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After witnessing his mom fight breast cancer, Peyton Jackson worked with the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology to start Indel, a company that treats breast cancer through gene therapy. For Jackson and other student entrepreneurs, their journey has required more than hard work and studying; they find support from Christlike predecessors and an entrepreneurial culture at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

From pinning vests to programming websites, information systems (IS) students at the BYU Marriott School of Business worked with a local nonprofit to expand its community outreach and help people experiencing homelessness stay warm in the winter.

As a senior in high school, Christian Dahneke realized that the younger members of his church congregation looked up to him. So, before he graduated, he and his friends decided to be better examples, and Dahneke says he’s carried a passion for building people up ever since: “I learned in that really small example that I can be a leader, and that I can help people feel the love of the Savior and grow closer to Him.”

When Professor of Finance Taylor Nadauld got his first job in 2002, he could count on one hand how many students from the BYU Marriott School of Business had gotten jobs in high finance. Now, he says a huge smile comes to his face as he watches students mentor each other, leading to more than 40 students from BYU Marriott getting jobs in investment banking last year. “It’s a beautiful thing,” he says.

Since the Wilford A. Cardon International Sponsorship was initiated in 1986, the program has enabled more than 400 students from more than 50 countries to earn graduate-level education from the BYU Marriott School of Business. As they enter to learn gospel-centered business principles, they prepare to go forth and serve in their home countries.

With the end goal of becoming a lawyer, second-year MPA student John Lidang knows he isn’t following the most linear path by earning a master’s degree at the BYU Marriott School of Business before applying to law schools. But for Lidang, getting an MPA is less about his career aspirations and more about his desire to become a Christlike leader.

As Mary Catherine Shepherd works her way through the information systems junior core, she recalls a time when she was less sure of her path. Shepherd found guidance in the BYU Marriott School of Business Undergraduate Advisement office, where she now works with other trained peer advisors who rely on their own BYU Marriott experiences to help pre-business students seeking light and advice on an individual level.

Andres Aleson had one goal in mind when he pursued a college education: "I wanted to become a leader in whatever career I pick, where I can make a positive social impact in people's lives." Now, as an alumnus of the finance program at the BYU Marriott School of Business, he strives to impact individuals through service and personal connection.

In a room full of healthcare veterans, experience design and management student Emily Weber challenged herself to speak up. Weber, a senior at the BYU Marriott School of Business, says it's important to push herself to grow—even when she feels inexperienced, intimidated, or uncertain.

For Mark Johnson, an assistant professor of finance in the BYU Marriott School of Business, the decision to come to BYU Marriott to teach finance wasn’t driven only by a love of numbers or research—though he says he enjoys both. What ultimately drew him to academia was the chance to pair those interests with the opportunity to build lasting relationships with students and colleagues.

“With support, students know they’re not navigating problems alone, and they feel more empowered,” says Lena Lizunova, an assistant professor of management at the BYU Marriott School of Business who also serves as the faculty advisor for the Women in Strategy Association (WSA). “I think WSA gives strategy students that circle of support—people they can bring their hard questions to, celebrate wins with, and lean on during tough days.”

After working for almost ten years in technology development and engineering, Fabian Serradell knew it was time to take his business skills to the next level. So he quit his job and moved his young family more than 5,000 miles to a foreign country to join the MBA program at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

With a dad and three older brothers who all participated in the ROTC programs at Brigham Young University, Spencer Wright says it felt natural to follow in their footsteps. Now, as Wright serves in the Army ROTC and studies information systems (IS) at the BYU Marriott School of Business, he says these communities have shaped his character, perspective, and trajectory.

In the Netherlands, BYU Marriott School of Business students visited a multinational company in the morning, then rented bikes to ride through Amsterdam in the afternoon. In Italy, they attended classes in the morning and headed to go see an evening football match or an opera in Milan. Regardless of the location or the activity, BYU Marriott students who participate in the annual Business Semester in Italy and Europe make connections while immersing themselves in new cultures.

Coral reefs and women’s healthcare—these were the topics of the winning student presentations at the Ballard Brief Showcase, hosted by the Ballard Center for Social Impact in 2025. As the students prepared their Ballard Briefs, they came to realize that researching, writing, and presenting are more than just academic skills—they can be tools for addressing social issues.

Heidi Wakefield had planned to spend the months after her freshman year at Brigham Young University as a Nauvoo performing missionary, but her application was denied. She took a chance on finance and learned that for her, God's timing is perfect.

He isn’t trying to become a professional baseball player, but BYU Marriott School of Business senior Cole Bourne hopes that both “professional” and “baseball” still end up in his future job description. As his lifelong passion for baseball has transitioned into enthusiasm for sports analytics, Bourne says he wants to bring the joy he feels for sports to others through business.

Faculty, administrators, and BYU ROTC cadets gathered in Brigham Square in November for the 2025 Presidential Review, hosted by the BYU Air Force and Army ROTC programs. General Bruce A. Carlson, U.S. Air Force Retired, was honored with the 2025 Leadership Award for his dedicated service to both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the United States. In his address, Carlson encouraged cadets to use their knowledge of gospel principles for peace and perspective during their military service.

BYU Marriott School of Business MBA alumna Cydni Tetro describes standing in a Parisian mansion as Post Malone debuted his new fashion line. Her children, who were with her at the event, had one question for her: “How did you get into this room?” Tetro answered that question at the 2025 Honored Alumni Lecture.

Since the on-campus internship (OCI) program formed in 2007, more than 15,000 students have been able to gain class credit—and real-world business experience—through the BYU Marriott School of Business. As the program coordinator, David Hollan has a front row seat to students’ growth as they complete OCIs and build their résumés.