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Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Snow Nelson grew up in a world filled with obstacles. Her father was incarcerated when she was just a year old and later deported to Haiti, leaving her mother to raise Nelson and her brother alone.
Ten years have passed since the American Family Survey began collecting data about Americans’ opinions about families—their importance, their health, their needs—and therefore what policies will be most beneficial and popular across party lines.
Students in the BYU Robotics and Dynamics Lab are making robots that do the heavy lifting.
More than 30 BYU students created Student Accomplice, a fun and action-packed animated short.
In fall semester, Emma Taylor found herself looking for work. Having previously worked as a janitor, she hoped to find something more in line with her career goals.
Findings from BYU researchers about using tears to diagnose diseases were recently published in Clinical Proteomics.
In the latest Wall Street Journal rankings BYU received a 93 percent student recommendation score—the highest of all 400 schools surveyed.
Imagine traveling 2,340 miles on one gallon of gas. For the BYU Supermileage Team, that’s not a hypothetical.
Alana Portzline needed one final capstone experience—to record a full orchestra playing her original composition. But doing so would require some travel.
With only six weeks left on her mission in Salem, Oregon, Rachel Edmunds was asked to serve in a Spanish-speaking area. It was an eye-opening experience.
Since middle school, Thomas Garsnett dreamed of a career in the military. He envisioned himself “knocking down doors and blowing things up.” Something changed.
Nursing student Gabby Sutton-Clark has made it her purpose to assist the often-underserved community of neurodiverse patients.
With a nearly three-to-one ratio between students and full-time employees, BYU Broadcasting gives students a wealth of opportunities for hands-on, real-world training in media and entertainment.
Savannah Jepson conducted a study of accents in Lapoint, Utah. “I’m the only linguist I know of that has conducted sociolinguistic research in the Uintah Basin.”
“During my freshman year, one of my professors mentioned that working in baseball and statistics would be an option for me. Until that point, I didn’t even know that type of career path existed.”
David and Debra Gehris have miraculous and unlikely BYU stories, beginning with their religious upbringing.
Before graduating and becoming an elementary school teacher, Brenna Porter set a BYU record in the400-meter hurdles.
A group of 18 journalism students and 2 professors traveled to Paris to cover the 2024 Summer Olympics.
As we near Brigham Young University’s sesquicentennial, our campus is charged with becoming “a Christ-centered, prophetically directed university of prophecy.” We have come a long way in nearly 150 years.
Students come to Brigham Young University seeking a unique collegiate experience. And no other university has the same expectation for a commitment to excellence alongside a mission to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life.
Joshua DeLaigle landed an internship in Washington, DC, and thanks to generous donors, it is now the highlight of his BYU experience.
Jane Drinkwater exemplifies BYU’s aim to prepare students for “lifelong learning and service.”
BYU students and Prótesis Imbabura work to make more affordable prosthetics for people in Ecuador.
True story: since the 1960s, engineering students across the country have been building concrete canoes to test their engineering excellence and hydrodynamic design skills. Naturally, they started racing them, and now it’s a thing.
Alex Black has represented the BYU College of Nursing on three study abroad programs.
“…thank you for letting me be a father and a husband while being a nursing student.”
Emily Dana wants to help others, and she says researching how parental support affects the mental health of children is a perfect fit for her.
Sociology student Citlalli Zavala traveled to Bolivia with BYU’s Program Evaluation and Assessment Team (PEAT). PEAT provides students with hands-on experience gathering and assessing data to improve the effectiveness of nonprofits or other organizations that seek to do good in the world.
Donors impact student lives every day, not least of all by providing work related job opportunities on campus. These inspiring learning experiences can have a big impact.
Jessica Dofelmire, a rising 2L and first-generation college student, became interested in litigation law. She was able to further explore this field during the academies program. She is excited to expand her professional network and be a resource for future law students.
William Emery knew ever since he participated in a mock trial at age 12 that he wanted to go to law school. “BYU Law is actually the only school I applied to,” he says.
Oswald “Ozzie” Buhendwa, born and raised in Africa, joined the Church while in Canada and later attended BYU Law School. His experience with ICLRS led him back to Kenya, where he has lobbied for constitutional rights surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryan Cheney actively networks for worldwide religious freedom and plans to advocate for that freedom throughout his professional law career.
“Before I got to law school, I interned at a startup business; I loved and cherished the entrepreneurship spirit there. When I came to law school, I thought I had to let go of the startup dream.”
As we take the following steps, I believe that we will be blessed both individually and institutionally.
An interdisciplinary BYU research team traveled to Nepal to measure brick workers’ exposure to pollutants and to assess their respiratory health.
