Student Spotlight: Grant Phillips

Each summer, the Texas Exes Alumni Association hosts Camp Texas to help incoming students get acclimated to the Forty Acres. The planning process for Camp Texas is a significant undertaking that starts long before summer arrives. This year, Canfield BHP sophomore Grant Phillips is part of the executive team overseeing planning for the 2024 Camp Texas, and we asked him to reflect on his fulfilling experience as a participant and leader.

Read on to learn more about Grant’s involvement with Camp Texas and to get a look behind the scenes of the annual summer program!

 

What is Camp Texas, and how did you first become involved?

We like to call Camp Texas an “extended orientation experience” that is 3-days-2-nights of teaching all the incoming students – whether that’s incoming freshmen, transfer students, international students, or anyone else about to walk onto the 40 Acres for the first time – the traditions of UT and what it means to be a Longhorn. I attended Camp Texas the summer before my freshman year here, and it instantly stood out as something special to me, so when counselor applications opened in the fall for the next summer I was excited to apply.

 

What is your favorite Camp Texas memory?

My favorite Camp Texas memory would have to be getting to be with my two small groups at my sessions this past summer. Along with my amazing co-counselor Olivia Davis, we were able to spend the 3 days of Camp building relationships with the freshmen in our group. Throughout the session, we got to have those conversations about the fears of freshman year: moving away from home, finding your community on campus, getting lost trying to find classes, or anything else that was on their mind. Having just completed my freshman year, I was just in their shoes and knew I could help create some relief for them. And now, getting to watch them all find their passions around campus and thrive during their first semester on campus has been so rewarding and exciting to see.

 

Why did you want to become part of Camp Texas’s leadership?

I wanted to join the Camp Texas leadership team because the community that is made around Camp is such a special place on campus, and I wanted to do my part to give back to it. We call it the “CT Family” and it does truly feel like that, so getting the chance to not only be part of that family but to help introduce the next wave of counselors into what it means to be part of the family is an amazing opportunity.  

 

What goes into planning Camp Texas’s flagship summer programs? What do you enjoy most about the process, and what lessons have you learned?

A lot of work goes into planning for Camp at the end of the summer. We spend every Friday afternoon during the spring semester training with the counselor team of ~90 counselors from all different majors across campus. At these trainings, we make sure that everyone knows all the different Camp and UT traditions, has the skills to be an effective leader and role model for the incoming students, and also just to get close to one another as a counselor team. It is amazing to watch the team grow closer together as the semester progresses and watch the CT Family get closer together by having fun in the Alumni Center each week.

What do you hope Camp Texas participants take away from their time at camp?

I hope everyone who comes to Camp Texas walks away knowing that the UT community is an amazingly large and diverse place of driven people who are there to support one another and help make everyone the best person they can be –  academically, professionally, and simply as a human being. Every counselor that is there truly is doing it out of a passion to help you and get to know the awesome person you are. 

 

How do you hope to use the leadership and management experience you’ve gained from Camp Texas to help advance your career goals?

Just like organizing any large event with lots of people, there are skills that you learn that can be transferred to any professional setting. Knowing how to effectively listen to others and be truly empathetic while having conversations is such an important skill to have when dealing with anybody. Now that I am on the exec team, I have learned management skills in conflict resolution, decision-making, and problem-solving that will all be useful in my future.

 

Student Spotlight: Olivia Shumaker

Olivia Shumaker

 

Canfield BHP junior Olivia Shumaker is right in the middle of the action as a recruiting personnel intern for Texas Football. Olivia has enjoyed working behind-the-scenes to help support the Longhorns, whether she is working with film or researching players. In addition to Texas Football, Olivia has spent two years as a summer business analyst for McKinsey & Company. Together, these positions have given her a unique opportunity to diversify her skill set while also helping her build up her human capital.

 

Read on to learn more about Olivia’s experience with Texas Football and McKinsey & Company.

How did you learn about McKinsey’s summer business analyst program, and what did the application process look like? 

One of our Canfield BHP career coaches sent all of the students an email about the opportunity to apply for the First Year Summer Business Analyst program at McKinsey. I applied with my resume and answered a few questions late at night, thinking I would not get the opportunity to work at McKinsey. To my surprise, they emailed me back to continue with the application process after the resume screening process. Then, after a round of a game and case interviews, I was offered the internship! I actually recently signed my contract to return full-time. 

