Character

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

With 574 tribes, countless treaties and evolving court decisions, Native American law can be a complex maze. BYU law professor Michalyn Steele has spent her career helping navigate that maze in defense of Native rights and sovereignty.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.

Makeila Morgan grew up learning the Tongan dances of her heritage. She further developed her passion for dance in the cultural dance program at BYU where she found a sense of belonging.

Jensen Diederich spent the last four years creating uplifting experiences for others.

“God is a creator, and as a daughter of God, I am meant to create as well,” said BYU engineering student Rebecca Frei. “Whatever it is we’re doing in the world, we should be doing something that will positively impact others — that will create good.”

Phia James grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from high school during the COVID pandemic. As the time to decide on which college to attend got closer, she increasingly felt that BYU was the right place for her.

At BYU’s commencement exercises, journalism student Amy Ortiz will represent the graduates as the student speaker. This profile celebrates her BYU experience and how God has magnified her to bless the lives of others.

Mia McGuire partnered with a BYU professor to create an app that promotes social media safety for autistic users.

Peace begins with understanding.

Israel Davila Aleman always dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. As an immigrant from Peru, his passion for the game went beyond a hobby — he considered it a core part of his identity. However, when Davila enrolled at BYU, he discovered a new dream: the chance to make a difference in the lives of immigrants like himself and his family.

How a graduating student's education and experiences in the BYU Nursing program prepared him to be "in the right place at the right time."

Growing up in poverty, Nay Robinson never saw herself as a college student. Now, as a BYU graduate, she’s on a mission to open doors for the next generation.