News Releases 

Spencer Parker knows that sometimes it’s best to step outside of his comfort zone—even when he’s hanging outside of a plane 5,000 feet in the air. Parker, a cadet in Brigham Young University’s Air Force ROTC, has learned that seeking growth opportunities can help him reach spectacular heights as he strives to achieve an ambitious objective.

What do beekeeping, management communication, and software development have in common? They’re just three of the disciplines that helped Varroa Tech, a startup that uses gas detection to warn beekeepers of dangerous parasite levels in their hives, to win $16,500 and the 2024–2025 Student Innovator of the Year competition.

Mike Eads left his stable job in search of new challenges—and he found them. The information systems alum from the BYU Marriott School of Business took on roles within and outside the realm of his MISM, trusting the skills he developed during the program.

On April 8, a packed ballroom of students from the BYU Marriott School of Business listened to what Mary C. Daly, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, had to say: “If you want to learn and you want to give, you’ll have a beautiful life. That’s my main message to you today.” Then she added, “I’ll talk about the economy, too.”

While case competitions are competitive by nature, that didn’t stop participants in the 2025 Business Language Case Competition from making connections. Students taking selfies with one another and the overlapping sounds of Spanish and Mandarin floating through the air were just some of the signs of the relationship building and skills development that occurred during the course of the event.

Connor Ross, a graduate of the BYU Marriott School of Business, has aspired to break records on the track since seventh grade, when he first set his sights on beating the 400-meter race record at his middle school. What started as a teenager’s goal to crush track records has since evolved into a career in collegiate sports management, where Ross’s drive to set new goals has propelled him every step of the way.

When Reverend Dr. Heber Brown III recognized a need for nutritious food among his congregation, his response was to put his hands in the Baltimore dirt and start planting. Those seeds of change took root, and Brown shared how his desire to help his congregation grew into a multi-state network of helping hands at the recent “Do Good. Better.” Conference hosted by the Ballard Center for Social Impact at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

Throughout her professional journey, research, and position as a strategy professor at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Lena Lizunova has seen that there are many potential disadvantages people could face in both their careers and their lives. But through her own experiences, she has also seen that feeling like someone believes in her can make a big difference in overcoming challenges—especially self-imposed limits.

Whether a student startup is inventing a collapsible asthma spacer or crafting a high-protein cheese, the Miller Grants from the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology are ready to support student innovation at Brigham Young University.

During the BYU Marriott School of Business April 2025 convocation ceremonies, guest speaker Lee Bird spoke with graduates about lessons he’s learned throughout his career, but his career advice went beyond the workplace: Bird said that partnering with the Savior has brought blessings both in his career and life.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Jesus Raul Martinez Piña accepted an unexpected opportunity to improve his English, leading him to his dream program at the BYU Marriott School of Business. Along the way, Martinez began to foster a new dream: to become a business professional who makes his corner of the world a better place.

Thunderous drums shook the concert hall in the new Music Building at Brigham Young University during the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, op. 36—one of several songs that the United States Air Force Band performed in March. The band came to campus with a clear objective: to connect with the BYU Air Force community and recognize their commitment to valiant service.

In its April 2025 awards ceremony, the BYU Marriott School of Business recognized selected faculty, staff, and administrators for exemplifying the college’s vision, mission, values, and guiding principle in both classroom and administrative work.

Claudia Barillas was 12 years old when her family moved from Mexico to Los Angeles. Despite her struggle to learn a new language and culture, Barillas found support in her newly discovered faith community, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where members encouraged her to pursue higher education and embrace her culture. Those mentors changed Barillas’s vision for her life: “I wanted to do the same for others,” she says.

Kate Shriber, a senior from Pleasanton, California, was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Since she and her companion couldn’t go out to teach people in person, she served by making videos about the gospel and sharing them on social media, ultimately discovering an unexpected passion: marketing.

After being pulled from Afghanistan in 2021, Major Jake Johnson realized that the only factor he could control in his service was his level of dedication. Now an assistant professor of military science for BYU’s Army ROTC, Johnson hopes to inspire students to recognize the impact their service can have regardless of location or task.

Kristen Hansen, a strategy student at the BYU Marriott School of Business, is learning to be intentional about her relationship with technology. “If my body and mind are always on social media, I’m not enjoying the natural, beautiful parts of the world,” she says. Realizing that she is not the only one wrestling with technology use, Hansen hopes to use the tools she is acquiring as a strategy student to help others address their digital habits.

Facing an increasingly competitive job market, business students may wonder how they can stand out after graduation. Some students at the BYU Marriott School of Business are turning to the Marriott Student Review to diversify their skillset and gain communication and leadership experience to boost them along their professional journey.

It was in the aftermath of a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Talcahuano, Chile, that Josue Bustos—then serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—realized what he wanted to do with his life: help those in need.

Stuart Christiansen didn’t consider himself to be a “stereotypical army guy.” But while studying linguistics at Brigham Young University, he felt pulled into joining the Army ROTC because of its many language-based career paths. The transition into the ROTC lifestyle wasn’t simple, but Christiansen believes the ensuing challenges have led him to discover new strengths and capabilities.