The Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management named ten MBA candidates as its 2012 Hawes Scholars. The honor, which carries a cash award of $10,000, is the highest distinction given to MBA students at the school.
"This is not purely an academic award," says Craig Merrill, MBA program director. "Those who are nominated for the award are nominated because they make the MBA experience better for people around them — they make the classroom experience better, they help other students do or learn more and get more out of the program. This is a group of students who we feel really represent the mission of the Marriott School."
The 2012 Hawes Scholars are second-year MBA students Julie Edgin, from Monument, Colo.; Christopher Farnsworth, from Orem, Utah; Casey Green, from Centerville, Utah; Stephen Haynes from Brisbane, Australia; Douglas Hervey Jr., from Ashburn, Va.; Moriah McClanahan, from Bowling Green, Ohio; Michael McInelly, from Seattle; Royce Riddle, from Holladay, Utah; Zachariah Rodgers, from Boston; and Cecilia Yiu, from Hong Kong.
Students and faculty nominate and vote on each year's Hawes Scholars. Final selection is made by the Hawes Scholar Committee and is based on academic performance, leadership maturity and a commitment to high ethical standards.
Named for successful corporate executive Rodney A. Hawes Jr. and his wife, Beverly, the award was created in 1998 to recognize the accomplishments of graduating MBA students.
The Hawes Scholar award is one of many initiatives made possible by the Hawes Endowment, a gift of more than $2 million used to facilitate the growth and enhancement of the Marriott School's nationally ranked MBA program. Mr. Hawes, a Baker Scholar from the Harvard Business School, and his wife wanted to create a tradition at the Marriott School that recognizes and rewards excellence among students entering the business world. He served as chairman and CEO of Life Re Corporation, a leading provider of life reinsurance in the United States. He is currently a director of the W.R. Berkley Corporation. In addition to being widely recognized for his expertise in financial matters, Hawes has a reputation for integrity, hard work and community service.
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.
Hawes Scholars Bios
Before coming to the MBA program, Julie Edgin was a program manager for FranklinCovey where she oversaw leadership training sessions in more than 20 countries. After completing her MBA, she will join the General Electric human resources leadership program. Chosen by fellow students to be executive vice president of student life, Edgin enjoys serving in any capacity and planning events that provide students and families opportunities to build strong relationships. She serves as a sherpa to OBHR students and is an active member of the Organizational Behavior Student Association. Edgin completed her bachelor's degree in communications at BYU. "I love that the BYU MBA perspective is not one-dimensional," Edgin says. "We are taught that success is making meaningful contributions within our homes, professions and communities. I will leave the MBA program with knowledge, confidence and a strong desire to pay it forward in all aspects of my life."
A dynamic leader and organizer, Christopher Farnsworth is actively involved in the Organizational Behavior Student Association and is head sherpa for the BYU MBA Sherpa program. In this role he is responsible for the selection, organization, training and leadership of peer mentors, known as sherpas, who help first-year MBA students develop the career tools they will need to be successful. After attending BYU and earning a BS in psychology, Farnsworth worked at Fidelity Investments as a premium services broker and guidance champion. "The BYU MBA program has opened up opportunities for me and my family that I never thought possible. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support from faculty, students and alumni who have given their time in helping me find my path," Farnsworth says. "More importantly, I now have a greater resolve to go forth to serve by using the skills and tools I have gained here to bless the lives of others."
Casey Green's commitment to the MBA program extends beyond the classroom. He serves as president of the Global Supply Chain Management Association and co-director of the Ballard Center's Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship Case Competition. He also led BYU's Sam Walton International Logistics Case Competition team to a third-place finish. Much of Green's extra time is spent with his wife and two girls or playing sports. Before entering the MBA program, he finished his bachelor's degree in management from BYU and was a merchandising analyst at Kohl's corporate office. He recently completed a supply chain internship at Savage Services. "I have enjoyed the opportunities to be involved, such as participating in case competitions, studying micro-business models in a developing country and having leadership opportunities in campus clubs," Green says. "Being able to apply what I've learned in different ways has enriched my learning tremendously."
A proud Australian, Stephen Haynes earned his accountancy degree from Queensland University of Technology. He embarked on an international career path working in Tokyo for a new venture and then for SingTel Optus in Australia and Singapore. Before coming to the Marriott School, Haynes spent 10 years in leadership roles in the ICT industry in Asia. Haynes serves as president of the International Graduate Student Association and also as director of portfolio for Cougar Capital, a student-run private equity fund. When he's not making investment decisions, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children exploring the surroundings in the United States. Haynes says one of the things he has enjoyed most about the MBA program is the friendships he's made. "The spirit of service and comradeship here inspires me to make significant contributions to our future companies, communities and the school brand," Haynes says. "I know this experience will bless my family and help me to influence those around me."
