She made it to the essay portion before discouragement slammed the brakes on her application to attend BYU.
A first-generation college student and recently returned missionary, Rachel L. Allred (BS ’23) had doubts about trying to transfer to BYU—she worried her ACT scores weren’t high enough, that she hadn’t taken a foreign-language course, or that she couldn’t afford it. “I didn’t think they would want me anyway.”
Then came an unexpected phone call from BYU admissions, days before the deadline, encouraging her to apply. “That was a turning point,” Allred says. She later opened her acceptance letter with gratitude. “I am a strong believer in God guiding paths and making the way for opportunities.”
As a teenager Allred had believed the fastest path to her dream of starting a business was to work right out of high school. “My family didn’t have money for college,” Allred remembers. “My opportunities were limited, and I felt like doors were closed.” Her Young Women leader, a professor at Weber State University, took her to lunch and shared information about scholarships and financial aid, opening a door for Allred to attend Weber State and eventually BYU.
From financial strain to feeling lost on a large campus, Allred says the transition “was kind of traumatic.” With the help of donor-funded scholarships and connections made in BYU’s club for first-generation college students, she pulled through. She found friendships, research and job opportunities, mentors, a major she loved, and—to her surprise—a chance to study abroad.
“I never imagined going out of the country,” Allred says. “I thought it would be so expensive, so impossible.” Scholarship funding and financial aid helped her do experience-design research in the Netherlands and study at the London Centre.
Last year she graduated in experience design and management from the Marriott School of Business and now feels well positioned to build a business.
“Not only am I more qualified for jobs that will bring me income to help me achieve my dreams, but I created lifelong connections and gained skills that bring meaning,” she says. “I learned how to contribute to my community, and that has changed my perspective: I can also open opportunities for others.”
Thanks to You
22,613 households gave to BYU in 2023, funding scholarships, research, and more.
18,207 students benefited from inspiring-learning experiences in 2023.
80 percent of students graduate with two or more inspiring-learning experiences.
