What is your job/position?
President, Utah Jazz Foundation; co-host, Freaknomics' No Stupid Questions; co-founder, 5 For The Fight; president, Chairman's Office at Qualtrics; partner, Smith Entertainment Group
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
Circuitous.
What are the specific competencies you cultivated as an American Studies student that you now use in your professional life and that set you apart from your colleagues?
Learn to think from a variety of perspectives. Classes in economics, history, political science, sociology, literature, etc. Had to get up to speed quickly, contribute meaningfully, and view the world from many different angles.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your American Studies degree has helped you in your professional or personal life?
Stands apart. People are confused why you did such a general degree. Makes you different than every other business major.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
No better major to instill a desire for and ability to become a lifelong learner.