When Ezequiel Costa first arrived at Brigham Young University, he said he struggled to find his place. But through his passion for public relations, his love for soccer and his drive to help others feel heard, Costa has carved out a sense of belonging — both for himself and those around him.
Costa was born and raised in Argentina, but his family moved frequently, living in Europe, the Czech Republic, the Middle East and Peru. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he often found himself in the minority, rarely surrounded by others who shared his faith.
When deciding which university to attend, he knew that BYU would give him the unique opportunity to be surrounded by others with similar values.
However, adjusting to this new environment took time. In Argentina, he always felt a need to stand out and uphold the values of the Church. At BYU, where those values were the norm, he found it too easy to become casual in his discipleship.
“It’s been a challenge to not get too comfortable in this culture,” Costa said. “It’s easy to get complacent.”
To stay grounded, he realized he needed to surround himself with people who uplifted him — people who embodied what it meant to “Become BYU."
Initially, Costa pursued a degree in business and supply chain management. However, after shadowing a professional in the field, he realized it wasn’t the right fit.
“I kind of panicked after that,” Costa said. “It was a tough time because I felt lost. I didn’t know what to do.”
To give himself time to reevaluate, Costa decided to take a year off from school. That decision, he said, changed everything.
“After I took that year off, I realized I did have a passion for learning, and that I wanted to take it seriously,” he said.
By trying new things and working different jobs, Costa came back the following year knowing what he had to pursue: public relations.
“I chose public relations because it made the biggest effort to help people feel like they were heard and belonged,” he said. “It’s not just about representing a company — it’s about listening to every voice to create representative decisions.”
While Costa found his academic passion, getting involved at BYU proved more difficult.
“I’ve just now started to make more of an effort to get involved,” he said. “Before, I pretty much kept to myself and wasn’t part of many extracurriculars.”
That changed when he started integrating elements of his past into his BYU experience — especially soccer.
During his year away from school, Costa played semi-professionally with Real Salt Lake’s team in Herriman, an experience that helped him realize soccer was more than just a sport — it was a way to stay connected to his Argentine roots.
“I love Argentina and I miss it, and the way that I touch that part of identity is through soccer," Costa said.
Upon returning to BYU, he joined an intramural team, blending his passion for the sport with his experience at the university.
For Costa, “Becoming BYU” is about more than just attending the university — it’s about personal growth, faith and learning to push himself beyond his comfort zone.
“The struggle of being a college student is figuring out how to balance social, physical, emotional and spiritual life,” he said. “And that struggle is what ‘Becoming BYU’ is about.”
Now, as he continues his journey in public relations, Costa hopes to use his skills to advocate for others and create spaces where everyone feels like they belong — just as he has found his own place at BYU.