When Brittley Eldredge was a senior in the BYU Marriott School of Business MAcc program, she flew 20 hours to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for an accounting internship. This time spent living abroad wouldn’t be her last. Now an assistant professor in the School of Accountancy, Eldredge tells students, “Don’t close any doors until they’re closed.”
Eldredge spent her early college years certain she had to have developed skills before pursuing opportunities. As she became more willing to stretch herself, Eldredge started taking on new challenges—even accepting an internship in Malaysia, despite never having lived outside the US.
But accepting new challenges as a student prepared her for when, a few years later, the company she worked for asked her to move to Australia to establish the company’s first international office. “I moved there by myself,” she says. “I was really lonely. I remember thinking that there was not one person on the whole continent who knew I existed.”
Living in a foreign country while she worked for Netgain Solutions motivated Eldredge to reach out to those around her, she says, and she discovered something in the process. “Everyone could use a friend,” she says. “No one’s going to judge you for reaching out. Being willing to bring happiness to other people makes everyone’s lives better.”
When she was living in Sydney, Eldredge received an offer for an adjunct teaching position at BYU Marriott. She packed her bags, moved back to Provo, and began teaching in addition to her full-time position at Netgain Solutions.
Eldredge says her experiences at Netgain Solutions taught her to open her mind to the people around her, despite their differences. “People’s intentions are good; they’re trying their best,” she explains. “I try to let that leak into my teaching. When I interact with my students, I am constantly reminded of the same principle; their hearts are just in such a good place.”
In July 2025, Eldredge left her full-time job to accept a full-time assistant teaching professor position in the SOA, where she teaches more than 200 students each semester. She says she enjoys being able to hold office hours to meet with students one-on-one, sharing her testimony of Jesus Christ, and having time to tailor the curriculum of her classes to suit different learning styles.
As she works with her students, Eldredge advises them to stretch themselves and take advantage of opportunities. “Why not try?” she asks her students. “People are going to deny you enough, so why would you ever limit yourself? Be willing to take that risk.”
Though Eldredge spends less time traveling the globe these days, her time at BYU Marriott has become her next adventure. “It’s so invigorating to be around the students. They are people who want to be better in all aspects.” Eldredge explains that she feels inspired by the students she teaches. “They want to learn accounting; they want to be a good parent; a good spouse; a good friend; a good disciple.”