Students learn how build résumés, practice interviews, and learn from alumni about working in Japan.
2,878 BYU students took part in 204 BYU study abroad programs located in 61 countries.
Last fall the Wall Street Journal and College Pulse recognized BYU as one of the best universities in the country.
A study from BYU finds that a family’s religious beliefs and practices promote hope.
These national and international experiences are life changing and greatly impact their patient care.
Going to Spain for the public and global health inspiring learning experience taught me the importance of understanding the Healer’s art.
Brookelyn Harvey is a 2023 Wheatley Scholar. As such she has been mentored while conducting and reporting on research on family life. She says, “Every interaction, whether academic or personal, feels like a ministering visit.”
“My professors continually connect the material of their classes to the gospel,” Lynsie Huff says of her experience at BYU.
Last fall, Roan attended an event sponsored by Wheatley Institute featuring legal scholar Akhil Reed Amar, who was on campus to speak at a forum. “I learned from him that to share, I first must acquire,” Roan says.
BYU student body president Fritz-Carl Morlant helped create Utah’s inaugural College Day of Service.
When Walter Barrus experienced devastating hardships, Brigham Young University helped transform his life for the better. Margaret Barrus’s BYU degree, earned later in life, opened doors for her as a computer programmer. Today, they are using a planned gift to improve the lives of others at BYU and beyond.
When Kika Londoño was eight years old, her family moved from Utah to Colombia for a year and a half. During this formative time, she came to love Latin America and the Spanish language.
For many students receiving a scholarship or other financial assistance from donors is a blessing. For others it can only be described as “life-changing”.
Many students benefit from mentoring opportunities on campus that are sponsored by donors. And although Katie King knew that her scholarship and many of the facilities at BYU were provided by donors, she was surprised to learn that her job is donor-funded as well.
Researchers at BYU’s Computational Health Science Research Collaborative are crunching data to see how Reddit users search for and sift through medical information and how this has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nursing student Maryn Behling starts BYU Health Science course.
Postgraduate student Molly Michaels was named Special Education Teacher of the Year while researching trauma-informed care in early childhood education.
The Utah Valley Parade of Homes included an unconventional stop this year: BYU campus.
BYU Senior Brooklyn Jarvis Kelson was recently named Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographers’ Association of America.
BYU students working hard to bring about change in their field.
Reefs worldwide are constantly threatened. The Molokai-based conservation nonprofit ‘Āina Momona called on BYU for help.
One of BYU’s student startups earned $905k in prize money at a major collegiate business plan competition.
Kika graduated in 2023 and began her career in language services, a culmination of her experiences at home, abroad, and—finally—at BYU.
Hundreds of BYU students shared their testimonies through a variety of mediums.
Biology professors Matthew Bailey and Sam Payne led the largest-ever study on how cancer spreads and affects proteins in the body.
Can you name the oldest operating meetinghouse in Utah?
Thanks to my education at BYU, I realized that I want to be an advocate for those I care for.
The Wheatley Institute conducts and distributes research that supports family, religion, and constitutional government.
For Sarah Johns, a 2L student from Huntington Beach, California, attending law school and participating in competitions has improved both her knowledge and her spirituality.
Lauren Walker’s often found herself in places where members of her faith were few. Her
Malka Moya is championing in-school wellness centers as a way to reduce depression and anxiety in students and improve their mental health.
SUMMER KNUDSEN loves to try new things. So when a student job opportunity opened at the Religious Studies Center, she jumped at the chance.
Eight students’ experiences in the BYU College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences are highlighted.
A BYU dance student collaborated with a student in India to learn each other’s dance heritage.
Twice in a row: BYU won in both animation and advertising at the Student Emmys.
The NBA chose BYU’s AdLab over professional agencies to make a film for All-Star Weekend.
Student advertisers from BYU continue to gather accolades for their work.
Acts of charity often bless both the giver and the receiver. That was certainly true for Signature Scholarship recipient Kiley Yates and her scholarship’s sponsors, Michael and Sarah Ries.
Donations helped Michelle Arias see possibilities she’d never imagined before.
For Isaac Rex, the reality of playing football for BYU was better than anything he’d ever imagined.
Kennedy Daniel wasn’t sure how she could afford her European study abroad.
Shubham dreamed about being in this position, and it wouldn’t have happened without God and those who give toward scholarships.
At an excavation site in northern Mexico, BYU archaeology students and professors recently discovered artifacts that have been buried for 1,000 years, including pottery sherds, hammer stones, maize kernels and — intriguing at a location 250 miles inland — a shell bead from the Pacific Ocean.
