Feature Writing
Megan Hendrickson
Marketing Content and Communications Strategist
Cross-platform marketing and communications professional with 10 years of experience creating content and managing messaging for organizations and publications.
Cross-platform marketing and communications professional with 10 years of experience creating content and managing messaging for organizations and publications.
Feature Writing
Even rocket scientists need someone to keep them grounded. That responsibility falls to Michelle Curtis, a 2009 MPA alum and an analyst at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
You might fantasize about being a lord or lady when a certain period drama graces your screen, but you still have an estate to manage. Whether modest or grand, your earthly assets are just like those of Downton Abbey's fictional family: you can't take them with you.
On 10 September 2001 Curtis Bedont began his work as an army dentist. He couldn’t have predicted how the next day’s events would land him in Iraq’s most infamous prison.
It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but multiplying invites, conflicting schedules, and lengthy family visists can make the holidays more hectic than happy. There's no need to get buried in the end-of-year-rush though. You can keep things merry and bright--and live to tell the tale--with these eight stress-relieving strategies.
After her son was diagnosed with autism in 2011, Mirella Petersen decided to speak up for insurance reform in Utah. Armed with a red hat, she took on Capitol Hill and won.
“Citius! Altius! Fortius!” Heralding the commencement of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir reverberated John Williams’s “Call of the Champions” across Rice-Eccles Stadium. Millions tuned in from nations around the globe. This was Salt Lake City’s biggest moment, and Jon Rowberry and his bass voice were in the thick of it. “The week of the opening ceremonies I kept track of the number of hours my wife and I were either on our way to choir, at choir, or on our way...
Aside from SoulCycle, baseball, or a mutual disdain for Times Square tourists, nothing brings New Yorkers together quite like brunch. Especially at Sarabeth’s. The eatery’s menu is legendary, drawing crowds with its sizzling omelets and fresh-baked pastries. The tables are jammed together, and the restaurant hums with gabbing patrons and waiters dolling out buttermilk pancakes. Sitting at one of those tables on a Saturday morning is 2006 MBA grad Kimberly Clark. And the diner to her left?...
Capturing the spirit of the season—and the good-natured personalities of the deans—the Marriott School’s Christmas cards have delighted friends, colleagues, and school supporters for nearly fifteen years. While the deans have donned lederhosen, snowman suits, and even blue paint in the name of comedy, the tradition has yielded serious dividends, garnering increased brand recognition and a profile in BizEd magazine. The fact that the deans are more recognizable—with or without toupées—is an...
Since earning a BS in marketing, Eric Watson’s high-octane career has taken him cross country with some of the world’s biggest auto makers.
Sumptuous. Decadent. Delightful. Few words could more adequately describe a box of Lula's Chocolates. Neatly perched inside each mahogany-colored package await aromatic round cremes, salted caramels, square truffles, and nut cloacked with melt-in-your-mouth cocoa.
Summer plays out against a vivid palette of luscious reds, brilliant greens and deep purples that you would be well-served to put on your plate. “Colorful fruits and vegetables don’t just make your meal look more appealing,” says Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian from Syosset, New York, and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “You get a better mix of nutrients by eating produce in a variety of shades.” That’s thanks to the unique combination of vitamins, antioxidants and...
Three meals a day? That’s a recipe for diet failure. The key to staying satisfied— even when reducing calories—is smart snacking, says health expert and certified trainer Kim Lyons. Quash cravings by mastering the mini-meal with these tips.
Want to make a difference on Earth Day? Look at your plate. “The easiest way to help the environment is to be responsible about what you eat,” says Tanya Deckla Cobb, author of Reclaiming Our Food (Storey Publishing). Here are three ways to clean up your diet—and the planet.
Speech Editing
"Despite my loss, the experience was extraordinary and revealing. I have come away more optimistic about the country."
James Turley, former CEO of Ernst & Young, has visited many college campuses, but it's BYU that keeps drawing him back. In a recent address, Turley shares the reasons why EY recruits in Provo.
A seasoned diplomat, Michael O. Leavitt knows a thing or two about building alliances. The former US secretary of Health and Human Services detailed how collaboration is an essential leadership skill at April's convocation.
Supplying energy is the job of ExxonMobil, but for its CEO, Rex Tillerson, stocking the company with honest individuals is an equally high priority.
For honored alum Richard Herlin, reaching the heights of our personal best means climbing with integrity.
