Mikki O’Connor was the first person who convinced me to get involved with UVU. I didn’t attend UVU, nor did I have children or family members who had gone there (although that changed later when my son married a UVU alum), but Mikki’s passion for helping students and her love of all things UVU was infectious(contagious) – I couldn’t help but get sucked in!

I served on the previous National Advisory Council for the Woodbury School of Business with Dean Norm Wright, and it was there I began to learn about all the great things happening across the WSB. It wasn’t until a few years ago that President Matthew S. Holland shared with me all the amazing things happening throughout the University and the number of lives being affected there. I was blown away. There were so many incredible things happening at UVU that I’d never heard about – from the unbelievable culinary arts school, to the top notch performing arts program, the aviation program, the world champion international ballroom dance team, the awesome basketball team and beyond – how had UVU been such a hidden gem from so many?

When President Holland asked me to form and chair a new National Advisory Board (NAB) in order to expand the reach and the network of the school, I agreed to help out because of the respect and faith I had in President Holland and his vision for the school, my love of the students and the engaged-learning model, Dean Wright’s excitement to have us take the business school to the next level, and UVU’s trajectory. That combination inspired me to jump in with both feet and start making a difference. Now I just had to surround myself with fabulous people on the board, and we’d be off to the races.

When God has blessed us with connections in our life, we need to use them to help our fellow man in the ways we can. I happened to be in a unique position in that I am friends with amazing people who are pillars of influence throughout the state of Utah and beyond. Like me, most of them had no prior connections to UVU, but because they were my friends, when I asked, “Will you help?” they said yes. That’s how the National Advisory Board came to be. I did not doubt that my board members would catch the vision of the magic happening for students once they saw it for themselves. I knew that as they did, they would share stories of the great things happening at UVU throughout the state and beyond. That is exactly what’s happened with these NAB members.

A lot of students may not be aware of the role our NAB plays, and our NAB plays a vital role in helping shape the operations and direction of the Woodbury School of Business. They do that by providing guidance, financial support, mentoring for students, contacts to expand recruiting and placement programs, and advocacy and support for all the other programs going on at the WSB. These board members are pillars in the community and titans in industry. They’re people with good hearts and incredible wisdom. The board we’ve assembled is unparalleled and the stature and experience of our board members has done a tremendous job of increasing the visibility of UVU and enhancing the reputation of the Woodbury School of Business — not only in Utah but throughout the world. Having this caliber of people on our board all saying, “We care about this school, and we are giving our time, talents, and treasure to benefit the lives of its students,” is HUGE! These board members are all working hard to make a difference at UVU to benefit the lives of its students.

All of our board members contribute to UVU. One example is Scott and Karen Keller who recently gave $10 million to name the new business building — what a blessing for UVU! All board members contribute their hard-earned money. Money they could give anywhere, but choose to give to UVU to bless the lives of the students here. In addition to making financial contributions, board members contribute their time by getting involved, speaking on campus, mentoring students, and helping bring companies to campus for job recruiting and internships. They are able to advise the deans and faculty to help them be more aware of what’s happening in industry and give suggestions on ways to make the classroom teaching even more relevant for students. It’s exciting to have a board that’s willing to engage and give their advice so openly and impart the wisdom they’ve gained from business to academia.

Students are what I love most about UVU. When I look at the students, I see hardworking and scrappy individuals. They don’t come off as entitled, and they’re willing to work for what they get, and I love that mentality and attitude. Because of UVU's experiential teaching model, the students are better able to hit the job running and transition more easily into working careers. I’m a hands-on learner myself — I get bored easily, and I have A.D.D. — sitting in a classroom, I was like, “Okay, just let me do it. Don’t talk to me about it, let me try it myself.” Because UVU doesn’t have as heavy of a research focus, with the associated pressure to do research and publish articles, it allows faculty to be more engaged with their students and stay up to date on what’s happening in the practical world. I hope more universities go in the direction of experiential learning as I believe it has the most significant impact on students’ and enhances their ability to get jobs and succeed at them.

I also love that UVU is servicing a broader population than most schools. UVU has students who had a 4.0 GPA in high school and students who may not have tested well at all in high school but are still incredibly smart. Being a school that accepts everyone is awesome because grades are not always a reflection of what future success levels will be. And we are seeing more and more of the 4.0 students who can get into any university choose UVU as their first choice to attend. That’s because students recognize that UVU provides every student a gateway to further their education and go on to change the world.

One challenge I see UVU tackling is growth. As the school’s popularity grows, so does its size. Growth is hard for any organization because things that work at one small size don’t necessarily work at another, and right now UVU is growing faster than many corporations do. The business being scaled is a university in an industry of academia which has historically placed emphasis on tradition as opposed to innovation. That’s what made the addition of President Tuminez so timely and impactful. President Tuminez comes from the business and technology world where innovation is everything, and she’s brought that with her to UVU. What a great time to be a student at UVU with a President so focused on innovation, not to mention her boundless energy, her excitement for all things Wolverine, and her passion for shaping the future of UVU.

If I could share one piece of advice with students, it would be to not be afraid, and don’t limit the picture you have in your head. You indeed are so much better than you think you are. You’re more capable than you believe. It’s okay and normal to feel fear, but don’t let it stop you. Your job is to put the fear aside. Don’t do things for the outcome — do it for the experience. My second piece of advice is to protect your integrity. Don’t trade it for anything. Your integrity is the most valuable asset you have in your life, and it will serve you well in business and in your personal life. If you can live with integrity, you’ll always have inner peace, and that’s more valuable than anything money can buy. It’s not an award you win or a gift someone gives you – it’s a feeling that will see you through the worst times in your life. And my last bit of advice, but certainly not least, is to make a goal poster. A goal poster is a visual board with pictures of the things you want to accomplish in your life. Goal posters have shaped my entire life. Making a goal poster is going to impact your future success more than you can imagine – it will literally change your life. It certainly changed mine. Once you make your poster, please post it on social media with #goalposter, and be sure and tag @amyreesanderson so I see your posters and track your progress over the next few years. Nothing is as rewarding as watching those who make a poster see their goals all come to fruition. If you want more advice, feel free to follow my daily blogs on www.amyreesanderson.com/blog.