First Whitmore Center Global Ambassadors Announced

2011 Global Ambasadors. From left, Harsh Vora, Emily Eckley, Scott Nelson, Nicholas Romano, Timothy Colvin, Amie Isom and Christopher Law.PROVO, Utah – Sep 29, 2011 – Business savvy, a passion for international travel and excellent presentation skills set seven Marriott School of Management students apart and earned them the title of the Whitmore Global Management Center's first Global Ambassadors.

After a thorough interview process, a group of six professors and professionals selected the students out of more than forty applicants. As alumni of Whitmore Center study abroad programs, ambassadors will promote internationalism by representing study abroad programs and hosting international businesspeople at the Marriott School. In return for their efforts students will receive a $250 stipend at the end of the semester.

The inaugural group of Global Ambassadors consists of Harsh Vora from Gujarat, India; Timothy Colvin from Preston, Idaho; Amie Isom from Bountiful, Utah; Scott Nelson from Orem, Utah; Emily Eckley from Elizabeth, Colo.; Nicholas Romano from Tooele, Utah; and Christopher Law from Gilbert, Ariz.

"They're enthusiastic about their study abroad experiences and the fact that every student at BYU could have a similar life-changing experience," says Sherstin Creamer, program director for the center. "Each of them has a sincere desire to make a difference in another student's life."

Creamer was inspired to start the Global Ambassadors program as she saw students return from study abroad experiences brimming with enthusiasm for international travel and reaching out to other students to involve them in study abroad programs.

As part of the formal group, ambassadors will work with students and program directors while learning leadership skills as they interact with visiting international businesspeople. Among their responsibilities are promoting study abroad programs by giving classroom presentations, video blogging on international topics and sharing their knowledge of international business with other students.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.

2011 Global Ambassadors

Timothy Colvin has visited 13 countries in his life and intends to increase that number as he continues to travel. A junior from Preston, Idaho, Colvin is majoring in communications with an emphasis in advertising and minors in business, ballroom dance and graphic design. His love for international travel began as a 16-year-old when he lived in Germany as an exchange student. He continued to travel, served an LDS mission in Singapore and later participated in the Marriott School's Global Marketing Study Abroad. While traveling with the Marriott School, Colvin learned about the interconnectedness of the world, especially in the spheres of business and economics. After graduating he plans to go into international marketing and advertising in China and Singapore. Outside of international business, Colvin enjoys ballroom dancing, and he and his dance partner are currently U.S. champions in the Pre-Championship Smooth category.

Emily Eckley, a junior in the business management program, loves the eye-opening aspect of travel, which she discovered this summer as she participated in the Global Marketing Study Abroad. She visited countries such as Italy and China, where she learned the importance of understanding culture in international business. Originally from Elizabeth, Colo., Eckley has since set her sights on working overseas in China or Dubai. Along with Global Ambassadors, she is involved with the Investment Banking Club, Women in Business and the Finance Society. Eckley enjoys drawing, quilting and participating in anything that allows her to be outside.

Amie Isom has learned that nothing can replace international travel as a way to experience different cultures. She participated in the Asia Study Abroad this year and saw the tsunami and earthquake effects on all aspects of life there, including business. From her experiences she has learned that all people and businesses are interconnected, no matter how isolated they may seem. Outside of school, Isom has traveled around the world, including to Ireland, India and Panama with Operation Smile. A marketing senior from Bountiful, Utah, Isom knows that whether she works in the states or overseas, she will be able to use the skills she has learned while studying abroad.

Christopher Law grew up going to Mexico every summer with his family and continues to be fascinated with other cultures, food and people. A senior in the business management program, he participated in the International Student Exchange Program in Guadalajara for Winter 2011 Semester. There he honed the language skills he gained while serving a Spanish-speaking LDS mission in Boston. When traveling, Law enjoys mingling with the locals rather than flocking to tourist destinations, and he has made many international friends that way. He is planning on working in Latin America in the international consulting industry.

Scott Nelson is passionate about international travel because of the opportunities it presents to meet new people ¾ including transients in Swiss train stations. Nelson, a senior from Orem, Utah, is studying marketing and loves the diversity he encounters while traveling abroad. He participated in the Clermont-Ferrand, France, direct enrollment program, where he worked with students from more than 40 countries. He also served an LDS mission in Merida, Mexico, where he learned to speak Mayan and Spanish. In the future Nelson plans to work in global marketing. A member of BYU Management Society and the Global Management Student Association, Nelson enjoys sailing and canyoneering.

Nicholas Romano is a first-year MPA student from Tooele, Utah, whose international experiences include serving an LDS mission in Catania, Italy, and traveling to more than 10 countries while on the Europe Business Study Abroad and the Asia Business Study Abroad. Through his travels he has learned about the common threads that connect the global marketplace. Romano enjoys working with and learning from people from other cultures and plans on being a foreign service worker at a U.S. Embassy.

Harsh Vora experiences life outside his native culture every day as he studies at BYU. Vora moved from his hometown of Gujarat, India, when he was 18 to study finance at BYU. Now a senior, Vora has taken opportunities to further expand his horizons, including participating in the Europe Business Study Abroad program in 2011. As he visited countries such as England, France and Italy, Vora began to take interest in international policies, economies and businesses, as well as foreign languages. While abroad he gained an increased awareness for all he can learn from the world. In the future Vora hopes to work at an international company so he can utilize all he has gleaned from his travels. His hobbies include playing tennis, playing cricket and learning about history.