 

What does a typical day working as a McKinsey summer business analyst involve?

Like for anyone in consulting, a typical day highly depends on the project you are working on. If you are put on a client-facing project instead of an internal project, it is a bit more fast-paced. I have had the opportunity to work on two client-facing projects and one internal. I would wake up an hour before my first meeting and then have a yummy breakfast and my much-needed coffee. From the first meeting until around 6pm, I would be working with my team either from home or colocating. After 6pm, sometimes I would have to work late, and sometimes I had a night off. It just depended on the needs of the client and the partner. 

 

How does your work as a McKinsey summer business analyst expand upon what you’ve learned in your classes?

It has been super helpful to be in a position that I do not feel a ton of my peers have been in. A good chunk of McKinsey interns come from schools that do not offer an undergraduate business program, so I felt I had a bit of a leg up when it came to my first-year interning. However, everyone at McKinsey is so accomplished that that gap quickly closed. I feel the most transferable skill I learned from my Canfield BHP classes was being around smart, intelligent people and being able to learn from them. This was very consistent in McKinsey since it is such a close-knit firm, and I was constantly learning from my peers. I am thankful Canfield BHP has helped me refine my people skills.

 

How did you get involved with the Texas Longhorns football team, and what does a typical day on the job look like for you?

I have been interning with the team since October 2021, and I started out in recruiting operations. This means making all potential recruits and their families feel welcome at Texas Football and planning the events for when they visit. It is a great role, but, from the very start, I wanted to go into recruiting personnel. Since the spring semester of 2023, I have had the opportunity to work in personnel, and I have fallen in love with it. I am here around 30 hours a week at times, doing everything from cutting up film, researching recruits, to helping my boss and my team with anything we need to get done for the coaches. The workday is never the same, and I love how it keeps me on my toes. 

 

What is your favorite memory from working with the Texas Longhorns football team?

I think just getting this opportunity to be the first girl to work in recruiting personnel at Texas Football has been a dream come true. In sports, you need to work hard and be a team player, and being given this opportunity made me feel honored that my supervisors felt I could take on this new area that had yet to be explored. I was so honored they trusted me 🙂

 

How do your summer internship with McKinsey and your job with Texas Longhorns football complement each other and prepare you for your future career?

Given they are somewhat on opposite sides of the working spectrum with very different technical skills needed, they have really allowed me to diversify my skills while also building upon personal skills and habits that benefit me in both jobs. For example, I have had to continue to practice my public speaking skills in both jobs, as both require confidence and proper communication. I have also had to be better at my attention to detail—which was not my strong suit. 

Student Spotlight: Gabe Acevedo

 

Gabe Acevedo

On paper, Junior Gabe Acevedo is a Canfield Business Honors major with plans to double major in finance. But when he’s not in the McCombs School of Business studying, you might find him recording music in a studio or performing at live music venues across Austin. As the rhythm guitarist for West 22nd, an upstart band made up of five UT Austin students, Gabe has spent the past year pursuing his passion for both business and music.

Gabe came into college wanting to start a band after attending a small sports-oriented high school in Atlanta. In fact, one of the reasons he picked UT was Austin’s reputation as a vibrant music city with large events like South by Southwest as well as many smaller live music venues. During his freshman year, Gabe focused extensively on singing, playing his guitar, and songwriting, and he played at open mic nights to meet other people in the local live music scene. From these open mic nights, Gabe met another student from the Atlanta area, Logan Madsen, who became West 22nd’s lead singer.

During the summer after their freshman year, Gabe and Logan spent time riffing off the top of their heads, writing lyrics, and developing chord progressions. By August, Gabe and his friends had filled out the remaining positions for their band, and they created a name—West 22nd—based on the street they all lived on during their freshman year. Then, by promoting West 22nd on social media, the band started to take off and become a regular presence around the UT Austin campus. Fast forward to today, and West 22nd has recently released an original single, Sunburns, and an EP, All the Way Home. The songs are now available on major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music, which was a major goal the members of West 22nd had originally set for themselves.

