Name: Cassy Budd
BYU Employee since: September 2005
My job at BYU is… accounting professor: helping students find joy in managing their (and others’) affairs in this life
Currently I’m working on... revising an advanced accounting textbook with two colleagues.
I’m currently reading... Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, The Culture Map by Erin Meyer and Legend.
Students don’t think I notice or appreciate... the struggle of learning. I have high expectations because I know the potential they have. I would not push them hard if I did not think they could truly excel – what would be the point?
What makes teaching the greatest job in the world is... being able to be present for the “aha moment” – I never get tired of seeing a student find new knowledge and make it their own, especially when they were not sure they could ever get there.
My advice to incoming freshmen is... to work hard and learn from failure. Most of you have had little in the way of failure to this point in your life, but it should become more common as you stretch yourself to reach true excellence in your chosen field of study. Do not become discouraged; figure out how to make those failures work for you.
My advice to graduating seniors is... to never forget the thrill of learning something new. There is much to know in this world beyond developing your expertise in one area.
My go-to BYU Creamery ice cream flavor is... peppermint!
My favorite BYU tradition is... the cougar fight song …because... it is the one thing that has remained constant from 30+ years ago when I learned it for the first time. It still takes me back to those undergrad days – go Cougars!
My favorite spot on campus is... the RB because I met my cute husband there!
My go-to comfort food is... dark chocolate – the darker, the better.
Three things that are always found in my refrigerator are... almond milk, at least 6 varieties of cheese and various marinated vegetables.
My favorite quote is… “Be yourself, everybody else is taken.”
One item on my bucket list is... to travel from California to New York by train. Both of my grandfathers worked for the Santa Fe Railroad and I have wanted to do this since I was a little girl running to meet them at the train station.