Christlike Leaders

Every BYU student has internalized the phrase, and every visitor who drives up Cougar Boulevard on the west side of campus has seen the sign: “Enter to learn; go forth to serve.”

If you’re a student at the BYU Marriott School of Business, you’re bound to get a second dose of that message of selflessness when you walk through the big glass doors of the N. Eldon Tanner Building. A plaque bearing the words of the building’s namesake reminds everyone that “service is the rent we pay for living in this world of ours.”

It’s no wonder, then, that serving others is at the heart of the BYU Marriott MBA program. Though BYU Marriott MBA graduates are recognized as being among the brightest in the country, and though they land competitive positions at the world’s top companies, it’s the power of service that often makes the biggest impact on their lives— and, subsequently, on the lives of countless people these alumni bless as they span out across the world.

It was this emphasis on service that impressed US Air Force colonel Samuel Ramsay, a 2014 MBA grad, right from the start of his application to the MBA program. Having served combat support missions in multiple conflicts and having participated in numerous humanitarian relief missions, Ramsay felt at home at BYU Marriott.

“During my placement interview, professor Monte Swain spoke of BYU’s goal of educating men and women to go out into the world and serve,” says Ramsay. “As we talked, I realized the school’s goals mirrored my Air Force core values of ‘integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.’ I left the interview knowing this was where I belonged.”

Practicing What They Preach

Like Swain, BYU Marriott MBA faculty and staff have been integral in practicing what the school preaches, encouraging students through word and deed to use their unique skills and experiences to serve.

MBA 2016 grad Jill Greenquist was particularly inspired by how professors in the program gave back to her in ways specific to her needs. “Lee Daniels was a huge mentor for me simply because he didn’t have to be teaching at BYU Marriott,” says Greenquist. “He could have easily been retired and hanging out. He was stellar in his ability to use his network to give us exposure to so many different opportunities and paths. It was a beautiful sign of how to serve in a business setting.”

Greenquist continues, “We didn’t need service in the sense of ‘come mow my lawn’ but in the sharing of expertise and broadening our understanding. Many other faculty members in the program, including Troy Nielson and Treavor Peterson, also helped me find what I really wanted and helped me believe in myself.”

As a teaching assistant, US Army Major Richard Bobo, a 2018 MBA grad, learned firsthand from professors Bob Drewes, Daniel Snow, and Swain.

“Working as a TA, as well as having personal interactions with those professors, was extremely helpful in developing me as a leader. In particular, Bob Drewes offered valuable advice and perspective to me and my wife from his personal experiences in the air force and defense industry.”

Students Helping Students

At BYU Marriott, students don’t wait until graduation to begin serving. One of the most valuable aspects of a BYU Marriott MBA education is the chance to help fellow students through participating in an array of clubs, projects, and case competitions. These service opportunities have helped cultivate friendships and support groups that last a lifetime.

During her time in the program, Greenquist volunteered as an MBA Academy instructor, helping undergraduates—particularly those in underserved demographics—prepare for applying to the MBA program. She also served a stint as president of the Women in Management (WIM) student association. “To be able to serve and see opportunities open up to others was so wonderful,” Greenquist says.

Bobo points to group projects and case competitions as opportunities he appreciated. “We worked together, helping each other through difficult assignments and problems. It offered a great experience in small-group dynamics and in learning effective ways to motivate and influence all sorts of teammates.”

Those experiences also taught Bobo that the principle of service is one of expansion that makes each member of a group stronger. “With the same amount of energy, the result is greater when we think outside ourselves and actively serve each other,” he says.

Training for a Lifetime

All these experiences—whether in classes, extracurricular activities, or relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow classmates—build up a reservoir of testimony to the power of service that carries over to every aspect of a BYU Marriott MBA alum’s life. Megan Burt, a member of the class of 2019, believes her time in the program sharpened her abilities to serve in her position as the director of employment services for the Welfare and Self-Reliance Services Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Since I have not yet served a mission, I consider my time in the executive MBA program to be my version of the ‘best two years,’” Burt says. “My MBA and the skills I learned have opened doors for me since graduating, including qualifying me for my current role. I often reference learning and insights I gained during my education at BYU Marriott to help further our ability to serve members worldwide with employment and education needs and services.”

