Skip to main content
Character

Cougar Query: "Returning to school after being a college dropout for 20 years sparked my interest in my field"

Name: Rhonda Sandberg

BYU employee since: 2011

Rhonda Sandberg, CQ
Photo by Donovan Kelly/BYU

My job at BYU is… Marriott School of Business undergraduate advisement center director. Often, when I tell people I am an academic advisor, their eyes kind of glaze over. They have no idea what that means, so I tell them, “Basically, I sit around and talk to college students all day.” And then they say, “Oh, that sounds fun.” And I agree, because it is fun.

I’m currently working on… finishing my thesis in instructional psychology and technology.

Returning to school after being a college dropout for 20 years ...sparked my interest in my field.

My advice to incoming freshmen is... to have fun, but not too much fun. (Try and avoid the freshman faceplant.)

The best-kept secret at BYU is... the tree tour. Now there is an app — “BYU Trees” — which I love to use to identify a tree that I don’t recognize.

Rhonda Sandberg, CQ
Photo by Donovan Kelly/BYU

I became a BYU fan... while in high school. My father is a huge BYU sports fan, and when we moved to Utah, my dad bought season football tickets in the north end zone — before there was north end zone seating. We brought picnic blankets and sat on the grass. It was a blast!

My favorite spot on campus is... anywhere outside. We have a beautiful campus to walk around and grab a breath of fresh air.

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to... Spokane, Washington, or Berkeley, California, because that’s where my "adorables" (grandchildren) currently live.

If I’m not visiting my grandchildren... the next big trip I’m interested in is... exploring Alaska, since my idea of a nice vacation is a stack of books and beautiful scenery.

Related Articles

overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=true overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=true overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=true overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=true overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=