“My score was announced. I remember the long sigh from the crowd filling the air as I missed qualifying for the 2014 Olympic team by just a few points. Considering that I prematurely returned from an ACL injury, defying the odds and opinions of doctors, I wasn’t devastated by the news. I was however terrified about the future.

Little did I know that moment of uncertainty would define the course of my entire education. After much reflection and a tour of the University of Utah campus, attending the David Eccles School of Business was a perfect path for me. I always wanted to go to college for business since I was a kid.

As a byproduct of becoming a professional skier at 15 — leaving home to travel the world while balancing school, negotiating endorsement deals and budgeting expenses — I essentially treated myself as a business rather than a traditional high school student. The University of Utah helped me build on these experiences and hone them into a course of study and possible career path.

Studying business with an emphasis in marketing was one of the most rewarding and natural transitions I could have ever asked for.

I could’ve never imagined that my college education would propel me towards applying one passion towards another. After graduation I plan on pursuing my passion for advertising, and to hopefully one day open my own agency where my passion for business and creativity can flourish.”

— Walter Wood, Class of 2018, Business major