UVU is a place to live in a dream and let it become reality. Pursue something that you're into.
Finding the Right Degree for Me
High school was easier for me. I didn't really have to think much about studies. I would just go and take tests, and life was good. So, that first semester of college, I thought I could take that same approach. But when finals came around and I looked at my GPA, I knew that it was going to be tough.
I got through that first semester and then really kicked it into gear. I was originally an accounting major, switched a few times, and decided to pursue mortuary science. I took a few science classes here at UVU and then got into the program at Salt Lake Community College. I was only in that program for a few weeks and then came to the realization that if I want to have my family be a part of my career and have them engaged at the dinner table, I don't want them to be talking about death every day. I dropped out of the mortuary science program [and] decided to come back to UVU [to] pursue finance.
I [had] one of those moments [where I was] thinking, is business the right degree or industry that I want to get into, or is political science the route and I can follow a family legacy? Should I go to law school? I didn't know what I was going to do for the next 10 years of my life, let alone the next six months. I came back to UVU [and] met with Kim Wright, my counselor, over at the business school and just talked about what I want to become and what my aspirations are. We came to the conclusion that finance was probably the best degree with the credits that I had already accumulated.
Working in Government Relations
Growing up, my mom, [Rebecca Lockhart], was in the House of Representatives. She was the first female speaker of the House in Utah and is someone that I look up to immensely. My dad was a government affairs manager for Micron and Ion Flash technologies for 19 years. Every night at the dinner table, we talked about public policy, legislation, or world events. It's kind of like a second language of law and language of public policy I was able to learn at such a young age. Throughout my college experience, I had four different legislative internships at the State Capitol. Given my background, I was able to excel at those opportunities [more] than my peers.
Before I graduated from UVU, I got recruited to run government affairs for the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. That was an interesting situation because I was only about 2-3 months away from graduating with a finance degree, but I was being recruited out to be in government affairs. I don't know how a finance degree translated into that, but I've been able to use my degree in various ways, like looking at the state budget and how they allocate appropriations.
Building a Door to Walk Through
“How does your finance degree help you?” I've been asked a few times. I'm not working in a finance department [but] finance helps me keep my finances organized. I understand numbers. Math is a good skill to have. I don't think [a degree] qualifies you at every level for certain jobs. But what I think a degree does today is build you a door to walk through and prove yourself. That's the coolest thing I've found with my degree. It hasn't opened a finance-specific job, but it's built a door for me to walk through that says I've committed to something hard for four years and learned all these smaller skills throughout the process.
I love who I am today, but if I were to go back and change some things, I think I would have taken more classes that didn't necessarily help me graduate. There are so many classes in the philosophy department that could have benefited me in my government relations career or as an entrepreneur. I wish I would have taken a coding class. When you declare a major, a lot of times, you get that tunnel vision of only taking classes because you want to save money, be efficient, and graduate quickly. But the knowledge you can obtain from the different colleges on campus is immense. Explore information that's interesting to you that will also benefit your life to come.
Starting a Business: Skillco
I left the Chamber of Commerce thinking about how my degree is in finance, yet my career's pushing me towards political science and government affairs. Where do they connect? That’s where my inspiration for Skillco came about.
Skillco builds career pathways that are tailored around skill sets that employers in certain industries are looking for. We recommend courses, classes, degrees, and awards that students can graduate with that will [equip] them with the skill sets that will match the careers they're pursuing. We then let students build a resume where their learned skills are published. Students also build projects, post these projects on their profiles, and tag the skills that they used while working on the project. So when an employer jumps onto their profile, they can see the skill, the classes supporting that skill, and the projects they worked on to show a little bit more competence behind the skill.
I tell everyone that if you want to feel every emotion the human body can feel, go start a business. And I bet you'll feel every emotion within the first 24 hours. Doubt, anxiety, depression, happiness, excitement. It's the whole spectrum, but I love it. It's so much fun.
Advice to UVU Students: Focus on Learning Skills in Your Degree
UVU is a place to live in a dream and let it become reality. Pursue something that you're into. Your degree is one thing, and it's a good piece of paper to have. But your pathway to achieving that degree also taught you skills. [Those skills] are what is necessary for you to go apply into any industry. A degree gets you a doorway. What matters most is your ability to get through the door.
The skill set I learned from [my finance] degree was tailored towards political science. Then, today, an entrepreneur. You can take your skills and apply them to so many different areas of the world. Your degree is going to open the door and teach you a bunch of skills along the way that are applicable throughout a lot of different jobs in different industries.
Links:
https://join.skillco.net/students
