Two Students 'Go the Extra Mile' for EMPA
Each Tuesday at 11 a.m. Brett Sampson and Amy LaBaugh board the shuttle in Rexburg, Idaho. Their destination? The BYU Salt Lake Center. They'll arrive just in time for their EMPA classes that begin at 5 p.m. After sitting through five hours of class, they're back on the 10 p.m. shuttle that arrives in Rexburg anywhere between 2 and 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning, depending on the weather.
Now that's going the extra mile ... or maybe 200 extra miles.
Both Brett and Amy work at BYU-Idaho and feel that the weekly sacrifice is worth it to earn their advanced degrees. Brett works as a communications manager for LDS Philanthropies, interviewing both financial donors as well as the student recipients who are benefited by such generosity. He says he enjoys writing about the "blessings of both giving and receiving" and has used his background in advertising to "promote the students" at BYU–Idaho.
Amy also works closely with students as an advisement supervisor at BYU–Idaho. She says that one of the things she appreciates most about the EMPA program is the direct impact—the opportunity to take learning from the classroom and apply it immediately to the workplace. She feels the program has significantly strengthened her managerial skills.
In addition to their full-time work responsibilities, Brett and Amy each have their own family responsibilities. Brett and his wife, Marcie, have five children, ranging from fourteen years old to seven months. Amy and her husband, Jack, have two boys, ages seven and four. Both of them say that without the incredible support of their spouses and children, it just wouldn't be possible. Amy jokes that her husband has made Tuesday nights a "boys night" to spend with the kids while she's away. And because she wants to make the most of her time with her children, Amy says she tries to do most of her studying on the shuttle ride down to class and then sleep on the way back. Brett says his wife's constant faith through the years has always been a strength to him. He also adds, "Knowing that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life for the future of my family is what keeps me going."
While there are still advanced degree programs offered at other state universities, both Amy and Brett say they chose the EMPA program because of the notoriety of the Marriott School and the Romney Institute. Amy says she appreciates the "support and accommodation from both the students and professors to accommodate their commute to class each week" and "feels fortunate to be a part of such a great program." Brett, also expressing appreciation, says he believes the program will enable him to "make crucial contributions to organizations I believe in and have a positive influence on those with whom I work in the future."
Riding in a van for four hours each way to attend class, is quite the bus ride to get to school. Amy says it's an adventure riding with as many as fifteen passengers at a time, and Brett says he could write a book about all the "wacky experiences" that have happened along the way. But for now, for both of them, they say going the extra mile is worth it.
