Jodie Layton, EMPA '06

With an undergraduate degree in diagnostic medical sonography (ultrasound), Jodie Layton pursued an EMPA degree intending to teach ultrasound. She has worked in the health care field for the last ten years and has operated her own medical ultrasound business for the last seven years. After she traveled to Ghana with other BYU MPA students, she realized that she is interested in a career in international development.

Layton plans to teach part-time and eventually enter the international development field.

In her spare time, Layton enjoys playing with her three girls: Jessalyn (seven), Jennaca (four), and Tenley (ten months old). Layton loves to play soccer, read, dance, work in her yard, and is currently training for her second marathon. Layton is grateful for all her experiences in education. She is especially glad to have learned so much from her classmates in the EMPA program. She feels that her public administration degree has taught her to appreciate the many public employees and programs in our society that add so much value to our lives.

Layton learned so many things from the EMPA program but if she had to sum them all up it would be: “Never let yourself accept failure. Anything you try, you can do as long as you believe you have even a chance to succeed.”