Alumni Spotlight

There can be many economic and social problems in rural, resource-dependent communities, and finding solutions is challenging. However, Aaron Kelson, an instructor at Minnesota North College, is determined to help the residents of his central Minnesota community flourish.

On the first official day of BYU Marriott’s 2011 Europe Business study abroad, two students took a photo together at a windy lighthouse in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sabrina Wu has cared for rescued circus elephants in Thailand, navigated a team of huskies across a frozen lake and through a forest in Finland, and now works as the anti-fraud officer for Morgan Stanley in Australia.

If there’s one word that BYU Marriott alum Tyler Banks uses every day, it’s team. Whether he is at work or with his family at home, Banks believes that teamwork is essential to make meaningful progress in life.

There was a moment in Dan Hansen’s life when he was a gang member. He carried a fake gun, hung out in the local pool hall, and had regular run-ins with law enforcement.

Writing speeches for the CEO of Microsoft, pioneering cloud services in China, and establishing generative AI technology are all responsibilities that Jared Andersen has taken on since graduating from the BYU Marriott School of Business.

Christie Clark was used to writing stories for others. Realizing she wanted to be a decision maker where she worked, Christie Clark pursued an MBA at BYU Marriott.

Whether he’s balancing the county budget or arranging fire services for unincorporated counties, Ezra Nair draws on the skills he gained from BYU Marriott's EMPA program to manage and serve the county.

Mary Jean Frodsham was the first woman to graduate from BYU Marriott with an MBA. Her journey wasn’t easy, but she felt well-prepared and supported along the way.

MPA alumna Anastasia Jespersen has learned through experience that life has seasons, and each one comes with the opportunity to prioritize different parts of your life.

When GSCM alum Jeremy Romrell began his internship at Boeing in the summer of 2017, he had no idea he would become a driving force in connecting the company to BYU Marriott.

For many people, one marathon is enough to last a lifetime. Not so for Gretchen Olson Montgomery.

Brad Hales found his perfect match online. But it wasn’t a dating site he was perusing; it was BYU Marriott’s MPA site. “As soon as I looked at the website, I knew an MPA was the degree for me,” he recalls.

Blaine Meek’s pivot from finance to farming was kickstarted, quite literally, by a cow. When a cow kicked Meek’s father on their family farm in Idaho, Meek wrapped up his finals and hurried home to help. As he dug into the work, he caught the vision of farming and never let go.

As soon as Hefolau Lotononga Lavaka heard about the Close Up Foundation’s Washington, DC, trip for high school students, she immediately knew two things: she wanted to participate, and she’d need to pay her own way.

As a graduate of the MBA program at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Christian Da Silva knows that education opens the door of opportunity. With the help of loving friends and family and a Cardon International Sponsorship from the Whitmore Global Business Center, Da Silva discovered ways to continue his education and shape a better future.

After graduating from the finance program at the BYU Marriott School of Business in 2007, Brandon Egan continues to seek God’s hand as he navigates changes in his career.

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.