Each year, the George E. Stoddard Prize is awarded to MBA students at the BYU Marriott School of Business who are pursuing careers in finance and have displayed leadership and academic excellence.
“We are deeply grateful to the Stoddard family for their longstanding support of the MBA program, and we are proud to use their generous contributions to honor some of our outstanding students,” says Ben Iverson, associate professor of finance. “Our Stoddard Scholars this year are capable leaders who have made a difference in the BYU Marriott community by demonstrating leadership, initiative, and excellence—both in and out of the classroom.”
The 2026 Stoddard Prize winners are Mason Bigler, Thomas Cavalcanti, Kevin Getz, Connor Hansen, Joseph Lunt, Elliot Mateski, Dallin Smith, Parker Walton, and Kai Winchester.
About the 2026 Stoddard Prize Recipients
Mason Bigler was the managing director of internal affairs for Cougar Capital. From Salem, Utah, he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Utah Valley University and then worked as an analyst and loan officer in commercial banking before coming to BYU Marriott for his MBA. Bigler interned with the acquisitions team at Reef Capital Partners and plans to pursue a career in commercial real estate.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in finance from BYU Marriott and later returning for his MBA, Thomas Cavalcanti was an MBA student ambassador and a Silver Fund analyst. He was born and raised in Brazil and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile, where he learned Spanish—his third language. After graduation, Cavalcanti will work on strategic projects with the executive team at Mosaic, a financial services company.
Kevin Getz, from Folsom, California, graduated with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from BYU in 2020. He worked for Intel, designing solid state drive hardware, before coming to BYU Marriott for an MBA. During the MBA program, he served in leadership roles for the Graduate Finance Association, the MBA Student Association, and the BYU Faith and Belief at Work MBA Case Competition. Following graduation, Getz will join Ford Motor Company in strategic vehicle planning.
Born and raised in Burley, Idaho, Connor Hansen served a church mission in Chesapeake, Virginia. He graduated summa cum laude from BYU–Hawaii with a degree in business management with emphases in finance and economics, along with minors in legal studies, political science, history, and international development. Alongside earning his MBA, he is concurrently pursuing a JD, focusing his studies on international finance, alternative asset classes, and wealth management. Hansen was the finance track lead, Adam Smith Society president, EMBA business finance course teaching assistant, Cougar Capital legal director, and a Mortimer J. Adler Fellow. Following graduation, he will join J.P. Morgan Private Bank as an associate banker in the Salt Lake City office.
Joseph Lunt, from Holladay, Utah, earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from BYU Marriott with a minor in statistics. Lunt was the BYU Marriott Silver Fund copresident and portfolio manager, a CFA Level II candidate, and a Graduate Finance Association member. After graduation, he will work full-time at Lunt Capital Management in an asset management role.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in economics from BYU–Idaho, Elliot Mateski worked as an actuary at Pacific Life Insurance before pursuing his MBA at BYU Marriott, where he worked as a teaching assistant for advanced corporate finance. He grew up in various places: near Washington, DC; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Phoenix, Arizona. As the vice president of the Adam Smith Society, he organized speaker events and represented BYU Marriott at the society’s Washington, DC conference. He was a finance track mentor and helped students secure private equity and corporate finance internships.
Dallin Smith grew up in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and served a church mission in Vancouver, Canada, before earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting from BYU Marriott in 2021. Smith worked for three years as a fund accountant and controller for a local real estate developer before returning to BYU Marriott for his MBA. Smith interned with FedEx, and he accepted a return offer to work with their network and air operations finance team in Memphis, Tennessee.
A native of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Parker Walton earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from BYU Marriott. Returning to BYU Marriott for his MBA, he served as Graduate Finance Association president, the Cougar Capital director of finance, and a finance track mentor. Following graduation, Walton will move to Cincinnati with his family to begin a corporate finance role with Procter & Gamble.
Kai Winchester served as the chief financial officer of the BYU MBA Student Association, treasurer of the Graduate Finance Association, and investment analyst for the BYU Marriott Silver Fund. Winchester was born and raised in San Diego, California, and served a church mission in Fukuoka, Japan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from BYU–Hawaii before working at KPMG in San Jose, California, serving Japanese multinational enterprises and technology firms. He interned on the finance team at Toyota Manufacturing North America, covering electric vehicles for the North America market. Following his graduation, he aims to pursue a career in corporate finance and international business.
About BYU Marriott
The BYU Marriott School of Business aspires to transform the world through Christlike leadership by developing leaders of faith, intellect, and character. Named for benefactors J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott, the school is located at BYU. BYU Marriott has four graduate and ten undergraduate programs with an enrollment of approximately 4,400 students.