Eight Students Win Marriott School Internship Competition

Back L to R: Brad Schramm, Derek Brown, Clayton Wyatt and Trent Hope. Front L to R: Jordan Glazier, Bruce Hymas, Ben Sycamore and Greg Schulz.

PROVO, Utah — Mar 11, 2008 — This summer eight undergraduate Marriott School students will intern with key industry companies after winning the school’s second annual Intern Competition — an event sponsored by the Marriott Undergraduate Student Association.

“An internship is a great opportunity to learn the lingo of business and figure out if that is really what you like,” says Andy Emory, one of last year’s winners who interned with Sperry Van Ness Equities. “My internship last summer prepared me for a job after graduation and increased my marketability with employers.”

This year’s winning students accepted internships with companies in their fields of study — Clayton Wyatt, from San Diego, and Ben Sycamore, from Thousand Oaks, Calif., both with Core Realty; Greg Schulz, from Alberta, Canada, and Trent Hope, from Temecula, Calif., with Millenniata; Jordan Glazier, from Orem, Utah, and Derek Brown, from Beaverton, Ore., with Sperry Van Ness Equities; Brad Schramm, from Los Alamos, N.M., with Ossola Wealth Management; and Bruce Hymas, from St. George, Utah, with CEOBuilder.

Loosely based on the television show “The Apprentice,” The Intern Competition was initiated last year by the Marriott School undergraduate management advisory board to promote internships. In an effort to find the top candidates, the 36 student applicants were required to complete different tasks, some of which included researching companies and interviewing with members of the advisory board.

“The competition provides students with learning experiences as part of the application process,” says Kristen McGregor, undergraduate program coordinator. “Researching a company is something you should always do when applying for a position, but the requirement to speak with someone who has experience in the field provides a really good opportunity for students to network.”

Eighteen finalists presented a one-minute pitch of themselves and their qualifications during the final selection event. After answering a probing question from the judges, finalists were rated on a 10-point scale, with the possibility of earning a total of 30 points.

The final presentation was just one of the factors in choosing the winners. Additionally, the finalists were evaluated on individual interviews, past experiences, possible contribution to the companies, personal drive and attitude.

“Having to present and answer personal questions in front of a crowd was more challenging than I anticipated, but the internship was worth it,” Brown says. “I know this internship is really going to put my education into practical terms. When I come back to school in the fall, I will be a better contributor in my classes because of the real-world experience I had during my internship.”

For students interested in broadening their undergraduate experience, the Marriott School Undergraduate office facilitates internships for academic credit with companies interested in Marriott School students. An internship advisor may be contacted at (801) 422-7348 or by visiting 460 in the Tanner Building.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.