Jeff Dyer and Taeya Howell, BYU Marriott School of Business professors, were part of an international team that researched the negative impact on innovation when organizations prioritize psychological safety over intellectual honesty.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States recently recognized BYU as the first US university to offer Azerbaijani 101.
The Campus Cup is a statewide competition in Utah to see which college or university can register the greatest percentage of student voters.
Recently though, a donor funded study abroad landed Kye Davis on national television in Brazil, talking about BYU. Luckily, he is fluent in Portuguese.
Innovative BYU engineering students have etched what they believe is the smallest physical copy of the Book of Mormon on a thin silicon microchip.
Can a baby kraken become a pirate? Ethan Briscoe and Tyler Bitner led a group of over 20 students in creating an animation telling this entertaining story.
BYU’s new institutional message “Light Shared” introduces the university’s “Inspiring Learning” message with the world.
Can you imagine BYU students making an ad about selling your car to buy a wedding ring? AdLab students did and won a prestigious award.
Emily Flake was one of a group of health and wellness students that traveled to Ikaria, Greece, to learn about eating, living, and cooking the Mediterranean way.
Emily Ellis and Gabe Reed directed and produced Liminus: The Silent Guard with nearly 50 other students to receive an International Award for video game design.
How loud was the world’s most powerful rocket as it blasted off from NASA? A team of BYU Accoustics students and professors waited weeks to record and study its impact.
When it came time to apply to law schools, Erin Kitchens Wong submitted her application to only one: BYU. “I knew I could graduate with little or no debt and still qualify for any job that interested me.”
For Steve and Marilyn Rizley, Brigham Young University has been like a magnet: it drew them together, and it keeps drawing them back.
Shannel Morin will be the first in her family to graduate from college. “BYU has pushed me to do things I wouldn’t have done otherwise.”
Janessa Castaneda currently serves as a mentor for SOAR, a BYU college preparation and scholarship program that provides opportunities for multicultural students from various backgrounds.
Abby Mangum’s passion for helping people and communities respond to disasters led her to research earthquakes and tsunamis as a BYU undergrad.
Can an animated series about time travel inspire kids to enlarge their circle of love and care? BYU Broadcasting creates engaging viewing and listening experiences that entertain, inspire, uplift, and improve families and communities.
As some universities have, over time, drifted from or discarded their faith-based moorings, BYU has held fast to its founding creed. As a result, the university has something unique to offer the world
When Jamie Easler was a BYU graduate student six years ago, she realized she wanted to better understand youth on the autism spectrum and, by extension, their families.
Manufacturing engineering technology student Seth Huber developed and began testing a boot to offload foot pressure so diabetics can heal from these painful sores.
Jace Watt jumped at the chance to study abroad in Tanzania, where he and other BYU students were hosted by the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka.
Since BYU Athletics does not receive a tithing allotment from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ticket sales, donations, and television contracts provide much-needed revenue to keep the program competitive and successful.
Alexa Lowman organized the BYU Engineering Safety and Ethics Conference in January 2022. More than 200 BYU students attended interact with each other and learn from industry leaders.
Recent nursing graduate Shawen Bueckers registered to be a bone marrow donor. Two years later she got an unexpected call that she was a match for a one-year-old.
To aid the struggling poor, Josie Zenger is working with a New York organization that helps disadvantaged students prepare for and get to college—particularly BYU.
Millie Rapp never imagined she’d be a single mother. After graduation, she and her husband moved to the other side of the country and had two boys—and then their marriage unraveled.
Hayley Whitlock was happily pursuing her dream of studying international relations and Russian at BYU when she experienced a sudden seizure that threatened to derail her plans.
Everyone knows the BYU slogan “The world is our campus.” For students like Savannah Bullock, donors make this a reality.
Morgan Petersen had worked hard to keep her grades up as she entered her fourth year at BYU. When an expected scholarship didn’t come through, the pressure was on to find another way to finance her education.
Your donations to the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences help make a difference for students like Abena, Rachel, Alyssa, and Luca.
Video:More than 60 students over a five-year period helped build the inexpensive 10-centimeter CubeSat.
Shawen Bueckers, an April 2022 nursing graduate from Spokane, Washington, and her husband, Mathew, both worked part-time jobs to support their BYU educations. Buecker’s college scholarship gave her additional financial help that she deeply appreciated.
Abby Mangum’s passion for hazard mitigation got her involved in researching earthquakes and tsunamis during her BYU undergraduate years.
There is an excitement on campus as tours for our performing ensembles are planned, study abroad programs are scheduled, and field experiences are restarting. Read about a few alumni who are making names for themselves and are boosting BYU's reputation around the world.
