Then and Now

I had just returned from an LDS mission in Japan, and I was having a tough time finding a job. The economy was so bad that even large enterprises were only offering $12/hour to people with master's degrees.

I was trying to figure out how to afford to go back to school, when my older brother bought me a ladder, a squeegee, and some buckets so I could start a window-cleaning business. I remember walking through neighborhoods at night placing flyers. I learned a lot about hard work and running a business from that experience.

I tried attending UVU for a semester, but it wasn't working for me. Then someone suggested SLCC and it just felt right — it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I've made. It was affordable, convenient, and flexible; I could build school around all the other things happening in my life.

At first, I felt nervous being on campus and unsure of myself; my parents had never gone to college, so I was figuring it out on my own. After 9 months, I decided to run for student body president. This experience exposed me to so many people in leadership and opportunities. It was also a chance to serve and do something meaningful; as president I helped create a scholarship for single parents — I was thinking of my own mom.

I went on to the U of U and earned my undergraduate degree in political science. This degree was a good starting point for me — all that knowledge and exposure is helpful now in my role, where I work at the intersection of policy, business, and economic development. Later in my career, I went back to school to earn an MBA at Duke University.

Now, I'm the CEO of 47G, an aerospace and defense company; prior to that I worked for the World Trade Center Utah, and then for Franklin Covey in Japan.

I didn't get here alone. No one is self-made, it's because of people who took an interest in me along the way — I found those mentors at SLCC. Life is really about people, and people made my college experience possible.

"I didn't get here alone. No one is self-made, it's because of people who took an interest in me along the way—I found those mentors at SLCC. Life is really about people and people made my college experience possible."

Advice

You don't need to have your career figured out in college — that kind of pressure can be overwhelming. Just do the best you can with the opportunities given to you in the moment, and you'll find that brings along the next opportunity. Trust the wisdom in you now and let the process play out.