Shining in International Competition
The Chinese Bridge competition is an international event celebrating Chinese language and culture. Among them was BYU sophomore Ashley Breinholt, who finished second.
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Training Peacemakers
June 2025
Alex Keogh grew up seeking opportunities to build bridges of understanding wherever he went, whether navigating his multicultural family or participating in his high school debate team.
When he got to BYU, Keogh decided to study psychology. “I really wanted to understand how people interact and resolve differences, and how they unleash creative potential together,” he says.
As a freshman, Keogh felt prompted to take Chinese classes. He struggled through Chinese 101 at first and then was called to serve a mission in Taiwan. Upon returning from his mission, Keogh decided to study Chinese as his second major. In 2024, Keogh won the Chinese Bridge Competition for North America, fully mastering the language.
“We’re all children of God, and I can feel that when I’m speaking with somebody in their native tongue,” he says.
Inspired by President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Peacemakers Needed,” Keogh and his wife, fellow BYU student Mirabella Archibald Keogh, founded the Peacemaker Project at BYU to spread their passion for peacemaking.
Hosting debates, trainings, dinners, and service projects, the Peacemaker Project helps foster productive conversations across ideological differences. More than 1,500 students have participated in Peacemaker Project events this year.
“Something I love about BYU is that everyone is always trying to be better,” says Keogh. “To the degree that we strive to be better, we can become a better BYU.”
Keogh’s advice for becoming a peacemaker is to go into conversations with curiosity. “When you do, you’re actually excited to meet people who disagree with you,” says Keogh. “It represents a part of the world and an experience that you haven’t [had].”
The Peacemaker Project is spreading to other campuses throughout the country, but it retains a special role at BYU. At BYU we value peacemaking for more than just academic research, Keogh says. “It’s not just something practical for us—it’s a spiritual calling.”
Keogh recently graduated with his bachelor’s degree and plans to go on to earn a doctorate in organizational behavior, specializing in negotiation and conflict management. Eventually he wants to become a professor and teach his students the principles of peacemaking.
Read more about Alex and Mirabella Keogh and the Peacemaker Project in Y Magazine.
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