Skip to main content

Alumni Spotlight

data-content-type="article"

Making the Assist

March 26, 2024
Under brilliant lights, Mark Dickson spoke to a crowd hanging on his every word. He was a 20-something college student refereeing a BYU Intramural Sports flag football game, and for him, the stakes had never been higher.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

A Perfect Fit

March 22, 2024
From his childhood in Côte d’Ivoire to his Church mission in Ghana and a year-long stint in China, Stéphane Akoki had seen a lot before he even started college. Yet he discovered that coming to BYU Marriott widened his world—and his impact.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Giving When It Hurts

March 22, 2024
EMBA graduate Tema Hunkin Laussen had a lot to smile about in 2023. Her company, closed $20 million in residential real estate sales last year. But as much as she loved closing each deal, Laussen’s real highlight of 2023 was opening doors for students through her family’s charitable foundation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

The Beauty of Community amid Tragedy

March 22, 2024
Two months after Katie Cherrington moved to Maui, the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century struck her family’s neighborhood. In the aftermath of Lahaina’s tragedy, Cherrington has observed a community banding together and has seen principles in action that are taught at BYU Marriott.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Changed for the Better

March 22, 2024
After being surprised by a question in class that told him he might be in the wrong place, Norm Sherwood Traded law school for the MOB program which ended up creating the perfect path for him.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

The Power of an Open Heart

March 20, 2024
Justin Weiss, EMPA alumnus, has lived a life full of unexpected triumphs and hardships that have led to opportunities for personal development.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Creating Value through Inspired Leadership

December 05, 2023
Awarded a BYU Homecoming 2023 Alumni Achievement Award, MBA alum Christopher Clason explained how inspired leaders create value in their professional and personal lives.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Degrees of Impact

November 28, 2023
With two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees, Tricia Seguine is no stranger to learning. She’s learned that she can use her unique educational blend to make a positive impact.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

A Business School Ballad

November 28, 2023
You could say that Gerald “Jerry” Petersen earned his master’s degree in marketing from BYU because he loved to sing.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Mountain Biking and Moving Forward

November 03, 2023
Sterling Petersen has such a passion for mountain biking, he decided to make it his day job. Since graduating from BYU Marriott’s entrepreneurship program, he’s created multiple startups focused on mountain biking products and has built a collaborative work environment in the process.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Prioritizing People

October 13, 2023
Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in information systems from BYU Marriott, John Koelliker has relied on authentic relationships in his life to help start his own company.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Balancing Family and the Books

September 28, 2023
When the stock market crashed in 2008, accounting graduate Jameela Wilcox Howell jumped in to help her husband start Cordovan Art School in Texas.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Mentoring, Money, and an MPA

July 26, 2023
David Tanner brings the skills he gained through BYU Marriott's MPA program to the state of Georgia, where he consults state leaders, community organizers, and county and city elected officials.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

A Stack of Experiences

July 24, 2023
Embracing diverse business experiences has given alumna Mallory Stack versatility and a vision for the future of women in business.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Peaks & Plummets, Slopes & Summits

July 17, 2023
As he reflects on his life journey, emeritus general authority and MOB grad Larry Kacher says the unexpected stops have been most meaningful and the bumps along the way have proved most beneficial.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

From Accountant to Agent

June 26, 2023
BYU Marriott's accounting program helped Curt Haralson take his first steps to the bureau and beyond.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

The Determination of a Diplomat

June 13, 2023
Clark Pew has learned over the course of his life that persistence pays off. The EMPA alumnus now lives in India working for the Department of State.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Waste Not, Want Not

May 25, 2023
Passionate about garbage and eliminating solid waste pollution in the developing world, Ryan Caplin is not wasting his time. Now an Oxford Pershing Square Scholar, Caplin credits the Ballard Center at BYU Marriott for giving him the tools to take on trash.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=

Related Stories

data-content-type="article"

Hurricane Heroism

April 21, 2023
Global supply chain graduate Parker Teshima works to ensure that shelves stay stocked when natural disasters strike.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Keeping Pace at the Ground Level

April 13, 2023
EMBA program alumnus Shawn Pace finds and meets people’s real-world needs, whether he’s in a Ukrainian refugee camp or an executive board room.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Connecting the Dots

March 13, 2023
BYU Marriott alumna Krislyn Powell has a knack for creating connections, whether as a yogi, an administrator, or a volunteer.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=