CCJ student Victor Mora receives Moeur Award

San Diego native Victor Mora is one of four College of Public Programs seniors to receive the Moeur Award from the ASU Alumni Association.

Named in honor of former governor and Tempe doctor B. B. Moeur, the award recognizes students with a 4.0 GPA who graduate after 8 consecutive semesters at ASU

"It's been a surreal experience, like I don't deserve any of this sort of stuff,” says Mora. “I'm thankful that I'm getting recognized for the things that I've done.”

He credits his success to a strong support system at school, with his church community and his family.  Mora was nominated for several awards by criminology professor Kevin Wright and advisor Becca Garcia-Blanks.

"There has definitely been a strong support system when it comes to my family, and my friends, and the church community,” he says. “I would really like to thank my family, God, and my advisor Becca too. She's been very supportive."

Along with maintaining a high GPA, Mora has been involved with various clubs including HOPE 4 ASU, Sun Devils 4 Christ, and Man Up ASU.

"I was one of the original core people who helped start Man Up ASU in 2012,” says Mora. “We are trying to put a stop to the statistic that one in four girls are sexually assaulted--we are trying to change the paradigm here at ASU. That's one of the things I'm most proud of because I think it's so important."

Mora has already begun classes for his master's degree in criminology and criminal justice and hopes to get into the PhD program when he’s done. His goal is to teach and conduct research at a university.

"As far as research goes, I want to focus on drug cartels because San Diego has a big drug cartel presence,” Mora says. “I want to have an impact on that area.

Mora, whose father and other family members service in the criminal justice field, says he also wants to have an impact on the next generation of criminal justice students.

“As a professor, you have a lot of influence on students,” says Mora. “And I want to help them make sure they are doing what they want-- make sure they truly want to serve their community."