The Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University recently recognized eleven first year MBA candidates as Eccles Scholars, an award presented by the school’s Whitmore Global Management Center. Each recipient was awarded up to $9,000 of financial aid for schooling expenses, international projects, and global career exploration.
“We are confident these BYU Marriott MBAs will go forth to serve in ways and places that reach far beyond Provo and the borders of the United States, which is the intention of the award,” says Bruce Money, Whitmore Center director. “They deserve our warmest congratulations. The Eccles scholarship program continues to be a blessing to our students, BYU, and the global church.”
The 2018 Eccles Scholars are Ryan Carroll, Maria Camila Camargo, Brian Ciccotelli, Seth Law, Shawn Merrill, Davidson Oliveira, Reenu Selva Raj, Amanda Spencer, Fernanda Sayavedra, David Tensmeyer, and Adam Trone.
A committee of faculty members interviewed applicants and selected the top eleven candidates, who were chosen on the basis of academic performance and their trajectory toward a global business career.
The Eccles Scholars Award is funded by the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation. The foundation was created in 1960 to ensure that the Eccles’ philanthropic work would continue beyond their lifetimes. The foundation supports many projects and programs, particularly in education, at nearly every college and university campus throughout the state of Utah.
The BYU Marriott School of Business prepares men and women of faith, character, and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Named for benefactors J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott, the school is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. BYU Marriott has four graduate and ten undergraduate programs with an enrollment of approximately 3,300 students.
Maria Camila Camargo hails from Bogota, Colombia. She graduated cum laude from BYU-Idaho with a degree in construction management before moving back home to Colombia where she earned her MA in marketing from Universidad de Los Andes. Camargo loves to travel and by the end of this summer, will have visited every continent except Antarctica. As an MBA, Camargo serves in the Graduate Entrepreneurship Association, Graduates for Social Innovation, and the Adam Smith Society. “The BYU Marriott MBA program helps me build meaningful relationships,” says Camargo. “I have gained greater insight in how to serve and become a better professional and disciple. I want to help create change within the opportunity gap that many emerging nations face. I believe the MBA program has given me tools, experiences, and insights to accomplish my goals.” This summer, Camargo will intern for Utah Moldova Business Partnership in Chisinau, Moldova.
When Ryan Carroll isn’t busy with his studies and the MBA program, he enjoys playing basketball, spending time with his family, and meeting new people. The Cedar City, Utah, native came to BYU as an undergrad to earn his degree in finance. He is on the dean’s list and received a full-tuition Brigham Young scholarship. As an MBA, Carroll is recipient of the presidential scholarship and serves as an alumni and outreach officer for the Healthcare Industry Association. This summer he will work for Danaher as a summer associate intern. “The people are what I have enjoyed most about the BYU Marriott MBA program,” says Carroll. “I am so impressed by the blend of intelligence, humility, and ambition I find in my colleagues. I hope to create and lead an organizational culture that is known for excellence, fairness, and having a positive impact on the world.”
Brian Ciccotelli earned his undergraduate degree in business management from BYU Marriott. The New York City native enjoys filming, traveling, seeking out new experiences, and good food. As an MBA, Ciccotelli is recipient of the dean scholarship and the MBA multiplier award. He also serves in the MBAA General Council as the VP of Fine Arts and in the HRSA leadership. “The best part of the MBA program is the people,” says Ciccotelli. “I’m honored to learn and work alongside such amazing individuals and role models. In the future, I want to lift others by helping them realize their potential and encouraging them to find happiness in their work.” After graduation, Ciccotelli plans to work for HP as a strategic HR intern.
Seth Law serves in the Miller Competition Series with the Rollins Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the board of the Kennedy Center for International Studies, and the MBA Marketing Association. Prior to his MBA, Law earned his undergraduate degree from BYU in civil engineering. For the last five years, Law worked as a software implementation consultant in Poland and Finland for Fast Enterprises. He is from Kaysville, Utah, and enjoys photography, traveling with his wife and children, reading, and trying new foods. “My favorite thing about the MBA program has been getting to know so many incredible people who will do amazing things,” says Law. “My second favorite thing about it has been able to hit pause and think about how I want to spend my life. I am eager to make a positive difference in the world.” After graduation, Law plans to work for Dell in product marketing.
