2017 Best & Brightest: Priscilla Hobbs, Brigham Young University (Marriott)

Priscilla Hobbs

Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management

“I’m a fun-loving country girl from Idaho who just so happens to love business.”

Fun fact about yourself: The only work experience I had before my first internship was driving tractors on my family’s farm. On my résumé I termed my position as operational machinery manager.

Hometown: Preston, Idaho

High School: Preston High School

Major: Finance

Minor: Ballroom Dance

Favorite Business Courses: Finance and Banking, Advanced Corporate Financial Analysis, and Business Strategy and Organization

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular

• BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company
  • 2015 U.S. and 2016 British Formation Champion
  • 2015 top 24 U.S. Amateur International Ballroom Competitor, winning over 18 awards and trophies at various competitions
  • 3 week tour through England, Scotland, and Wales: I performed for local communities, government dignitaries, and child cancer patients.

• Women in Business Club
  • Mentored 1-2 women to help prepare them for their internships through resume prep, mock interviews, building their networks, and any other assistance they needed.
• Women in Finance Club
  • Panelist answering questions about being in the finance program.

• BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies
  • Lived in Jerusalem for 3.5 months
  • Enrolled in 12 credits focusing on the Bible, Near Eastern Studies, Arabic, Arab and Islamic Civilization, and Jewish Civilization
  • Traveled to Turkey for 1 week where we visited Pergamum, Assos, Ephesus, Istanbul, and many other sites
  • Field trips every Monday to see sites throughout Israel

Community Work

• Francis House – Boston, MA
  • Served approximately 1,000 meals in the soup kitchen.
  • Sorted in the clothing donation center.
• Cradles to Crayons – Boston, MA
  • Sorted clothing, school, and toy donations into over 5,000 packs for children throughout Massachusetts.
• Habitat for Humanity – Worcester, MA
  • Organized and completed other tasks in their restoration.
• South Franklin Community Center – Provo, UT
  • Assisted at a children’s summer camp by playing constructive games, distributing snacks, and serving as a positive role model.
• Recreation and Habilitation (RAH) – Provo, UT
  • Taught adults with disabilities how to dance the mambo in a social dance setting.
  • Provided entertainment to adults with disabilities by performing ballroom dance routines.

Leadership

• Corporate Finance Club VP
  • Organized and led a networking trip to Phoenix, AZ
  • Visited and networked with companies such as Intel, Honeywell, Vanguard, and Avnet
  • Assisted students in preparing their resumes to give to the companies
  • Ensured the safety of the students
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Full-time Volunteer Representative (18 months) – Greater Boston Area
    • Trainer
      • 12-week training program for each representative.
      • Assisted them physically and emotionally as they adjust to the rigorous workload.
      • Helped them master the many new skills that they are required to learn.
    • Assigned to be a Sister Training Leader
      • Raised general performance of representatives by 169 percent in six months.
      • Conducted and presented five general meetings to over 80 representatives to increase their work ethic, time management, and interpersonal skills.
    • Community Service Co-chair – Provo, UT
      • Organized a team to complete yard maintenance for 12 senior households in 2 hours.
      • Led 100 volunteers to create a sweetheart dance and game night for several nursing and rehab facilities.
    • Timpview High School Ballroom Team Assistant Coach
      • Attend practice twice a week teaching a group of 30 high school students ballroom technique I have been taught from world-class professional dancers.

School Awards and Honors

• Marriott School of Management Dean’s List
• BYU Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society member
• Bud Elwel Scholarship
• Marjorie E. Snyder Scholarship
• Edna L. Hebard Marriot School of Management Scholarship
• Brigham Young University Academic Scholarship
• Ballroom Dance Fine Arts Scholarship
• Kagel and Blessing Fine Arts Dance scholarship

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Intel: Folsom, CA – Financial Analyst for the Risk and Controls team
  • Analyzed rebate contracts for Intel’s largest customers such as Facebook and Amazon.
  • Formulated a controls plan to mitigate financial and legal risk by gathering data from over 30 counterparts.
  • Projected the future ROIs for several potential execution methods of the rebate controls plan.
  • Created a new job role through my recommendation and analysis, which is confirmed to be implemented.

• Vidi, Inc.: Provo, UT – Deliverables Manager
  • Constructed a forecasting cash flow statement through analyzing receivables accounts, revenue trends, and upcoming expenses, saving the team over 60 hours of work.
  • Campaigned a Kickstarter event raising nearly 100 percent of the funding goal within 24 hours.
  • Conducted market research involving 24 retail partners.

