Written by Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) MSB Students
Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) is an honor society for juniors, seniors, and graduate students who have top GPA’s in their college. BYU has had a PKP chapter on campus for almost 75 years. In the Spring of 2024, PKP MSB students were given the opportunity to share their thoughts about the Marriott School Values and the impact these values have had on their lives. The following article includes excerpts from their essays.
The Way MSB Values Impact Me
Samantha Freeman, MSB Marketing, Winner of the MSB PKP Award
Have you ever found yourself in the Marriott School just before it closes? It’s a moment when you can hear your own footsteps echo softly as you ascend the stairs of the atrium. It’s a time when the sun has dipped over the horizon leaving the skylights dark and a certain stillness within the building. The once hustling hive of students has turned serene, allowing for quiet reflection; and serving as a testament of the sacred nature of the space – to nurture and develop Christlike leaders.
At this time of night, I tend to take my time exiting the building, savoring the stillness. I often pause on the third floor to admire the paintings that adorn the walls as reminders of the Marriott School values and what they mean to me. I love the tender depiction of a young girl with her eyes closed, nestled against the Savior. Her trust radiates from the frame, a silent testament to the power of belief. As a student, I’m learning that faith is not just passive acceptance, but an active force that propels me beyond my mortal capabilities. Like the girl in the portrait, leaning upon the Savior, I find the strength to do more and be more than I ever could on my own.
My eyes shift to the beautiful abstract depiction of the Sermon on the Mount – a symbol of excellence in teaching and learning. It stands as an enduring reminder, urging me to continually pursue growth, to learn from my mistakes, and to find joy in the process of learning. I hear the Savior’s call to not only absorb knowledge for my personal enhancement, but to also go forth and share what I’ve learned and to contribute meaningfully in a world that begs for light.
In the final painting, a woman kneels at the Savior’s feet. What strikes me in this portrayal is the sense of accountability captured in the woman’s gaze as she looks towards the Savior. She seems to acknowledge her imperfections, yet she has a sense of determination to rise above them. This teaches me that the value of integrity isn’t found in perfection but in the earnest pursuit of righteousness. Integrity is marked by daily repentance and a commitment to holding myself accountable to the highest of standards.
Continuing to reflect on the gift of Marriott School and the values it teaches, I slowly turn in a circle admiring the many flags draped across the open atrium – a visual representation of our commitment to respect all of God’s children. To me they’re a reminder to embrace diverse perspectives, to foster inclusivity, and to recognize the divine worth and potential of every child of God.
There are not many places like the Marriott School of Business, where prayers are offered prior to learning and testimonies of Christ are combined with daily lessons. At the Marriott School, Jesus can be found in finance homework, marketing notes, and accounting lectures. We come together daily to talk of Christ and learn how we can emulate Him. I’m filled with gratitude for the inspired values that are instilled within the students. They have a transformative impact, guiding students like me to become like the Savior and to go forth and lead the world as He would.
Living a Life of Service
McKay Abbot, MAcc student
At the fourth-floor entrance to the N. Eldon Tanner Building is a bust of the edifice’s namesake with a quote that reads, “Service is the rent we pay for living in this world of ours.” I see that statue almost every day and have come to look forward to it as my daily reminder of my responsibilities as a member of the Marriott School community.
For me, the words inscribed on it embody what it means to live the MSB values of faith in Christ, integrity in action, respect for all, and excellence. I profoundly believe that having faith in Christ requires a commitment to strive to live like Him both in word and deed. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38) and humbly declared, “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27). Faith compels us to seek opportunities to serve as He did, which in turn enables us to become more compassionate leaders and scholars.
By the time I graduate, I will have seen N. Eldon Tanner’s admonition to serve at least a few hundred times, so the link between it and the MSB values has become permanently engraved into who I am. I know from experience that to live the MSB values is to live a life of service, and I am confident that as more students adopt this lifestyle, BYU, and the entire world, will be better because of it.
Faith In Christ
Julia Woolley, Strategy student
Faith in Christ is the first value. As I’ve increased my testimony in the Savior Jesus Christ, I’ve learned what that divine word truly entails. Faith is a catalyst for the Lord’s work. When I think of faith, I think of Lehi’s family who “did put all [their] seeds into the earth, which [they] had brought from the land of Jerusalem” upon arrival in the New World (1 Ne 18:24). They trusted in His promises and demonstrated incredible faith by planting all their seeds, not just some. To me, faith in Christ is trusting in Him completely, working to the best of our abilities, and waiting upon the Lord for His promised blessings.
Kirstyn Dewsnup, MAcc student
I don’t find it to be any coincidence that the Marriott School of Business (MSB) Values create the acronym F.I.R.E. Fire emits light, burning brightly to illuminate dark and unseeable spaces. Similarly, the light of Christ can illuminate the path forward and inspire us as we make decisions. Just as faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel, Faith in Jesus Christ was the first value that caught my eye that first Fall semester.
Faith has helped me know when to act with integrity and understand how to help others feel that they belong and are respected at BYU. His example inspires me to strive for excellence in all that I do and in the interactions I have with others. In the face of uncertainty, I have felt that putting my faith in Christ first has always led to the best and brightest outcomes, helping me navigate those spaces that seem dim. Similarly to how I felt inspired the day I saw the MSB values on display, I can continue to be inspired in my life and future career with faith in Jesus Christ at the forefront.
