When Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones works with children through the Make a Splash charity, an initiative that helps kids learn how to swim, he always encounters a child who is petrified of the water.
For Jones, the most rewarding part of teaching swimming is when that child finally becomes comfortable getting in the water.
“(Make a Splash) is my way of giving back to my sport and giving back to the community,” Jones said.
Jones will be talking about his life experiences along with fellow Olympic gold medalist Misty May and Paralympic gold medalistAlana Nichols today at 6:30 p.m. in the Covel Grand Horizon room.
“The theme of the event is to “˜live your dreams and to provide leadership service through your career and life activities,'” said Jack Gibbons, associate director of residential life.
This event is part of a Career Center effort to reach out to all students, but especially first- and second-years, said Albert Aubin, senior associate director of the UCLA Career Center.
“Many times, students don’t think to come to the Career Center until they are a junior or a senior,” Aubin said. “This Career Center outreach program is an ideal vehicle to attract students.”
The event is hosted by consulting firm Deloitte in partnership with the Office of Residential Life, Department of Cultural and Recreational Affairs and the Career Center. Students who attend the event will be able to meet the athletes, take photographs and get autographs.
“We might have gotten gold medals and been successful, but we also went through trials and tribulations,” Jones said.
Jones said he faced challenges being one of the first black athletes in the white-dominated sport of swimming. Along with his personal challenges, Jones will talk about his own reasons for giving back to the community.
Jones, who has spoken at five Deloitte events this year, remembered one student who was thinking about dropping out of school.
“After hearing a couple of us (athletes) talk about our trials and tribulations, he thought that if we can get through it, maybe I can too,” Jones said.
Deloitte is the official professional services sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and this event is part of the Deloitte’s pro bono work to help with the USOC’s business strategy. The company suggested this national program for UCLA because it frequently recruits UCLA students, Deloitte representative Tom Uy said.
Recruiting representatives will be at the event to talk about Deloitte and answer questions for students looking for job opportunities.
This particular program is not a direct Deloitte recruiting event, but rather a way for Olympic athletes to share their experiences with students and to encourage students to look at nonprofit organizations, Aubin said.
All UCLA students are invited to attend, especially students living on campus, club sports teams, athletic departments and transfer students.
With contributing reports from Rebekah Baird, Kendall Rogers and Sonali Kohli, Bruin senior staff.