Imagine being a full-time student and having not one, not two, but three jobs. That is the life of UCA student Jhude Dizon.
Dizon, a junior, is majoring in public relations. Going into his freshman year, he said he had no idea what he wanted to major in until he met his mentor.
“I majored in journalism starting off, but after I met my mentor, Jaden Powell, I knew I wanted to do public relations. He sold me on the idea. A lot of the work I do goes to him because he helped me realize what I wanted to do.”
Dizon said he had no idea what public relations was when he first got into it, but he quickly realized how much he loved it.
Dizon is a photographer for UCA’s sports teams, the Arkansas Travelers, and the Little Rock Rangers, a soccer team founded in 2016.
He also dabbles in other photography work, like taking senior portraits.
“I also got contracted to shoot a wedding. That will be pretty cool to get my foot in the door of doing something new. Right now, I am just testing the waters and seeing what other events I can get into. It’s really fun,” he said.
Dizon grew up loving sports, which he said he got from his sister and a class he took in high school.
“Me and my sister were always so competitive in sports, and that was the main thing that got me into the world of sports photography. In high school, I took a random class called yearbook and they wanted me to do a photoshoot for the football team. Ever since then, I have loved sports photography.”
When it comes to his favorite memories as a UCA photographer, Dizon has one main memory: traveling.
“I get to travel all over the states and take photos. During football season, I got to travel to North Dakota, Utah, Alabama, Mississippi. [During] basketball season, I went to Oklahoma, Mississippi again, Missouri, Tennessee, all in a span of three months.
“It is really cool because you get to really learn about the athletes and their lives. You are there to capture their moments and it’s not weird for them because we are all friends. It’s so cool getting to know them. I think one of my favorite athletes is David Walker. I love getting to know him and talk with him. He was one of the first people I got to know on a personal level. He’s a cool friend on the football team,” he said.
In his free time, Dizon catches up on his Z’s.
“If I don’t get rest, I will not be happy the next day. I also rewatch shows with my roommate. We are currently rewatching ‘The Office’ right now. Resting is a big emphasis I put on my free time,” Dizon said.
After college, Dizon is going to stay in school and get his master’s so he can get more big opportunities later on.
He gave thanks to his biggest supporters, his family and his calendar. Without them, he would not be where he is today, he said.
“I have to check that every 10 minutes just to make sure I’m not missing anything. Everything has to be planned out. My grandma has been a huge supporter in my life as well. I always make sure that I give her a call every day,” he said.
