Business Scholars Hit the Bay Area, Visiting Companies and Alumni

The David Eccles School of Business's inaugural class of Business Scholars went nationwide last Friday, taking a field study trip to San Francisco.

The group, consisting of 41 honors-level freshmen, flew to San Francisco International Airport, and then bused to Pleasanton to visit the corporate headquarters of Ross Stores, Inc.

The visit followed an intensive, five-week case study of Ross. Students analyzed data from the Ross annual reports, visited a Ross Dress for Less store location in Salt Lake City to discuss operations with local managers, and made video presentations on Ross's overall strategy. The Business Scholars used these presentations to hone a series of questions for Ross's top management, touching on topics of national and international expansion, sourcing and operations, the retailing competitive landscape, and the store's online presence.

The firm's Chief Financial Officer, John Call, met with the Business Scholars group, walked them through the firm's most recent investor presentation, and answered questions. Mr. Call also described the career path that led to his current position, and joined the group for a BBQ dinner at the home of a School of Business alumnus.

On Saturday morning the Business Scholars were joined by recent graduates of the David Eccles School of Business for a Bay Area alumni panel. Recent graduates working in public accounting, investment banking, website optimization, and marketing data analysis shared their thoughts on career success, opportunities at the University of Utah, and life in the Bay Area.

The trip wasn't all business, however, as the Scholars also attended the University of Utah's football game against the California Golden Bears at AT&T Park. The Utes lost to the Bears 34-10, but the Business Scholars' seats allowed for a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge, and the Oakland Hills. The schedule also permitted plenty of free time for the Business Scholars to explore downtown San Francisco.

New this year, the Business Scholars program is an experiential learning program for high-achieving freshman students. The program features case studies of local, regional, national and international businesses, intensive preparation for job and internship search, preferential access to housing, and dedicated academic advising resources. Business Scholars also offers significant opportunities for merit-based scholarships. This year's Business Scholars class received close to $150,000 in scholarships from the University of Utah and David Eccles School of Business. Admission to the program is selective. This year's incoming class draws from seven states, had an average high-school GPA of 3.8, an average ACT score of 27, and is nearly half women.