Jordan Sitterud, a native of Roseville, California, has always admired basketball player Michael Jordan.
He not only respected everything about Jordan—from his work ethic on the court to his fresh line of sneakers—but he also appreciated the trials Jordan overcame in his life to become one of the greatest basketball players in the NBA. Sitterud followed Jordan’s example of persistence by never giving up on his own dreams, including being admitted to BYU after several attempts and later the BYU Marriott School of Business.
BYU has always been Sitterud’s dream school. His plan after graduating high school in 2015 was to move to Provo and study his passion: industrial design.
“I originally wanted to be a product designer,” says Sitterud. “I hoped to work for an outdoor or sporting brand, like Nike, creating sneakers and fashion apparel. I love art and culture, and industrial design seemed like the perfect fit for my passion and skill set.”
When Sitterud discovered that BYU had an industrial design program, his resolve to attend the school grew even stronger. However, he soon discovered that his path would have more twists and turns than expected.
When Sitterud applied to BYU shortly after graduating from high school, his application was denied. Confused and discouraged, Sitterud moved to Provo, but he attended Utah Valley University (UVU) instead. After completing a semester of general education requirements at UVU, Sitterud left to serve a Spanish speaking mission in Des Moines, Iowa, and then returned to Provo, where he applied a second time to BYU. Again, he was denied.
At this point, Sitterud pondered other options for his education. As he applied to other schools, he decided to spruce up his old application essays for BYU and apply one last time. Sure enough, after the third time, he received his acceptance.
However, the rejections didn’t stop there for Sitterud. After completing the prerequisites for the industrial design program, his application was denied.
“At that point,” Sitterud explains, “I would have had to wait an additional year to apply to the industrial design program again, pushing my graduation back even further. I started thinking and praying about what my next step should be, looking for a major with lots of overlap with industrial design. That’s when I thought about applying to programs at BYU Marriott.”
After gaining a better understanding of what BYU Marriott had to offer, Sitterud decided to pursue marketing. After taking the prerequisites and being wait-listed for admission, Sitterud’s persistence paid off, and he was accepted into the program for fall 2021.
Now a year into the marketing program, Sitterud has gained a great love for his professors and fellow classmates, along with every minute of his classes. He has felt a sense of belonging in his program that has made all the difference. Marketing allows him to have a sense of creativity and innovation, something that overlaps a lot with industrial design.
Sitterud has taken that love for creativity and innovation to his newest position as a campus marketing specialist intern at Cotopaxi. He has organized events and developed marketing strategies for the company’s public engagement, along with carrying out their mission to do good. As he takes this experience with him into his senior year, Sitterud is reminded of how capable he is of overcoming personal challenges and rejection, ultimately leading him to something better.
“I remember looking every day at a poster of Michael Jordan on the wall of my childhood bedroom,” says Sitterud. “The poster quoted Jordan saying, ‘I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’”
“That quote relates to all of the failures or rejections I’ve faced in the past few years,” Sitterud continues. “Those experiences were hard and challenging, but overall, I’m so grateful for them and where I am today. I learned a kind of persistence and work ethic I never thought possible. Because of that, I’m excited to see what I can accomplish in the future with the skills and knowledge I’m gaining at BYU Marriott.”
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Writer: Sophia Shafkalis
