Seven Brigham Young University MBA finance students have been named recipients of the George E. Stoddard Jr. Prize, giving them each an opportunity to apply their financial savvy to the honor's $2,000 cash award.
The Stoddard Prize is awarded to a handful of second-year finance MBA students each year who demonstrate their academic diligence and commitment to the finance program, based on review by a faculty panel.
"These prizes come at a perfect time for students who are preparing to graduate and relocate to cities around the country," says Grant McQueen, a finance professor who oversees the awards. "The prize is a vote of confidence in students whose professional careers and church service will reflect favorably on BYU, the MBA program and the finance major."
The 2011 Prize Winners –also called Stoddard Scholars—are Pete Boehme from Issaquah, Wash.; Justin B. Bradshaw from Salt Lake City; Jeremy Burgon from Midvale, Utah; Britt Chapman from Asheville, North Carolina; Shilpa Manjeshwar from Mangalore, India; Jeremy Reese from Las Vegas; and Rich Wilcox from Ojai, Calif.
"I feel fortunate to be named a Stoddard Scholar and know many of my fellow classmates are equally deserving of this honor," Burgon says. "This award instills a deeper desire within me to do all I can to give back and strengthen the Marriott School brand."
The Stoddard Prize was established in 1985 by George E. Stoddard, a 1937 BYU alumnus. His numerous credentials include acting as senior managing director of the W.P. Carey & Co., a leading global real estate investment firm in New York. He was a pioneer in the use of real estate transactions known as sale-leasebacks to provide financing to companies having trouble gaining access to traditional sources of capital. The firm specializes in buying property from corporations which them continue to occupy the space as tenants. Prior to joining W.P. Carey & Company, Mr. Stoddard was also head of the multi-billion dollar Direct Placement Department of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States.
The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.
2011 Stoddard Prize Winner Bios
Issaquah, Wash., native Pete Boehme earned a degree in economics, finance and accountancy from Utah State University in 2002. Prior to starting the MBA program, he worked for six years as a trader and portfolio manager at Washington Mutual. At the Marriott School, Boehme is involved in the Silver Fund investment portfolio and the Graduate Finance Association and led the BYU Chartered Financial Analyst Global Investment Research Challenge team to first place in state. He is married to Lindsay, and they have two children, ages six and three. Boehme enjoys keeping up with current events, being outdoors and spending time with family. "I have very much enjoyed my time at the Marriott School," he says. "The students and professors are top-notch, each willing to go above and beyond to help students reach their full potential."
Justin B. Bradshaw will graduate with a joint MBA/JD in 2011. He earned a bachelor's degree in corporate finance from BYU in 2006 before working as a financial analyst at Marriott International for two years. The Salt Lake City native is a 2010 recipient of the Ray and Helen Spencer Nelson Scholarship and current president of the Government & Politics Legal Society at the J. Reuben Clark Law School. Bradshaw and his wife of five years, Tracie, have two children, ages three and one. He enjoys reading, hiking and cheering for Cougar sports teams. After graduation, Bradshaw will join Prince Yeates & Geldzhaler in Salt Lake City as a legal associate. "I believe my success in the finance program is a reflection of the excellent instruction I have received from one of the strongest finance programs in the country," he says. "I hope to use the knowledge I have gained to represent BYU throughout my career."
Originally from Midvale, Utah, Jeremy Burgon is no stranger to leadership positions. Since earning his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Utah in 2005, he has served as associate director of Cougar Capital, vice president of activities for the Graduate Finance Association and section president of the MBAA Executive Council at BYU. His hobbies include playing sports, reading and traveling with his family. Burgon says his MBA experience has exceeded his expectations and that he is grateful for the family focus of the Marriott School. After graduation, he will be moving with his wife, Jenn, and two young sons to Charlotte, N.C., to work for Wells Fargo Securities. "I have been amazed how prepared I feel to enter the workforce based on the interactions and opportunities afforded me during the past two years," he says.
Before starting the MBA program, Britt Chapman worked for three years as a senior audit associate at Deloitte & Touche and one year as an associate accountant at Morgan Stanley. Before his career, he graduated with a degree in accountancy from BYU in 2005. He is currently a member of the Graduate Finance Association and Cougar Capital. Chapman and his wife, Emily, have three children and enjoy outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and participating in triathlons. After graduation, the Asheville, N.C., native will be returning to his home state to take a job at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte. "Being a Stoddard Scholar means a lot to me because it is a show of confidence in my professional abilities from the faculty and staff," he says. "I'm honored to receive the award and am grateful that the finance emphasis has an award that encourages and recognizes young professionals."
Shilpa Manjeshwar, from Mangalore, India, is the first woman in her family to pursue an MBA. She earned a bachelor's degree from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka in India in 2004, where she ranked first in the mechanical engineering program. She then went on to work as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. While in the MBA program, Manjeshwar has worked as a teaching assistant and volunteered as vice president of treasury for the Graduate Finance Association. In her free time, Manjeshwar and her husband, Pradeep, enjoy doing yoga, hiking and reading. After graduation, she will join Intel Micron Flash Technologies as a financial analyst. "This award is a great honor in the highly competitive MBA program and means a lot to me," she says.
In order to help pay for his undergraduate education, Jeremy Reese drove a limo for a wedding chapel on the Las Vegas Strip. The Nevada native graduated summa sum laude with his bachelor's degree in finance from UNLV in 2006. Reese worked for four years as a channel manager and new product development manager at Credit One Bank. At the Marriott School he has been involved with the Graduate Finance Association and served as the résumé committee chair for the Sherpa mentoring program. He is also a member of Net Impact and a board fellow of local nonprofit Kids on the Move. Reese will join General Mills as a senior financial analyst in June 2011. He is married to Janessa, and they are the parents of two young girls. Reese says his time in the MBA program has been both challenging and rewarding. "My classmates are always there to lend a hand," he says. "They have challenged me and pushed me to new levels of success."
Rich Wilcox became the first college graduate in his extended family when he earned a bachelor's degree in statistics with an actuarial science emphasis from BYU in 2001. He then spent more than seven years as a senior actuarial analyst at Mercer. Originally from Ojai, Calif., Wilcox works as a teaching assistant for multiple MBA courses and is involved with the Graduate Finance Association, the Sherpa mentoring program and student-run investment portfolio Silver Fund. He is a proud husband to Sharlene and father of five children, ranging from one to nine years old. In his spare time Wilcox enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking and gardening. "To be honored as a Stoddard Scholar from among such an amazing student body is a humbling experience because so many others are just as deserving," he says.
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Writer: Michelle Treasure