With a goal to be the best teammate he can be, Hayden Livingston feels right at home at BYU.
Video: Salt , which was directed and produced by BYU students, was screened at the 2021 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.
For Amy Hernandez, solving the mystery of multiple sclerosis isn’t merely an academic pursuit; it’s personal.
Video:Teams of BYU students and their faculty mentors are enriching the world with nutritious, growable grain.
Video: Using drone-captured and ground images and applying GPS systems for accuracy, a civil engineering student assembled a 3D model of the BYU campus.
Video:BYU—despite being landlocked in a state thousands of miles from the South Pole—has become a world leader in iceberg tracking.
Jamie Schroeder is mitigating math anxiety in children through an educational framework called cognitively guided instruction.
Video: In October 2018, BYU students had the rare chance to observe how back-to-back extreme events influenced water quality and quantity in Utah County.
Video: The BYU team’s goal is to piece together the first-ever phylogenic (genealogical) tree of all 6,300 known dragonfly species and their ancestors.
Abby Thatcher’s study abroad changed her life, but not how she expected it would.
It wasn’t easy for Daniel Yirenya-Tawiah to come to BYU from Ghana, but the blessings have completely outpaced his expectations.
When someone tells BYU Marriott graduate Dunia Alrabadi that she can’t do something, she finds the power to make that something happen.
“I can say the donors to the College of Humanities materially changed my life. Because of their contributions, I graduated debt free and worked fewer hours, which created time for me to concentrate on preparing for the Law School Admission Test.”
Video:BYU professors and students are gathering stories from survivors of life under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Video:Designed to introduce plays and similar events, “Cosmotron,” as he is fondly known, will bring added school spirit to BYU performances.
It’s no surprise that support for BYU runs deep in the Spencer family. Their BYU connection spans generations.
Culture is like a forest, where individuals are likened to the uniqueness of an individual tree,” says business professor Simon Greathead, who has invited his students to discover “culture of Christ” characteristics in general conference addresses.
When Daniel Ekpo became president of the BYU chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, he learned that being a leader meant being a mentor and a friend.
Tiny “windshield wiper” aids camera surgery
In the summer of 2020, BYU administrators invited a respected research firm to conduct an analysis of BYU Athletics to better understand its role within the Church Educational System. The firm came back with great news.
Jeff Simpson sees BYU Broadcasting as a media organization that provides audiences something more than just clean, family-friendly entertainment.
Inspiring learning moves students to help each one follow their own path. For Bango Gancinia that path is to combine cultural heritage with counseling to better serve minorities.
Sarah remembers the enchanting feeling while visiting a critically ill family friend as a child. “A hospice worker came with a harp and played soothing music while my dear friend lay in bed dying.
In 2016, Myleka Bevans’s five-day-old daughter passed away. Bevans, who recently graduated in art, shared her experience in her 2020 exhibit Encounters with Grief.
Like most of BYU’s student body, first-generation college student Julie Irvine came to Provo with a purpose. “I knew I’d be able to combine my love of learning with the gospel.”
Mary Williams’s love for BYU and its students grew from her experiences as a student, professor, and administrator in the College of Nursing.
For political science student Kesley Powell, many of the most important experiences of her BYU career weren’t in a classroom.
In 2008 a group of BYU Risk Management employees created a scholarship to show appreciation to valued student employees in their department.
Soon after graduate student Justina Tavana began studying Alzheimer’s disease, she discovered that many Pacific Islanders lack the tools to accurately identify the disease.
Mother of nine first considered law school after founding a nonprofit organization that connected families experiencing homelessness to community resources.
The report card is in — inspiring learning is changing lives.
“This is my favorite committee to serve on. Helping out a struggling student warms your heart,” says Rebecca Gridley. “I wish we could help every one of them.”
Logan Sackley thought he’d major in finance or strategy at the BYU Marriott School of Business, but after taking his introductory information systems class, he discovered a new passion.
Adia Cardona is a 10-year-old violinist who has exceptional skill for her age and the determination to match it. The young Provo girl also has just one hand.
Myla Parke’s donor-funded internship at the Religious Studies Center had special meaning in her life. “I love religious education. I am interested in publishing material that will help others deepen their conversion and bring them closer to Christ.”
BYU Advancement Vice President Keith Vorkink recently addressed members of the Jesse and Amanda Knight Society in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center.
When asked why she participates in the Employee Giving Campaign, Elaine Lauritzen answers without hesitation: “It’s the students. They work so hard, and they go out into the world and make a difference.”
