Student Spotlight

Bryan Samuelsen

B.S. in Marketing

Graduating April 2020

“I’m originally from Tucson, Arizona, and moving to New Jersey after graduation. I’m president of BYU’s A Cappella Club, which is possibly the largest in the country (we have 17 groups on campus); I’m a fantasy savant and have an entire bookshelf stocked with my favorite series; and I’m a basketball junkie who’s very grateful that BYU is doing so well in my senior year!”

What’s one item on your bucket list?

“Write my own fantasy series”

What’s your go-to comfort food

“Sour cream and onion Pringles. I can finish a whole can in one sitting if it’s been a reaaaally bad day.”

 Why did you decide to join the Honors Program? 

“I’ve always enjoyed exploring subjects at a deeper level than you find in most college courses, and to be part of a community of people who feel the same way was too tempting to pass up.”

What has been your favorite part of your Honors Experience? 

“Either my Bio-Letters course or my time on HSLC. In Bio-Letters we created a phylogeny (family tree) of narratives, which means I was able to see how all my favorite fantasy narratives were connected. HSLC was just a blast and a great experience with great people.”

What is your next step in Honors? 

“I defended my thesis, ‘Rising Action: The Effect of Narrative Transportation on Consumer Purchase Behavior” on March 9^th! As far as life after graduation, I accepted a job to be a brand manager at one of the top consumer goods companies in America.”