B-Squared

I’m from Washington, and I wanted something that was not right at home, but not too far. Boise State just made a lot of sense for me. It was at that sweet spot of distance from where I’m from in Washington, and I could afford my college experience.

I was paying in-state tuition as an out-of-state student. So I had a lot of support that way. It made it possible for me to take on an attainable amount of student debt, so I didn’t have that huge, dark cloud hanging over me by the time I graduated.

My degree itself has been really helpful because it built a foundation of essential communication skills. Personability is so important in my job. Networking is such a huge part of my career. I write every single day. Writing for the arbiter, having a show on the Pulse: Those things really broke me out of my shell, and they really carry over in my professional career.

My student experience has really driven my life and career in the sense that my wife and I met here. Several of my best friends I met here. It was really when I could start to fully be myself. I really grew as a person. I feel that I want my kids and my grandkids to be Broncos because this place kind of embodies my beliefs personally, in the sense of that underdog, don’t-underestimate-us kind of mentality we have here.

Boise State deserves that level of affinity. In my current role it’s my job to talk to people who care about Boise State. I’ve only met a handful of people who are the grandparents of grandchildren (generational) and Broncos. This is a product of being a young school, but the mentality and the opportunities we provide warrant fandom and loyalty. I’m not a dad yet — I will be in December — but if my child or children don’t want to go to Boise State, I want them to know how much it means to their parents and their parents’ friends. It’s an integral part of our community.

Being a part of this group is really meaningful to me because I’m already ingrained in this group. I hear the demand from my fellow BOLD graduates who are looking for a reason and a place to reconnect. BOLD is really great at providing that. We are taking the necessary steps to create a community for this large, and growing, base of people who want to stay connected.

The community aspect was really straightforward to me. I’ve heard my friends and peers say this is something they’ve been looking for. I’m a recent grad as well as a Boise State employee, and I can see how it can really benefit both. I think that what we’re going to continue to do as a committee, as a group, as an organization, is to leverage our impact to benefit ourselves, Boise State and this community. Benefits for the group are things like $99 season tickets for football and basketball, and more partnerships to come. But I think that we have a big, influential group, and we want to see what community partners are also interested in collaborating with us. Let’s show up to our event, have fun, donate money and make an impact beyond just the connections.

I get to work somewhere where I believe in the message and the purpose. I’m personally very committed to the educational journey. And in my role, I work in Advancement, which is primarily scholarship-based funding. We give students an education that arms them with what they need to make a difference. And when we use big terms like “impacting the world,” it’s lofty, but it’s true. The things we’re doing here are educationally unique at a reasonable price. I feel a sense of pride that I’m a part of everything we’re doing.

I think that it’s good bang for your buck. We pump out quality majors and our staff is accustomed to doing more with the limitations that they have. Students here are going to continue in our community, get a high paying job, pay taxes, be a contributor. You’re making a difference in people’s lives.