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“I know I have a lot of weaknesses, but the MPA program has helped me come to know what my strengths are,” says BYU Marriott School of Business student Ben Maxfield. As he prepares to graduate, he reflects on how the lessons he learned have prepared him to start his career with confidence.

Twenty-four university professors from across the United States filed into the Wilkinson Student Center Skyroom in February for a special interest group summit devoted to faith and entrepreneurship. As they admired the snow-covered mountains in their view, they heard from a panel of three Brigham Young University students who discussed how they’ve combined faith with entrepreneurship, leading to a greater purpose behind their pursuits.

When he felt like the world was caving in, Caleb Cummings relied on his Air Force ROTC training to ground him. The senior, studying mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University, explains that the mindset he used to lead rigorous ROTC training events also helped him overcome personal tragedies.

As Morgan Bale tells it, the path to her current position was made up of a series of small steps and promptings from the Lord. Bale says the most important thing she can teach her marketing students is that their Savior lives and loves them, and she hopes to give them the skills they need to make their own small steps forward.

MPA students at the BYU Marriott School of Business have the opportunity to learn from more than just hypothetical situations and case studies. Through Grantwell, education and community outreach happen in tandem as students consult real nonprofit organizations looking to apply for and allocate grant funds.

Before even stepping foot on BYU campus, GSCM senior Kennedy McMullin knew she was interested in business. What she didn’t know was the complex—and sometimes comical—situations she would find herself working in.

BYU Marriott School of Business finance alumnus Taylor DeHart says that investing in emerging restaurants might not be viewed as the most exciting job, but helping founders build their own version of the American dream makes it deeply fulfilling. “We are able to help build something truly special that can transform lives,” he says. “And that’s the cool part.”

At the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, student entrepreneurs have the opportunity to turn their big ideas into reality. These self-starters say entrepreneurship becomes more fulfilling as they work to develop themselves and build relationships.

The Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics at the BYU Marriott School of Business presented Derek Miller with the MPA Alumnus of the Year Award to recognize his extraordinary service and leadership in the public and nonprofit sector. In accepting the award, Miller shared how gospel principles have guided his views of leadership.

During the 2025 spring semester, 30 students visited six countries in Asia and the Pacific to identify possible instances of modern slavery. John Gardner, an associate professor who led the trip, says, “From the very first class period, students were encouraged to think about ways that they could share light with each of the people that we would contact: both in the businesses and in our cultural visits.”

Graciela Massey watched her dream go up in flames—literally. For a high school class assignment, she and her classmates all wrote their dreams in lanterns and sent them up into the sky. Massey's lantern, with a card that simply said “BYU” inside, hit the school roof and caught fire. When Massey went elsewhere for her undergraduate degree, she thought the burning lantern must have been a sign. But now, she’s living her dream as an MBA student at the BYU Marriott School of Business, and she’s working to take advantage of her opportunities and help others do the same.

When he was young, Ryan Zimbauer remembers his mom telling him that his future career would involve something that hadn’t been invented yet. Now, as the winner of the 2025 Big Idea Competition hosted by the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Zimbauer says the recognition for his project, MagPocket, is a result of continually seeking and taking opportunities to learn.

Of all the awards he earned and titles he held at BYU Marriott—from PhD prep track coordinator to director of the SOA—Doug Prawitt says mentoring students and helping them improve their lives is his proudest accomplishment.

“Right underneath a person’s physical appearance, there are a lot of cultural influences that make someone who they are,” says Simon Greathead, a teaching professor of global supply chain at the BYU Marriott School of Business. As he teaches his students about international business and culture, he says he hopes to help students build bridges of understanding and Christlike culture in their future business roles.

Whether working with international nonprofits or local businesses, experience design and management (ExDM) students at the BYU Marriott School of Business have the chance to apply their education through designing experiences. “It gives us a lot of confidence as we enter the workforce, because we know that our skills are valuable,” says ExDM student Claire Martin.

Working in human resources involves more than hiring and firing, says BYU Marriott School of Business student Timothy Geltaka. Applying what he’s learned from his studies, Geltaka and other students volunteered at a career workshop hosted by the human resource management (HRM) program. Through their service, these students say they learned that using their education to help others can encourage growth and joy for both themselves and the people they serve.

The BYU Marriott School of Business hosted its annual case competition in October, providing students with one pertinent business problem to solve—this year, though, the judges were focused on more than just an effective business solution. Rather, the 217 participating students were challenged to center each of their group’s solutions and presentations on Christlike leadership.

Over multiple days, 192 students at the BYU Marriott School of Business stepped into a small recording space and spoke about choosing their majors, securing jobs and internships, and overcoming self-doubt. Looking into a camera, they shared advice they would give to their younger selves—advice to encourage future BYU Marriott students.

During the 2025 tax season, more than a hundred SOA students from BYU Marriott helped community members file their taxes for free through the VITA lab. These students filed almost 1,000 tax returns, helping to share light as they empathized and advocated for others through the tax return process, says Jon Kerr, the VITA lab faculty advisor.

The Marketing Association at BYU Marriott hosted its annual Christmas social in December 2025. This year, for BYU’s 150th anniversary, students had a focus beyond celebrating the end of a semester: service.