The MBA program’s focus on service has also provided a foundation for Burt’s activities outside of work. “When I finished my MBA, the motto ‘Enter to learn; go forth to serve’ resonated with me,” she says. “When I put the interests of those I serve first, things fall into place, and the results are more effective than if I am motivated by other factors.”

Putting service first motivated Burt’s decision to teach for BYU–Idaho in addition to her full-time job so that she can help others in their education and careers in the same way that she has been helped. She also works with Anything for a Friend, a nonprofit organization that offers emotional support and financial assistance to individuals with substantial medical expenses. After losing her own mother to cancer, Burt began to find peace through volunteering with the organization and, a decade later, now serves on its board of directors.

“My service with Anything for a Friend healed my heart after losing my mother and enabled me to bless the lives of others in the process,” Burt says. “I learned what it was like to ‘mourn with those that mourn’ and how to turn my own pain into a way to walk with others through their own dark times. In the book of Psalms, the Savior is described as someone ‘acquainted with grief.’ In my own way, I too am acquainted with grief. It’s my hope that, like our Savior, I’m turning outward and helping walk through grief with others as well.”

Bryan Sudweeks, a 1982 grad and former professor in the finance department, is currently serving with his wife, Anne, as the in-area advisory couple for the Church’s For the Strength of Youth program in Asia. Stationed in Hong Kong, they are assisting in creating programs to bless the lives of more than 3,000 youth throughout Southeast Asia. Blessings stemming from their service have come to those they’ve touched—and to them. Bryan and Anne Sudweeks “We are amazed at how our BYU Marriott training and education has helped us with what we are doing now,” Sudweeks says. “We are taking the business skills we learned at BYU Marriott and using them to build the kingdom of God.

“As the song says, ‘Because we have been given much, we too must give.’ We serve because we love the Savior, and we show our love for Him by our service. We serve because we love to be close to the Spirit and feel daily the guidance of the Lord. We serve because we are doing more for our children being here in Hong Kong than we could be doing in Provo.

“For example, our six-year-old grandson fell off the second floor of a houseboat onto a cement deck below. We did not know whether he would make it. As we kneeled to plead for the life of our grandson, we realized another blessing of being on our mission— that we were closer to the Spirit as missionaries and that our family would enjoy the blessings of that service. Our grandson is recuperating, back at school, and doing well.”

MBA 2011 grad Saul Duarte, former director of operations with doTerra Brazil and current president of the Brazil Curitiba Mission, cites the examples of faculty and students in the MBA program as well as other selfless leaders as inspiration for his own service. Acts of service are contagious and motivating, Duarte says, and generate gratitude in individuals, organizations, and communities. In turn, that gratitude motivates them to serve, creating a virtuous cycle that transforms the world.

“From a religious perspective, serving others, based on the principles of charity taught by the Savior, is essential for a complete and enjoyable life,” Duarte says. “I am grateful for the leaders who support me and who have motivated me on my journey. Through them, I learned the importance of serving, and through small acts of service, I discovered the joy and other significant impacts that service and participatory leadership brings to the lives of others, as well as my own. Today, I have the privilege of serving alongside selfless youth, learning from them, serving them in their challenges, and helping them to discover their potential. How grateful I am for this.”

Service on the Homefront

After graduation, Greenquist accepted a job at Union Pacific and then worked as a K–12 education consultant for Gallup, helping educators learn how to be engaged with students and how to build better learning environments. After a 20-year career, Greenquist now serves at home with her husband, infant son, and twin stepdaughters.

“No one but me and God see what I’m doing, but I do it because I believe it makes a difference to my children,” Greenquist says. “The monotony—or ‘momotony’—is okay because after working for so long, I have a perspective of how beautiful it is to serve through that monotony. My children need it, and I feel more full and complete. I get to the end of the day, and I know I did something good.

“I’m trying to give my children the good and happy childhoods they need to be successful adults. When you serve other people, they believe in themselves. They believe they’re worth something. That’s what Lee Daniels and others in the BYU Marriott MBA program helped me see, and it changed my life. People helped me up when I thought I couldn’t do it. God wants His children to feel loved and to serve one another. I think that’s what Christlike service is about.”