Gabe says you can find West 22nd performing anywhere there is a crowd that wants to hear live music, so the band has played at fraternity events, philanthropy shows, South by Southwest, and 4th Street. West 22nd has also traveled to College Station and Oklahoma to perform. One of Gabe’s favorite West 22nd memories is performing in front of the famous UT Tower as the opener for Remi Wolf during Forty Acres Fest. West 22nd had won the opportunity to open for Wolf after successfully performing in UT Austin’s Battle of the Bands, and Gabe enjoyed this chance to blend his passion for music with his identity as a UT Austin student by performing in front of the tower. 

While Gabe has been pursuing his musical goals, he has appreciated the support of the Canfield BHP program, which allows him to explore his dual passions for business and music. Gabe said Canfield BHP is the reason he ultimately decided to commit to UT Austin, and he enjoys the tight-knit community. From the Canfield BHP advisors helping him build out his degree plan to Mr. Phil Canfield ‘89 and Mrs. Mary Beth Canfield hosting Gabe and other students for dinner at their home, the personalized attention has made Gabe feel right at home.

As for the future, Gabe has ambitious goals for the band but is also focused on finishing his degrees and graduating from UT Austin. In five years, Gabe said he would love for West 22nd to sign a record deal and go on tour across the country during the summer. In the meantime, Gabe is concentrating on making new music with his bandmates, completing his coursework, and exploring the entrepreneurial aspects of his band. In particular, Gabe likes being involved in the marketing and finances associated with West 22nd. 

Even with all these goals, Gabe says West 22nd tries to live in the moment, and the band takes things one week at a time. Wherever Gabe and West 22nd go, his Canfield BHP community will be there cheering him on! 

Student Spotlight: Cassandra Guzman

Cassandra Guzman

During the school week, you’ll likely find Canfield BHP sophomore Cassandra Guzman working and studying for her business classes. But come Saturday, her focus turns to Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium and, more specifically, her responsibilities as a member of the UT Longhorn Band (LHB). Through several hours of practicing and performing, Cassandra has made great memories on and off the field with her bandmates, and she loves LHB’s tight-knit community.

 

Read on to learn more about Cassandra’s experience in LHB and Canfield BHP!

 

1.) How did you become involved in the UT Longhorn Band?

I have been involved in the Longhorn Band since my first semester of college. I heard about LHB when I was still in high school. I had a friend who had graduated and told me to audition, so I auditioned the week before my first semester in college. We had to send an audition video for the first round in May, and if we passed, we were invited to attend Band Week (a week before college starts) to audition. I’ve been in LHB since!

 

2.) What does a typical week look like as a member of the UT Longhorn Band?

A typical week as a member of LHB involves lots of rehearsing. We have rehearsal every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Along with that, Saturdays are for game days, so if we have a morning game, we have to be up and ready by 7 a.m. on Saturday; if the game is at night, we usually have to be ready by 10 a.m.! 

 

3.) What’s your favorite memory from the marching band?

My favorite memory from LHB was traveling to the Cotton Bowl Stadium for the 49-0 vs. OU game! The energy in that stadium was exhilarating, and I have never been to a football game where it felt SO good to win. In addition to the actual game, the saxes have their own traditions for OU weekend, which involves eating dinner together, staying in our own Airbnb, and getting to know each other better. It was a great bonding experience for the section and one of my favorite memories!

 

4.) What are some of the major takeaways/lessons you have learned from being a part of the UT Longhorn Band, and how does this experience tie into your broader goals?

One of the major lessons I have learned through LHB has definitely been time management. Of course, with such a busy schedule, you learn to get most things done before game days and to give yourself enough time to practice as well. Furthermore, LHB has taught me to pursue what I love, which has been to continue to play my instrument.  And the last major lesson that LHB has taught me is to appreciate my community and those around me. I know that I can depend on those in my section for anything that I need, and I will always do the same for them!

 

5.) In addition to your UT Longhorn Band community, how has your Canfield BHP community helped shape your college experience?

The Canfield BHP community has helped shape my college experience by teaching me to be more independent and disciplined with my studies. Additionally, it has shaped my experience by providing many opportunities that are worth attending, like networking opportunities and Canfield BHP events. Canfield BHP has helped me explore many different aspects of business (and beyond) that I was not aware of before!

 

6.) What has been your favorite Canfield BHP class and why?

