When Jesse Valdez graduated from Salt Lake Community College, he never imagined he would be running for mayor of his hometown.
But for Valdez, the leap from photojournalism to public service isn’t as far as it seems. Both, he says, are about telling the stories of the community.
“As a photojournalist, I was really telling the stories of the community and really getting engaged to uplift the voices that may be unheard or neglected,” Valdez said. “I’ve always been that person that wanted to tell the story of others without knowing it.”
Building foundations at SLCC
Valdez studied TV/Video Production at SLCC and credits the hands-on environment and faculty at the South City campus for shaping his career.
“I love SLCC, specifically South City,” Valdez said. “You’re not going to find any other place like it for communications, at least in Utah.”
During his time at the college, Valdez noticed something was missing. He created the club Sports Rally, brought intramural activities to campus and ran for Student Body President. He also helped revamp the SLCC sports show called “End of the Bench.”
“My duty [as a leader] is to get people to engage and connect, just like I was doing with the club at SLCC,” said Valdez. “Even if it was something as simple as sports, it fulfilled what it needed to do, and that was to connect the SLCC community together.”
Advice for students finding their path
Looking back on his college years, Valdez admits he didn’t have a clear direction when he started. He encouraged students to get out of their comfort zones and not stress about not having everything figured out.
“I think getting uncomfortable is a good thing,” said Valdez. “Getting uncomfortable and just sticking up [for] and doing what’s right is the best thing you can do.”
When talking about majors, Valdez suggested exploration.
“Don’t be set in stone like you’re signing a contract, just put whatever [idea] down and see where it takes you,” he said. “As long as you’re putting in work, it will find you.”
He also stressed the value of involvement and networking — lessons he learned firsthand at SLCC.
“I did it with people who had that same passion to do it with me. I think that’s just as important as networking, finding people that … you kind of connect with, in a sense,” said Valdez. “It’s not about just finishing the work and making sure you get a good grade on it. I honestly almost feel like the networking part is just as important, if not more important.”
Career behind the camera
After graduating, Valdez joined KTVX ABC4 News as a photojournalist, where he spent nearly a decade filming, lighting and editing for the station’s newscast.
“All the stuff you see behind the scenes, that when it hits air on TV and the reporter’s standing there looking good, that was all me,” said Valdez.
Valdez said his favorite part of the job was not knowing what his day was going to look like.
“I was always out and about. My office was wherever it took me,” said Valdez. “There were tragic times as well. But I think that’s what I enjoyed a lot is just the unknown kept it interesting.”
Valdez said he didn’t imagine becoming a photojournalist.
“I think all of us will look at life and be like, ‘we never became what we wanted to be or thought we wanted to be, but it all worked out how it should have,’” said Valdez. “I don’t think I necessarily ever had the dream to become a photojournalist, but I do love what I do and the fact that I get to tell stories and create those stories, and it means something to me, right? So, it’s more of finding your niche of where you belong.”
Coming home to Kearns
After years in journalism, Valdez felt called back to his roots in Kearns, where he grew up. Before he and his family had even fully moved in, he joined the Kearns Community Council.
“I always kept the idea since I was 10 years old that, you know, one day when I can buy my own house and have my own family, we’re going to move back to Kearns,” said Valdez.
Valdez also created the Facebook page K-town, one of the “most popular community pages in the valley.” The page has almost 40,000 members.
“The whole reason why I even created that [page] to begin with was because I really felt like at the time when I moved in, I was looking for direction. I wanted to know how to get involved. I just didn’t know how, and I thought maybe other people feel this way,” Valdez said. “I created that page so people could kind of find that direction and kind of find a purpose of, you know, how they can help be involved in Kearns.”
Valdez created the Facebook page with the hope of getting people actively engaged in their community.
“I think that’s the biggest thing; it’s not that the community doesn’t want to be engaged, they just don’t know how,” said Valdez. “So as a leader … that’s my duty is to get people to engage and connect. Just like I was doing with the [Sports Rally] club at SLCC.”
Now, Valdez is running in Kearns’ first modern-era mayoral election, aiming to bring transparency and accessibility to local government. Valdez says he wants to listen and understand what the community wants.
According to his campaign website, his focus as mayor will be “on neighborhood safety, a thriving town center and a transparent, responsive city hall that treats every resident with respect.”
As ballots begin to go out for the election, Valdez says his motivation remains simple: to help his community tell its own story.
“Kearns has just been neglected for so long,” Valdez said. “I just want to see it thrive. I want to see it be at its best because I think at the end of the day, the community really deserves that. And I think we deserve to start telling our own narrative rather than let others do it for us.”
