Under the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, three Marriott School grads are tackling their MBAs at the West Coast campus of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As part of the 2011 Executive MBA class, Brandon Savage, Mark He, and James Marsh were strangers before classes began. But since last May one thing has brought them together—and it isn’t business.
“We talk about BYU football,” laughs He, who graduated with a BS in accountancy in 2000.
“There have been a few times where the last half hour of class, we’re peeking at our laptops to catch the first play of the game,” admits Savage, a 2001 information systems grad. “It’s fun to have people to talk with about it.”
Football even took priority during a special weekend of MBA classes at the Philadelphia campus. As soon as class was dismissed, the trio met up with other Cougar fans to watch the game.
But when the guys aren’t talking touchdowns or analyzing BCS standings, they’re busy at one of the nation’s top-ranked EMBA programs. Every other weekend they head to campus, located in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district, for two full days of finance lectures and marketing analyses.
It’s an easy trip for He. Since graduating he has called the City by the Bay home.
But for Savage and Marsh, a 2004 accounting grad, their commutes to campus encompass more than a set of wheels. Both live in Utah and hop a flight every Thursday to arrive in time for their Friday morning classes.
“It’s not necessarily the ideal situation,” Savage explains. “But in some ways it’s nice because it makes the program focused and isolated. It’s 100 percent school for forty-eight hours. Plus I get good study time on the plane.”
While extra study time keeps the trio at the top of their class, they’re more appreciative of the preparation they received at BYU. According to He, their undergraduate experiences set them apart from their fellow students.
“We’re more mature and more accountable for our actions,” He says. “I think that speaks highly of the BYU experience.”
Savage agrees. “The Wharton Admissions Committee chooses people to create a diverse academic environment,” he explains. “BYU students and their background prove to be valuable additions to that environment.”