Do your career goals align with your core values? For BYU alumnus Andres Aleson, finding fulfillment in his career required more than a steady job in his chosen field. Hes learned that pursuing purpose-driven work can offer a deeper sense of gratification, even if it wasnt part of the original plan.

As a student at BYU, Aleson was involved with the Social Venture Academy at the then Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance. His engagement with social impact work as an undergraduate taught him how to utilize his skills to positively impact the world around him.

Regardless of his job title, Aleson finds ways to integrate social impact work into the fabric of his life. He does this by loving the one. Whether through his efforts with Adobes diversity and inclusion council or his work developing big-picture strategies for the Walmart Foundation, Aleson seeks personal connection with the community he serves. His focus on the one has helped him become a changemaker across various professional roles and seasons of life.

His story highlights how students and professionals can pursue careers that combine technical expertise with meaningful social impact endeavors, ultimately allowing them to find greater fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.

Social Impact Initiatives Put Students in the Driver's Seat

Social Impact Principles,Story,BYU Alumni,Students

May 29, 02:55 PM May 27, 01:54 PM

Morgan Wellman had big dreams for a future career focused on solving global problems but was unsure which path would lead her there. It wasn't until a BYU professor advised her to take the Social Impact Projects (SIP) internship class that she understood her passion for social impact initiatives.

SIP splits student learning between a three-credit classroom experience and a hands-on, team-based internship with leading global organizations. During Morgan's SIP class time, all students were asked join a project for the internship portion of the program. Morgan selected The Academy for Creating Enterprise, a local nonprofit whose mission is to train entrepreneurs in third-world countries.

The SIP program gave me real-world experience without the fear of being thrown into it too quickly, said Morgan. I received mentorship and classroom learning about social impact while applying it to actual problems.

As the classroom work and internship ended, SIP instructor Jill Piacitelli recommended Morgan try to continue her work with the same organization as an intern. Morgan agreed, and by the end of her time with The Academy for Creating Enterprise, she had delivered additional research and recommendations to the organizations board.

I started my love and passion for learning more, said Morgan. It was super fun to dip my toes in, and it is amazing for my resume that I already have an internship in social impact.

SIP not only looked good on Morgans resume, but the experience opened doors for her in other job interviews and social impact opportunities. A year later, one of these doors led Morgan to an internship with the prominent social entrepreneurship funding firm Echoing Green. According to her, the Ballard Center's unique internship program played a key role in advancing her career.

SIP is the class that facilitates the opportunity for students to achieve their goals, said Morgan.

Nu Skin VP Shares Her Story of Social Impact

2022 Impact Report,Story,BYU Alumni

September 07, 10:41 AM May 27, 01:51 PM

Heather Hammond Cruzs office at Nu Skin looks over beautiful downtown Provo. A line of Nu Skin beauty products in sustainable packaging sits proudly on a shelf. Silver baskets woven out of recyclable materials glint in the sunlit office. Cruz is the vice president of Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability (CSR) at Nu Skin. In her distinct journey to CSR, Cruz credits the Ballard Center for Social Impact for giving her the tools and the spark to transform her passion into a career.

Cruz didnt originally plan for a career in social impact. She graduated with a bachelors degree in flute performance at the University of Utah and then worked at Stanford University for four years doing event project management. While working in the Bay Area, Cruz started traveling around the world with her friends. She says, I made sure that I was doing service on those trips, and just really got the bug of giving back. And so I thought, why cant I make this part of my career?

Cruz attended the BYU MBA program with an interest in social entrepreneurship. On the first day of the program, she discovered the Ballard Center. I loved that I could come to the Ballard Center and find people that were like-minded, but also stretched my thinking in different ways to be able to think outside of my box, she explains. [The Ballard Center] also gave me the opportunity to connect with organizations that I wouldn't have connected with otherwise . . . . It was so empowering for me to have someone in my corner.

I had a lot of classmates in my program who didn't want to go the path of CSR or social impact because they thought there was no money in it and there was no future for their family, and they were worried about that, Cruz continues. "I feel like the Ballard Center really empowered me to think beyond that, to be able to think beyond just the financial impact. Honestly, that hasn't been an issue.

Cruz completed an internship through Ashoka, a top-tier social impact organization. Afterwards, she got a job with Nike, traveling across Asia to meet with factory workers and social entrepreneurs in order to help improve the well-being of factory workers.

Looking back, Cruz says, The Ballard Center was the reason I ended up getting my internship at Ashoka. The Ballard Center was the reason I ended up getting my job at Nike. There are a lot of ways that I connected and was able to have amazing opportunities post-graduation as well as during my time at BYU.

After her job at Nike, Cruz worked for MicroBenefits in China and then began working at Nu Skin in 2018. She and her team at Nu Skin have been developing a sustainability program and changing their corporate social responsibility program to something with even greater impact. Nu Skins Force for Good Foundation focuses on improving childrens health and wellness locally and across the globe. To address food insecurity, Nu Skin developed a nutritionally enriched meal, called Vitameal, for children around the world. The foundation also partners with social impact organizations, from the South Franklin Community Center in Provo to the School of Agriculture for Family Independence in Malawi.

Cruz is passionate about helping children. Through Nu Skin, she has also worked in schools, refugee camps, and orphanages. She says, Its been amazing to see that if we work and hope with [children] that we empower future generations and also help the parents and help those that are along the path.

When Cruz first started her MBA, she did not know where life would take her, but she had hopes of what she could accomplish. The Ballard Center was amazing because I had dreams and they helped them come true, she says.

Cruz has become a powerful leader at Nu Skin and in the field of corporate social responsibility. She reflects, There are a lot of resources at the Ballard Center that can empower any student to be able to make social impact a big part of their career.