With graduation approaching, we wanted to take the time to highlight a few of the Kennedy Center’s top students—we interviewed five students to learn more about how their experiences at BYU have shaped them.
Tyler Brown, a European Studies major, is one of the Kennedy Center’s seven valedictorians of 2024. Following graduation, he will begin law school at UCLA, and hopes to eventually end up in a role that will allow him to work and live abroad.
What drew you to your program?
From 2019–2021 I served as a missionary in Denmark and fell in love with the culture. Upon returning home, I started a Scandinavian Studies minor and loved it so much that I went searching for a new major (I was previously an economics/pre-business major) that allowed me to dive deeper into Scandinavia. I was a big fan of the way European Studies let me choose classes that I was passionate about from all over the university. I'm not aware of any other majors where you can take an art history class one semester and a comparative political economics class the next and that's exactly what European Studies was. Because of this, the program provided me with a well-rounded university education that has been extremely helpful as I applied and interviewed for graduate school programs.
What were your favorite classes?
One class I loved was Dr. Celeste Beesley’s Comparative Political Economics (POLI 344). The class was unlike anything I had taken before and helped me better understand how economic systems influence political systems and how politics play a role in shaping the economic realities we live in. In that class, we focused on the conditions connected to welfare state development and I felt like learning what makes welfare state growth easier or harder helped me understand why the American welfare state differs so dramatically from the robust and successful welfare state I experienced in Denmark.
Were there any professors that made an impact on you?
My experience with the Kennedy Center has been fantastic. The academic advisors and European Studies faculty are incredibly accessible, engaging, and focused on the well-being of the students. I’ve become especially close with Julie Allen and Elliott Wise as I took many classes with each of them. They have both had an indelible impact on me as an academic and a person.
What extracurricular activities were you involved with?
As a senior, I helped found the BYU Artificial Intelligence Association. I was mainly interested in learning more about how AI could affect global politics and economics. However, the club is primarily made up of Computer Science majors who teach me tons about coding, machine learning, and other things I barely grasp. It has been a fascinating experience to learn so much about something so far out of my comfort zone.
To those who are considering your major/minor, what would you say? Do you have any tips for students on getting the most out of their program?
DO IT! Don’t be afraid to go on study abroad or intern abroad (I unfortunately didn’t do either of these as I switched to the major my junior year and didn’t have time). The Kennedy Center is fantastic about finding funding and making your dreams come true. Regardless of the program, I would recommend that students spend time and energy getting close to a few faculty members. The professors you meet at BYU are amazing people. The better you know them, the more you will enjoy your program.
Anything else you want to say?
The Kennedy Center does a phenomenal job of bringing in interesting and relevant speakers from all around the world. These speeches/presentations were a great way for me to see how the things I learn in the classroom apply to the real world and I can’t recommend them highly enough.