Like many students, 23-year-old Jonathan Schmitt has worked while going to school. And beginning July 1, he started his third job as a member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

Schmitt, an agriculture and resource management senior, already works as a law clerk in a Tucson law firm and as a Laotian translator at the Arizona Boys Ranch. Schmitt spent two years working with Laotian refugees in California on a mission for the Churc h of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As a voting member of the board, Schmitt will help decide policy for the state's three public universities.

After reading about the available student regent position in an advertisement in the Arizona Daily Wildcat, Schmitt decided to submit an application.

"I had never heard about the student regent," he said. "The last time a UA student was on the board of regents, I was on my mission."

Though Schmitt was involved in student government in high school, he had not continued that involvement in college. Schmitt missed it.

"Being the student regent was an opportunity to serve students on the state level, not just at the UA," Schmitt said. "It is a chance to give back to students."

Born and raised in Yuma, Schmitt is the oldest of four children. Previous experiences in Tucson helped Schmitt select the UA. As a child, he went to Lute Olson's basketball camp on campus.

"It was also the best choice for me academically," he said. "And I didn't want to go to Phoenix."

Schmitt, whose 24-year-old wife Alexis attends medical school at the UA, said some of his priorities as student regent will be to improve teacher evaluations. He suggested students should evaluate their instructors twice a semester.

"The first evaluation would be about one month into the semester, and the second would be a couple of weeks before the end of the semester," he said. "This would actually evaluate the performance of the instructor."

He said he supports making the evaluations public. He said such a move would signify the importance of the evaluations, overcoming student apathy. Schmitt's other concerns include tuition affordability and tenure issues.

As the student regent, Schmitt will earn no salary but will have his expenses reimbursed. He will continue taking classes in addition to fulfilling his new role. He does not foresee a problem with missing classes.

"I think (professors) understand what the student regent does," he said. "But I don't deserve any other breaks than anyone else gets."

Previously attending school on a waiver, Schmitt was recently chosen as one of 55 undergraduates selected nationwide as Morris K. Udall Scholars.

Nominated by their colleges and selected by the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation, recipients receive a one-year scholarship of up to $5,000 to cover tuition, fees, books, and r oom and board.

Like most of the scholarship recipients, Schmitt intends to pursue a career in environmental policy. He plans to attend law school following graduation with an emphasis on environmental and international law.

The former student regent, Mark E. Davis, a student at Northern Arizona University, completed his one-year term June 30. Next year, the student regent will be selected from Arizona State University applicants.