From FSY to Education Week, from Independent Study to Online High School, BYU Continuing Education has something for everyone. As it strives to inspire lifelong learning to benefit the world, service is at the heart of it all. Though every employee at BYU CE aims to serve others, at times it seems that they benefit most of all.
Working at BYU Continuing Education is an experience unlike any other. From the dean all the way to the part-time student employees, each and every member of BYU CE has something to contribute and a whole lot to gain. Throughout BYU CE, numerous teams of student employees work diligently under the guiding mentorship of supervisors and directors. Employment with BYU CE provides experiential learning opportunities for students with diverse interests to develop and practice skills that will benefit them in their careers.
In 2024, the help of the student accountant team was essential to the success of BYU CE Finance and Business Services. “[The student accountants] have accomplished a lot for us,” said Shawnelle Aston, BYU Continuing Education controller. “They’re such a big help, and we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did without these students.”
The BYU CE student accountant team is composed primarily of BYU post-graduate students pursuing higher education in accounting. Working for BYU CE provides students with the invaluable opportunity to put into practice what they learn in the classroom, but the services they offer to the department are of equal importance.
One team member, Chenxin Wang, is a BYU student from China. Currently in her master’s program, Wang appreciates the opportunity to gain real-world accounting experience in a supportive environment. “People are nice here,” she commented. “If you don’t know how to do something, you can always reach out and people are willing to help.”
Wang shared that her experience at BYU CE has helped her to improve her technical skills as an accountant: “This job has helped me understand how business works and how the numbers flow from one department to another.” Additionally, it has helped her learn “how to communicate in a professional business setting.”
Sam Brown, another member of the team from Salt Lake City, has had a similar experience. “BYU Continuing Education has offered me the opportunity to develop technical skills and practice what I’ve learned . . . . My degree has certainly provided a lot of theoretical knowledge, but here at BYU CE I have been able to apply that knowledge,” Brown explained.
Both students are in the last semester of the master’s program, and as such will soon leave their student employment with BYU CE behind them as they further their careers. As the end of their time here draws near, they reflect not only on what they have gained but also what they have given. “I’ve been able to bring in ideas and thoughts from my education to help improve efficiency with new data tools,” Brown commented. “Sometimes we can automate manual processes, making them faster and more efficient,” added Wang. While they may be young, each student on the team brings their own valuable insights and ideas to the table.
“We really appreciate all that they do in making our processes better,” Aston shared. “Many are getting ready to go out with their jobs, and they leave a big hole when they go.”
The experiences that Brown, Wang, and other team members have with BYU CE prepare and qualify them for the jobs they will go on to have after graduation. “My experience in this job has given me confidence in my ability to keep learning and has helped me see that I do have a lot of value to offer employers,” Brown reflected.
The student accountant team is one of many examples of how BYU Continuing Education helps students to develop themselves personally and professionally, supplementing their classroom learning with workplace experience. These experiential learning opportunities provide students with valuable learning for the benefit of the world, capturing the essence of BYU CE’s mission.
