The BYU Marriott MBA program is highly esteemed among top business schools in the United States. With a new school year approaching this fall, take a look at some of the impressive women who add to the reputation of the MBA program.
Susannah Hertz
This year marks big life achievements for Susannah Hertz—not only will she be married, but she’ll also graduate from the MBA program.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from BYU in 2013 and working as a risk analyst for Goldman Sachs, Hertz returned to BYU in 2016 to earn an MBA.
“I love the BYU Marriott MBA program,” she says. “As I leave, I am confident that I have the necessary education and skills to make a strong, positive impact in the world.”
While in the program, Hertz spent time working with Kaizen Group, an organization dedicated to making internal improvements in the MBA program. In addition, she also contributed to Savage Global Consulting—participating in hands-on learning to make executive-level decisions—and served as vice president of the MBA Strategy and Consulting Club.
“Kaizen Group had the biggest impact on my MBA experience,” she says. “Contributing to the organizations you are a part of is important, and Kaizen gave me that opportunity.”
Hertz completed her first internship in the program consulting with Deloitte, where she spent time understanding the key technological issues in the pharmaceutical industry. During her second year, Hertz worked for the LDS Church in the Presiding Bishopric’s office as an internal strategist, learning how to manage projects and how important it is to validate projects with colleagues.
This summer Hertz accepted an internship with Pelion Venture Partners, which has helped confirm her interest in the startup and investing world. In the fall, she will begin a full-time position with Deloitte in San Francisco.
“My advice to students considering an MBA is to go for it,” she says. “An MBA will help you to realize your potential. Your education will be invaluable for your family, your community, and your eternal progression.”
Erika Nash
As Erika Nash looks to wrap up her last year in the JD/MBA dual program, she jokes with classmates about how much schooling she has completed at BYU.
“I’ve been at BYU for nine years,” says Nash, who received her undergrad in business management from BYU Marriott in 2014. “I am the third of six children and have been here, at one time or another, with every one of my siblings.”
Each of her nine years at BYU have been well spent as she participated and continues to take part in a variety of programs and clubs on campus.
During her second year in dual enrollment, Nash assisted first-year MBA students as a Sherpa program mentor and also helped to internally improve the MBA program through the organization called Kaizen. In addition to these programs, Nash participates in nine other clubs and organizations at BYU Marriott including Cougar Capital, BYU’s student-run fund; this last year she served as one of the fund’s managing directors.
“My experience specifically in Cougar Capital has put me heads and shoulders above others,” she says. “I sat down the first day at my internship with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and understood exactly what was going on while many of my colleagues did not know what to do. The MBA program—and Cougar Capital—prepares students for the real world.”
She started her first year as a dual enrollment student focusing solely on MBA classes and then completed an internship with PwC management consulting. The following year she focused on law classes, interning for Parr Brown Gee & Loveless. Her third year included classes from both departments, allowing her to pursue two internships this summer with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Pelion Venture Partners.
This fall, Nash will finish her final year in the dual program and then enter the business world. Experience in both law and business will give her abundant skills to pursue her interest in entrepreneurship.
“An MBA can completely transform who you are as a person,” Nash says. “The program equips you with a tool set and confidence to be a leader anywhere you go.”
Brooke Reynolds
Pull-Ups, baby monitors, and marketing. Put these all together, and this sums up Brooke Reynolds’ real world experience since starting her MBA at BYU Marriott.
“My job experience widened my understanding of best business principles and practices,” she says. “During the MBA program, you are taught how to think critically, how to conduct analysis, and how to lead a team.”
Though Reynolds stayed busy through summer internships and the class load of the MBA, she still found time to contribute to BYU Marriott programs. She participated in Cougar Capital and served as the team’s director of competitions and conferences. Her experience in competition led to taking three top-ten placements at the BYU Miller Competition Series—the largest single-university startup competition in the country. In addition to these accomplishments, Reynolds also served in the MBA Marketing Association presidency.
Reynolds believes that her experience at BYU Marriott had a significant influence on her academic capacity, and she attributes success in business to her studies in the MBA program.
“I was often pushed to my limits intellectually,” she says. “Over time I knew what business questions to ask, what data to gather that would be compelling, and which of my brilliant classmates I could rely on in my network.”
After graduating in April, Reynolds shifted focus from Pull-Ups to baby monitors. Taking a job with Owlet, she now works as a product marketing manager. She is responsible for a marketing campaign to promote a new product launch in a few months.
“Come to BYU Marriott humble and eager,” she advises. “Overcome any intimidation you might feel and know that you are needed. The skills you gain here empower you with confidence and translate into many facets of your life.”
Sarah Wasden
Starting this fall, Sarah Wasden will put on scrubs, wear a stethoscope around her neck, and carry a doctor’s kit as a new medical school student. Unlike many others pursuing the medical field, Wasden’s journey included a three-year stop at BYU Marriott to receive an MBA.
Though she decided on medical school only six weeks into her first semester of the MBA program, Wasden chose to finish her MBA. She believed this degree could be an asset in her life and found value in pursuing it at BYU Marriott.
“Coming to BYU Marriott for my MBA was a no brainer,” she says. “I did my undergrad at BYU, and I have always loved the BYU brand and everything that the school stands for.”
Leaving behind a job as an assistant treasurer, Wasden returned to BYU to begin her long journey to receive an MBA and a medical degree.
“The entire department was supportive of the change in my career path,” she says. “They helped connect me to physicians and other mentors who were influential in my medical school preparation.”
Because of her unique situation, Wasden spent the summers taking prerequisite medical school classes and studying for the MCAT. However, her medical preparation did not stop her from being involved at BYU Marriott.
Wasden was one of six Cougar Capital students chosen to compete in the global Venture Capital Investment Competition team that took first place in April. She also served as the vice president of networking for the Women in Management Club. “I feel strongly that the MBA program will help students reach their professional aspirations,” she says.
As a fresh BYU Marriott alum, Wasden accepted a job with Intermountain Healthcare as a population and community outreach analyst. In the fall, she begins medical school at the University of Utah.
“No matter what direction you are heading, the MBA program can help you on your path,” Wasden says. “The MBA program is filled with individuals who are faithful in the gospel, who are balancing family life, and who are ambitious in pursuing their aspirations. It’s inspiring, and if you have a chance to be a part of this group, take it.”
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Writer: Sydney Zenger