Respect For All
Thomas Hall, MAcc student
As I was trying to think of what the Marriott School of Business (MSB) values mean to me, my mind drifted to these lines in Taylor Swift’s hit song “Shake It Off,” written as a response to the media’s intense scrutiny of her public image at the time. Her lyrics highlight the often-negative values that society can encourage, which is in stark contrast to the values that the MSB upholds. Our actions as students in the MSB—whether we recognize it or not—are also under intense scrutiny from the public. Because of this, we have a responsibility to represent our school and our beliefs well. We stand out against the “dirty, dirty cheats” of the world as dedicated disciples of Christ striving to be better.
With faith in Christ comes an innate duty to act with integrity, to act according to faith. As MSB students, we are doing more than getting an education; we are preparing to lead, serve, and do good wherever we live after the Tanner Building. To act with integrity means doing our best in all of our spiritual and temporal labors and striving to do what is right. This includes the MSB value of having “Respect for All.” We see everyone as children of God, and this universal identity enables us to work together despite our differences and take advantage of our infinite potential. “Respect for All” also includes doing our part to respect nature and preserve the Earth for everyone to enjoy.
Jennah Sheffield, student researcher
We cannot follow God’s commandments nor become great leaders without showing respect for all. This respect cannot be a passive acceptance of those who are different from you, but a celebration of diverse perspectives, beliefs, and histories. The test of Christianity is not to love Jesus, but to love Judas. We must embrace opportunities to connect to those we perceive to be Judas and truly learn to love them. Recognizing others’ strengths and seeking to learn from them is the level of respect we must strive for.
Integrity
Todd Lewis, MBA student
Not long ago one of my professors began class by demonstrating how he tied his shoes. His was a unique method, and it was marginally faster than the standard technique of “chasing the rabbit down the hole.” My professor then told us that he estimated he had saved over 10,000 hours in his life by tying his shoes in this more excellent way. Then he jumped into a lecture about Excel shortcuts and using that tool in a similar, more excellent way. I’ve reflected often on that lecture because I believe it is emblematic of the Marriott School experience as a whole.
Business school has the potential to be a somewhat mercenary affair. Outside observers might speculate that all we learn is how to translate the world into dollars and cents. And while that might describe some business schools, it doesn’t describe the Marriott School. At this school, we learn values that, when applied, can change everything about you, even how you tie your shoes.
Occasionally, as I walk through the halls of the Tanner Building, I realize that I’ve started to whistle a song without any conscious thought. One day I realized the song I was whistling was the hymn “More Holiness Give Me.” It has always been a favorite of mine, but on that particular day, it took on new meaning as I realized why I was whistling that particular song.
I had been pondering the line, “More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be.” To me, this line encapsulates what I hoped to achieve when I returned to business school.
Of course, I wanted to achieve greater professional success, but I also wanted to become a more capable and useful tool in the building of the kingdom. Above all, I suppose this is what the Marriott School values are to me. They are how I hope to become a tool that can be used in a more excellent way.
Finding Excellence
Chad Larson, MBA Class of 2024
Excellence serves as a guide through the pursuit of academic rigor, innovation, and achievement. It is not merely a destination but a relentless pursuit of improvement and mastery in all endeavors. By setting the bar high and holding ourselves to uncompromising standards of excellence, we unleash the full potential of our intellect and creativity, propelling us towards distinction and impact in the global marketplace.
In every experience at BYU, these values are not taught as mere abstractions but guiding principles that shape our identity and define our purpose. They are the compass that steers us through the complexities of the modern world, anchoring us in a moral and ethical framework that seeks to elevate our vision to a higher purpose. These values are why so many choose BYU. As we embrace these values not as constraints but as catalysts for personal and professional transformation, they empower us to lead with integrity, serve with humility, and excel with purpose.
The MSB Values and My Character
Parker Waters, JD/MAcc student
In his 1975 address titled “The Second Century of Brigham Young University,” President Kimball reminded us of a sacred prophecy: As previous First Presidencies have said, and we say again to you, we expect (we do not simply hope) that Brigham Young University will “become a leader among the great universities of the world.” To that expectation I would add, “Become a unique university in all of the world.” To me, the Marriott School of Business values help BYU become “a unique university in all of the world.”
Indeed, these values assist in transforming BYU into, as President Kimball puts it, “the fully anointed university of the Lord about which so much has been spoken in the past.” These are values that aid in separating BYU from the other great institutions of the world. But these values aren’t just transforming BYU—they’re also transforming me. These values are helping me become a “unique [person] of all the world” and a “fully anointed [student] of the Lord.” The Marriott School of Business values are more than uplifting phrases that we read once a semester and promptly forget. These values are a standard that I will seek to live by for the rest of my life, and as I strive to do so, I hope to bless the lives of others as the Marriott School of Business has blessed me.
Notes:
Spencer W. Kimball, “The Second Century of Brigham Young University,” BYU Speeches, October 10, 1975.