“The BYU Marriott MBA has been my second home for the past six months,” says Shawn Merrill. “I have felt loved and supported by professors, classmates, and the staff. I have been given a new perspective on my studies, career path, and life. We have worked together, struggled together, and laughed together. We are succeeding together.” Merrill has been named MBA president for 2019. He currently serves as section president and won first place in the PwC case competition and the social innovation case competition. He is also recipient of the Marriott scholarship. Prior to working on his MBA, the Orem, Utah, native earned his undergraduate degree in Russian from BYU. He also received his Master’s in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, Merrill enjoys traveling, videography, photography, and training his two pet parrots.
Davidson Oliveira hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and earned his finance undergraduate degree from BYU Marriott. He serves in the Graduate Finance Association. He is also a part of the Graduate Real Estate Association and the Investment Club Association. “The BYU Marriott MBA program is not only an elite learning institution made up of great professors and quality students, it is a place that helps students to strengthen their faith and build their knowledge beyond the academic curriculum,” says Oliveira. “These past seven months I have developed an amazing network of extremely qualified people that I can call friends.” After graduation, he plans to work for Whirlpool as an associate in the FP&A role. In his free time, Oliveira enjoys playing soccer and traveling with his family.
This summer, Amanda Spencer will be an HR intern at Bridgestone Americas. She is currently working with first- and second-year MBAs on diversity and inclusion initiatives. “The MBA program has been challenging in a lot of ways, but I have learned so much and enjoyed the connections I’ve made,” says Spencer. “My classes have helped me to broaden my global mindset and to better understand different cultures. I plan to seek out opportunities to work internationally during my career and to use the skills that I have learned in the MBA program.” Prior to her MBA, Spencer earned her undergraduate degree in history from BYU and her master’s degree in European and Eurasian studies from The George Washington University. In her free time, the Meridian, Idaho, native enjoys photography and traveling.
Fernanda Sayavedra has traveled to more than thirty countries and is fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, French, and German. The Mexico City native came to BYU and earned her undergraduate degree in economics and graduated summa cum laude. She was also recipient of the Hinckley Abrelia Clarissa scholarship. She graduated with honors from the University of Chicago where she received her JD. As an MBA, Sayavedra serves in the Graduate Finance Association and the Human Resources Student Association. “The BYU Marriott MBA program has a close-knit yet open community that facilitates learning from others and quickly developing relationships with others,” Sayavedra says. “I’m looking forward to taking what I have learned from the program, and the relationships I’ve established, to make a difference in my family, community, professional career, and church.” This summer Sayavedra will work as an intern for Dell.
In 2010, David Tensmeyer earned his undergraduate degree in international relations from BYU. Two years later, he earned his master’s degree in international relations in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native serves in the Graduate Supply Chain and Operations Association, Graduate Entrepreneur Association, and the MBA Strategy and Consulting Club. “My time as an MBA student at BYU Marriott has been a defining period of my life,” says Tensmeyer. “It has pushed me to develop as a leader and enabled me to see possibilities for my future that I had never considered before. I will leave this program not only with new knowledge and skills but with a greater confidence in my ability to effect change and have a positive impact on the lives of others.” When he isn’t busy with the MBA program, Tensmeyer enjoys learning new languages and cooking.
Adam Trone earned his bachelor’s degree in Middle East studies and Arabic from BYU. Trone is from Portland, Oregon, and as an MBA he serves in the Strategy and Consulting Club, the Technology Society, the Graduate Finance Association, the Graduate Entrepreneur Association, and the MBA Marketing Association. In addition to work and school, Trone is director and chairperson of Damaro, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the representation of women in business. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, writing, and reading. “The world of business is more interconnected than ever before,” says Trone. “This exciting reality provides countless unique opportunities to make an impact, and I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in the middle of several such opportunities in recent years.” Trone will work for Amazon this summer as an intern in the retail leadership development program.
Reenu Selva Raj graduated in the top one percent of her class at the M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, where she earned her degree in computer engineering. She has worked at Adobe for three years as a technical consultant. She has also authored and published two articles on video tracking and mobile analytics. As an MBA, Raj serves as head Marketing Sherpa, the vice president of Strategy and Consulting Club and is also a global supply chain Savage scholar. The Bangalore, India, native will begin an internship with Deloitte as a senior consultant in Strategy and Operations this summer. “I have loved being associated with men and women of outstanding character, professional ability, and passion,” says Raj. “The BYU Marriott MBA has helped shape me into an individual whose thoughts transcends boundaries and has given me the opportunity to expand my potential.” In her free time, Raj enjoys reading, traveling, learning about different cultures, and sampling world cuisine.
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Writer: Kelly Brunken