Sitting on a boat in the middle of the ocean, filming an ad idea for Starlink, was a moment when Samuel Haggard felt grateful he chose to attend BYU.
Now graduating from BYU’s advertising program, Haggard has built his college experience around the opportunity to create, supported by the resources and mentorship he found in Provo.
Advertising wasn’t all that Haggard focused on while at BYU. He was also part of the BYU Student Advisory Council and was interested in learning about student experiences and finding ways to improve them.
As a member of BYUSA, Haggard worked closely with administrators and department heads to try to make a difference in bringing change to campus. That experience helped him realize that he wanted to be involved in creating things that matter.
“I like making things that are funny but also making things that are sincere, all summed up in creating messages that matter and help people feel seen,” Haggard said.
He made sure to accomplish this while in the Ad Lab, BYU’s School of Communications advertising agency that offers hands-on professional experience for students, as well as during his other internships. Last summer, Haggard interned for Boncom in Salt Lake City, where he had the chance to be part of an event focused on giving Special Olympics athletes a voice. He served as a Spanish translator for two athletes from Colombia, Kristaleiny Guerra and Maxwell Staff, helping bring their ideas to life through the project.
Through this experience, Haggard discovered a different meaning behind sports.
“When you think of sports, it’s often about competition and self-excellence,” Haggard said. “But for these two, and from what I heard from other athletes, it was about doing their best—and it was also about friendship and connection.”
Haggard was paired up with Emma Jeske, a designer at Boncom who is a BYU AdLab graduate, to create a shirt that demonstrated how the Special Olympics is “Bigger Than Sports.” Their design highlights the athletes’ emphasis on joy and connection.
Advertising and communication are ultimately about people, and this internship reinforced the importance of focusing on people. He noted how meaningful it was to “see these athletes have their voice on a podium.”
For Haggard, his relationship with BYU has empowered him to be his own steward of his education. His experiences made him reflect on how well BYU provides its students with opportunities to create.
“The BYU AdLab gives us so many great resources where, essentially, if we imagine something, we can do it,” Haggard said. “So, I would say to someone: make the most of your time and take full responsibility, because if you want to do something, you absolutely can.
More information: https://shop.specialolympics.org/collections/co-lab