After earning his bachelor's degree in international relations at BYU, Douglas Hervey Jr. continued on to earn his JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Before joining the MBA program, Hervey practiced law for several firms in Washington, D.C. While earning his MBA, he blogs for the Harvard Business Review, is co-authoring a book on incentives in health care and serves as director of legal affairs for BYU's student-run investment fund, Cougar Capital. Hervey also enjoys being a husband and a father to three. He feels the MBA program has greatly prepared him for the next stage in his career path. "I will always be grateful for attending an intellectually rigorous program with some of the best faculty in the country," Hervey says. "In addition, my peers have thoroughly enriched my educational experience in a profoundly spiritual manner."
Within the MBA program, Moriah McClanahan serves as MBA Association vice president of academic affairs, is vice president of the MBA Tech Society, works as a sherpa and has captained several MBA intramural soccer teams. She is also an active member of Women in Management and the Graduate Finance Association. McClanahan graduated from BYU with a BS in computer science and worked as a senior business intelligence engineer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through the Ballard Center, McClanahan interned in India for a nonprofit organization, and last summer she was a finance analyst intern for Intel Corporation. "I have learned that there is no limit to the difference one person can make in the world if she develops the necessary skills and focuses on excellence," McClanahan says. "I am a better person, intellectually, socially and emotionally because of my time at BYU."
An outdoor and sports enthusiast, Michael McInelly is a former BYU football player and wilderness fly-fisher. After graduating with a BS in facilities management from BYU, McInelly worked as regional vice president at IDG/Horizon in Salt Lake City and as general manager at MW Investments. A big proponent of building relationships, he helped organize the OBHR rafting trip, the Business Plan Competition and MBA activities including morning basketball, an interview prep club, a fly-fishing group and a trip to go support Jimmer against the Jazz. McInelly says his time in the MBA program prepared him for a great career and also gave him skills to carry throughout life. "I have been surrounded by incredible classmates who have enriched this experience for my family and have taught me so much about leading a successful and satisfying life," McInelly says. "I am passionate about exemplifying principles of business, faith, integrity and charity that I have learned at the Marriott School."
An avid traveler and proponent of social entrepreneurship, Royce Riddle has visited each of the 50 United States and many countries. Riddle serves as director of service for the MBA Association, which is on its way to attaining the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award for 1,000 hours of community service. As co-director of the Ballard Center's Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship Case Competition, he helped the competition become the first graduate-level case competition held at the Marriott School. Riddle also enjoys his role as a husband and father of two. Before joining the MBA program, Riddle finished his bachelor's degree in business finance at BYU and was a financial analyst at Adobe Systems Inc. "The personal and professional growth I have experienced in the Marriott School MBA program has been greater than I could have hoped for," Riddle says. "I have better defined myself and my passions for service and professional excellence."
Preparing for an academic career following his MBA, Zachariah Rodgers formerly worked as an entrepreneur in Internet retail and wholesale and graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Asian studies and economics. Rodgers now serves as director of spiritual affairs for the MBA Association, strategy discipline chair for the Pre-Doctoral Student Association and conducts research with several Marriott School faculty members. Rodgers also enjoys his role as a husband and as a father to three. "BYU faculty, classmates and the MBA program have proved a tremendous help to prepare for my future vocation as a professor of organizational studies and strategy," Rodgers says. "I am very grateful to teammates who supported me in my goals, professors who mentored and befriended me and the overall BYU environment that helped me prepare for secular success while at the same time growing closer to my family."
Cecilia Yiu earned her BS in psychology from BYU–Hawaii. She serves as vice president of the MBA Strategy and Consulting Club, a sherpa mentor for four first-year MBA students and a member of the Wake Forest Case Competition Team. Yiu spends time each week helping students prepare for careers in consulting and also led efforts to get consulting firms more interested in BYU students. This past summer Yiu interned at PwC Advisory as a senior associate and also interned at Walmart as an innovation and strategy intern. "When I first came to the program, many told me getting a career in management consulting is nearly impossible," Yiu remembers. "Now I am looking at an exciting career in management consulting, thinking how grateful I am for the students and faculty who provided help at each step. Their generous service is a powerful example of the true spirit of the Marriott School."
Writer: Janet Barton
