Every U student has a story. While not everyone works on ways to live on Mars or cure cancer, every student is an important and valued individual who contributes to the campus community.

Choosing to be here at the U and working toward degrees, we have much in common, yet each person is totally unique.

We have different goals, concerns, problems, fears, talents and skills, yet we’re interconnected in this city we call the U campus.

To recognize our similarities and generate solidarity while celebrating uniqueness and the power of diversity, The Daily Utah Chronicle begins publishing a new series called U student profiles on a regular basis.

The process of easing into a new school year requires sacrifices.

The considerable juggling of time, energy, money and priorities can be overwhelming.

There’s a tendency to feel like no one understands your struggles. Hopefully, these profiles will help students connect to each other, realize that people care and that every individual is important.

Some students feel they’re totally different from everyone and don’t know where to belong. Some may feel that there’s nothing special about them and don’t know how to stand out.

Some strive to discover what they want to do for the rest of their lives and the person they hope to share it with. Others may struggle to balance desires of self-fulfillment with the sacrifices required in a relationship.

While no easy answers appear in these questions, there is great strength in knowing you’re not alone in addressing them.

Even if you never meet any of the fantastic people featured in the profiles, let them stand as a reminder to you that everyone you sit next to in class, work or play is a fantastic individual.

Allow these profiles to conjure up deeper feelings of empathy, tolerance, charity, good will and interest toward fellow members of the U community.

No human is an island, so you might as well introduce yourself.