Making music together. Even amidst all the necessary safety precautions, students say they are just grateful to be singing.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic dominated public health discussions, BYU public health majors were in Washington, DC, for a conference which focused on a law proposed to address the opioid crisis.
Applying skills learned in the classroom is what these two students have loved about their mentored learning opportunity at BYU as they try to give back to the community to improve people’s lives.
Alyssa Clark represented BYU at an intercollegiate competition that involved simulating policy in a European country during a refugee crisis—and her team won!
Kevin Sites told his girlfriend he was hoping to take a position in Tokyo. “Then I asked if she’d marry me.”
With more than 30,000 students at BYU, it’s not surprising that some of them don’t know where to turn when difficulties arise. That’s where Early Alert comes in.
Esther’s internship with the Utah Symphony helped her see how making music for the masses is more than simply playing notes.
New advancement vice-president, Keith Vorkink, is excited to see the impact that donors have across campus, and how students are prepared and developed as leaders.
McKay School of Education graduate Nathan Kahaiali‘i sees ethnic identity and physical activity as two sides of the same coin.
Samantha Lau started a club for women in civil engineering. “Women have a different way of thinking about things—our group offers support,” she says.
Ray Matsuura’s wife Yukiko gained her appreciation of BYU through arts and music. “Ray supports business and football. I support the arts,” says Yukiko, who studied design in Sendai, Japan.
BYU Broadcasting offers a life-changing experience for student employees as they get hands-on, real world opportunities in the industry.
Austin Atkinson used his language skills at the G20 Interfaith Forum in Tokyo, Japan, where Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Sister Sharon Eubank spoke.
Generous donor support made Gregory Hutchins internship possible, where he learned there are sustainable ways to approach the world’s difficult issues.
Nursing student Annie Welton and Davin Lyman, also a BYU student, had only been engaged for two weeks when doctors confirmed that Davin had thyroid cancer.
Seamons says his work at the Maxwell Institute has defined his BYU experience, “Being part of a community of thoughtful scholars of differing faiths has enriched my life.
Camie Mendon’s father operated a plant nursery near Paradise, California, a town that, in practical terms, no longer exists. The business was destroyed - along with most of the town - in the devastating Camp Fire of 2018.
Last year was kind of a tale of two seasons. The first was a very joyful and rewarding experience with our student-athletes, coaches, and teams playing so well. And the other was the cancellation of our spring season.” –Tom Holmoe, BYU Athletic Director
Three years ago, Christopher Melling had never written a legal brief or attended a religious service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Trained as a fighter pilot by the United States Marine Corps, Major Melling was ready to take the next step in his life.
Mikayah Siufanua slept on a floating island of reeds at Lake Titicaca and taught Peruvian women to make soap for a living. Thanks to donors, this is just the beginning of her inspiring learning adventure.
With the help of a Fulton grant, Spencer Petersen is using a combination of resources that measures the forces under the foot to research the role your big toe plays in the simple act of walking.
Mathematics student Jonathan Hales says it was mentored learning that helped him develop a method that researchers can use to analyze equations.
The last time BYU Broadcasting managing director Michael Dunn visited Europe, he practically had to beg for appointments with people in the television market there. But now ….
Zach Parker will graduate from the BYU Marriott School of Business’s business strategy program in December, but things haven’t always been so clear for Parker.
“We wouldn’t be who or where we are as an athletic department without our donors,” says athletic director Tom Holmoe. “They are the team behind each one of our 21 teams.”
Josh Robinson entered a BYU language competition, and soon found himself competing at a global level with much of the competition broadcast on China television to millions of viewers.
June Leifson says that her career goal of becoming a nurse was the result of more than a score of operations that introduced her to the field of medicine in a personal way.
With her mother gone, Niederhauser, who is the youngest of five children, felt added pressure to cover her college education expenses herself.
Student researchers use an animated fish to teach social interaction to children with autism.
Law student got to be mentored by the largest law firm in the United States, as part of the first-ever BYU Law Deals Academy in New York City.
Judy Garvin has given to Brigham Young University for at least 43 consecutive years. “I believe in giving back,” she says. “I don’t give a lot, but I know every little bit helps.”
Project aims to understand the long-term effects of media on children.
From drugs and homelessness to succeeding at BYU In the accounting program. Hear from one grateful student.
Oscar Jimenez and Luis Puente were ecstatic to learn that the short film they made would premiere at this years Sundance Film Festival.
While on a study abroad scholarship in Cannes, France, Ad Lab student Maddy Thompson got to work on some ad campaigns for major brands. It was there that she had an epiphany about her potential.