Describe your dream Job: My dream job would be one that allows me to help others be successful in their lives. If I could spend 10-15 years in the corporate world and then use the skills and connections I have gained to help future business students launch their career, I would be the happiest woman on earth.

Who is your favorite professor? Colby Wright’s class opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing how the world runs. More importantly, every student that takes his class feels how much he cares for him. There were many days when he spoke from the heart as he taught us life lessons he has learned during his life and what is truly most important. Those are the lessons that have stuck with me over time. He is a professor who cares about more than just what grade his students are getting.

What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? I loved being challenged. People were always shocked when they heard that I (a woman) majored in a competitive, male-dominant major. Feeling like I was not letting social expectations govern my career path has been very empowering.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? When you set your mind to it, you can do ANYTHING. Success comes from helping your peers. Focusing solely on your own agenda is the formula for self-destruction in your career.

Where would you like to work after graduation? 

Intel – FP&A  (Financial Planner and Analyst)

After I graduate in April, I will begin working for Intel in August. #Goalaccomplished!

What are your long-term professional goals?  My dream would be to get my MBA at Harvard Business School in 2-4 years. I would then love to work as a consultant and then later earn my PhD to become a business professor and career placement advisor.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Don’t be intimidated. You are smarter and more capable than you think. If you can believe it, you can achieve it!

“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I witnessed my family’s business struggle through the recession. Seeing my dad struggle to keep his business afloat made me want to know how to help businesses remain stable and successful no matter what the current economic climate is.”

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be……sad. I would feel like I didn’t meet my full potential by being challenged everyday. But I would have a lot more time to be a competitive ballroom dancer.”

“Before I entered business school, I wish I had known…how important it is to connect with your peers! Networks are so important. Plus, building friendships with your classmates makes school much more fun and memorable. I didn’t realize this until I was halfway through my major.”

What was the happiest moment of your life? The happiest moment of my life was when I was finally able to hug my family for the first time in 18 months after taking time off of school to serve my church and the community as a full-time volunteer missionary in the greater New England area.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Winning the ballroom title at the British Open Ballroom Dance Championship in Blackpool, England, with my ballroom team is by far the achievement that I am most proud of. The Blackpool British Championship competition is the longest-running and most prestigious competition in the world. My team spent a full year and hundreds of rigorous hours practicing and perfecting every detail from our formations and choreography to our costumes and makeup. This experience was also made sweeter because I was also enrolled in 16-18 credits trying to survive the intense finance junior core, searching for an internship, and taking time to serve in my community while preparing for the competition. Most days I would wake up at 4 a.m. to finish my homework before going to dance practice at 7 a.m. I never thought that I could do as much as I did and still come out on top, but I did it! I maintained my 3.81 GPA, landed an internship with Intel, and came home with the championship title. Feeling the energy of the standing applause in the Empress Ballroom after all the sweat, tears, and sleepless nights is something that I will never forget.

What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? I would choose the monarch butterfly because it is graceful, strong, and perseverant. They travel hundreds of miles to migrate south each year. Their migration is considered one of the greatest natural phenomena in the world. It is unbelievable that an animal as delicate as the monarch can achieve something so great. This brand image would help my customers to know that despite the challenges they may be facing, together we will achieve great things and transform their ideas into magnificent realities.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents taught me to never be afraid of reaching for the impossible and have always stood beside me to support me every step of the way. They never let the fact that I am a minority in the working world discourage me. I also want to thank my uncle Eric for giving me the chance to live my dreams at Intel. Not only was he a wonderful mentor, but he also taught me the greatest lesson: help those around you. After all he has done for me, all that he asks is that I pay the same favor forward to another student when I am in a position to help someone else.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I hope my peers say that I was a great friend to them.

Favorite book: E-Cubed by Pam Grout

Favorite movie: The Help

Favorite musical performer: Enya

Favorite vacation spot: England

What are your hobbies? Snowmobiling, four-wheeling, reading, swing dancing, Netflixing, traveling, and eating sushi

What made Priscilla such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2017?

“Priscilla has been a huge contributor to our program and an invaluable asset to our major. I especially appreciated her leadership on our Phoenix NetTrek in September 2016. She’s been a stellar example to classmates and prospective students both in the classroom and in the internship and job search process. She’s academically accomplished and engaged, and she’s navigated the application and interview waters like a champion.”

Colby Wright
Associate Professor of Finance
Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management

DON’T MISS: THE FULL HONOR ROLL: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2017