.
“In high school, I took principles of engineering, and a few other classes like that. All those classes seemed fun and it wasn’t hard for me to pay attention cause I really enjoyed them,” Solis said.
Solis has humble plans for his future.
“I just want to have a successful, not-so-stressful, life with a steady, not-so-boring, job,” Solis said.
During his senior year, he heard announcements about a new scholarship being offered by the Utah Jazz. His college access advisor at Ben Lomond, Camie Walworth, encouraged him to apply.
Solis said he’s been a Jazz fan his whole life. As a kid, he attended his first Jazz game — a loss to the Denver Nuggets — as part of a Boys & Girls Club event.
Solis is one of 30 inaugural Utah Jazz Scholarship recipients, and one of four at Weber State. Utah’s NBA team established the scholarship program to help first-generation, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students earn their bachelor’s degrees. The scholarships cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, books, fees, room and board.
In his application video, Solis spoke about the influence his mom has had on his life, and how she’s overcome recent struggles. In 2020, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
“She’s a fighter. I knew everything was going to be alright because she’s a fighter. She fought through it. She’s cancer free now,” he said.
Solis initially wasn’t sure he got the scholarship. He was at school one day during the spring of 2021, when he missed a call from the Jazz. When he returned the call, he was asked about his availability to take part in a Facetime call.
When he got on Facetime, to his surprise he was speaking with the television play-by-play announcer for the Utah Jazz, Craig Bolerjack, who told him he had received the scholarship.
“It was honestly insane,” Solis said. “A huge weight was lifted off my family’s shoulders.”
His mom had a similar reaction when she learned the news.
“My mom was honestly like ‘no f***** way’ and she was freaking out. Then she started saying how happy she was for me, and she started tearing up,” he recalls.
With the scholarship in hand, Solis considered several schools in Utah, before choosing Weber State, so he could be close to home.
“I want to be able to reach my goals. I want to be like my mom, and go above and beyond.”