My favorite class in Canfield BHP so far has been BA 324H: Business Communication with Dr. Prilipko. It was one of the first business honors classes that I had during my first semester of college, and it made me feel welcome to just be myself. The class was fun to attend, and Dr. Prilipko encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone. Along with improving my presentation and writing skills, I made my closest Canfield BHP friends in that class, and I still study with them for my classes today.

Student Spotlight: Lillian Chang

 

 

Lillian Chang

Like many Canfield BHP students, Lillian Chang is used to the Texas summer heat. But for just over five weeks in June and July, Lillian received a brief reprieve from triple digit temperatures in the form of a study abroad program in Copenhagen, Denmark, with 30 of her Canfield BHPeers. While abroad, Lillian explored Copenhagen on walks and bike rides, visited historical landmarks with friends, and gained deeper insights into the cultural differences between the United States and Denmark.

Read on to learn more about Lillian’s study abroad experience in Copenhagen!

1.) Why did you decide to study abroad in Copenhagen with your Canfield BHP peers?

I decided to study abroad in Copenhagen because I wanted to explore a new city and see what one possibility of life outside the U.S. is like. As a born-and-raised Texan, I grew up in a singular culture. The idea of leaving the country for more than a month was intimidating, but I decided to go and be open to a new experience.

2.) What did a typical day in Copenhagen look like for you?

A typical day in Copenhagen started with feeling like I was late because the sun was already glaring through the windows at 7 A.M. However, I enjoyed the long days, and it felt like you could fit a thousand activities into each day. Each day was different, but here is a rough outline of what a lot of days entailed:

  1. Morning run – These were so peaceful, and I got to experience the quiet city before everybody woke up and started their day
  2. Breakfast – I am now a master at fried eggs
  3. School – We took a management class and an international business class for 4-8 hours per day
  4. Lunch – One of my favorite places was Fresh Bagel, and, hence the name, they had AMAZING fresh bagel sandwiches
  5. Explore – Copenhagen has a lot of great attractions, and Google’s suggestions also came in handy when I was looking for somewhere to go

3.) What was the biggest difference between your life in Denmark and your life in the U.S.?

In terms of lifestyle, I enjoyed that Denmark has a large biking and walking infrastructure. Biking took some getting used to, but it was usually faster to get somewhere on a bike than a train, bus, or car. The difference that I noticed the most was the norms of Danish culture in contrast to American culture. For example, anywhere we went, we were always the loudest ones. In America, I guess people are used to shouting over one another because every time there was a pause in our conversation, the volume level went down by about 200%. Also, I heard that the Danish people are trusting, but I did not fully believe it until I saw for myself that people will leave their strollers with babies outside while they run quick errands.

4.) What was your favorite part of your study abroad experience?

As I am currently taking shelter in the A.C. because of triple-digit Texas temperatures, the first thing that comes to mind is the weather. Copenhagen was always in the high 60 to low 70-degree range, and that is the aspect that I am currently missing the most. Aside from being able to go outside and not immediately breaking out into a sweat, I miss the feeling of exploring the unknown. Every corner I turned in Copenhagen held something new, whether it was a small boutique, a vibey café, or a huge palace. Towards the end of the trip, I thought I got to know the city well, but even then, I would go for a walk and notice a new building that I had not seen before.

5.) What was the biggest lesson you learned from studying abroad?

I learned that it is important to make the most of what you have in the present moment. Before I went to Europe, I was bouncing off the walls excited to live my European life. When I got to Denmark, I was still excited, but I also missed my family and friends and some of the places I used to go to all the time. After I got to the U.S., I found myself missing spontaneous walks around Copenhagen and the apartment that we lived in. Spending time longing for the past takes away from the joy in the present, and since being back home, I have put more effort into spending time with the people around me and appreciating the smaller blessings I have been given.

6.) How do you think your study abroad experience ties into your future goals?

My study abroad experience helped me realize that not everybody is coming from the same place and one decision that I think is a no-brainer could be a no-brainer in the complete opposite direction for someone else. In our management class, we learned about psychological safety (not having to worry about judgment if you say something incorrect), and I think this concept is important to foster, especially because the “right thing” is not the same for everyone. The workplace facilitates the coming together of people from many different backgrounds. I will need to seek to understand others’ perspectives and vice versa in order to work together effectively.