A wife, mother, and owner of eight businesses, Gail miller retraces her steps--and path to success--in a speech from April's convocation.
Blog Posts
Having a U.S. president in the family might be more likely than you think. While I share no DNA with the sixteenth leader of the free world, Abraham Lincoln, I can now count two other presidents-James Madison and Thomas Jefferson-as third cousins a few times removed thanks to an app built by Brigham Young University students.
Money can't buy happiness, but talking about family history can, according to researchers at Emory University. Intrigued by the role family stories can have on children's health and happiness, colleagues Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush created the "Do You Know Scale," a set of 20 questions about family history.
For the record, locking up a position at NASA's Johnson Space Center isn't easy. It took 2009 MPA graduate Michelle Curtis two phone calls and six in-person interviews to secure her job as a policy analyst, and that doesn't take into account the lengthy online application process.
When Marriott Alumni Magazine's staff wanted to investigate corporate fraud, they knew exactly who to turn to: W. Steve Albrecht. Recognized by Accounting Today as one of the industry's most influential people, Albrecht has published more than eighty articles in professional journals and numerous books on fraud, personal finance, and accounting.
Capturing the spirit of the season-and the good-natured personalities of the deans-the Marriott School's Christmas cards have delighted friends, colleagues, and school supporters for fifteen years. While the deans have donned lederhosen, snowman suits, and even blue paint in the name of comedy, the tradition has yielded serious dividends, garnering increased brand recognition and a...
Some might argue that Halloween reigns as the supreme candy holiday, but don't listen to a peep of it. With its pastel hues and springy characters, Easter candy is the pinnacle of confection perfection. And the numbers back it up. If you want more facts and stats, check out By the Numbers in the Winter...
Twenty-five years ago today, the BYU School of Management was forever changed by the addition of an auspicious name: Marriott. As part of the yearlong Marriott 25 celebration the school's external relations office created custom wall installations to highlight the history and legacy of the Marriott family.
Jon Rowberry, accounting grad and Mormon Tabernacle Choir staple, has a résumé that reads like a stirring chorale-highs, lows, and a crescendo that made him CEO of FranklinCovey. We cover his career in the Winter 2014 issue of Marriott Alumni Magazine, but here are a few outtakes from our interview about Rowberry's time in America's Choir....
Holly Munson, grammar dynamo and author of "Inbox Intervention," is one of Marriott Alumni Magazine's favorite writers. Looking beyond the well-placed prose that dominates Holly's work, I placed a call to her Philadelphia apartment to chat about email, American history, and family ties. Email can seem like a wah-wah kind of subject, but you made...
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by sending the deans far and near-in the school's 2014 Christmas card, of course! Here's your digital copy. Happy holidays! Want to rock around the Christmas tree with more goodies from the Marriott School?
With a goal to donate 25,000 hours of service during the 2013-14 academic year, the Marriott School of Management was taking on a Monumental effort-with a capital M. For each hour served, one tennis ball was dropped into a giant M installation (pictured on our cover).
Blame the finally seasonable weather, but I'm craving a destination vacation. After satiating my wanderlust with a winter retreat in Slovenia, the travel bug has returned with a vengeance. I'm pinning exotic locales, pricing far-flung adventures, and salivating over the aromatic foods pictured in guidebooks. I'm still in the early stages of planning (and saving)...
Few things on NBC have the ability to move me like the Olympic Games (apologies to the network's Thursday night lineup). Though the host cities change, the heartbreaks and heroics of the athletes always strike a chord. Perhaps that's why the Winter 2014 issue kicks off with "Melodic Progression."
Traditional thinking says pounding the pavement during the holiday season will leave you out in the cold. Dennis Nishi at the The Wall Street Journal disagrees. His article "Holiday Job Hunting" is a how-to guide to scoring employment at the most wonderful time of the year.
Congratulations! You've successfully survived the holiday season with nary a credit card bill in sight. Now it's time to start thinking about 2014: what do you want to do and where do you want to go this year? Gabrielle Karol at LearnVest created a comprehensive calendar to help you accomplish your financial goals.
Grand Central is rarely quiet-half a million people pass through its vaulted hall every day. But New York-based photographer Brittany Ambridge thought the one-hundred-year-old terminal would be the ideal backdrop for Kimberly's Clark's story, Citi Slicker. To secure the perfect shot, we met up at the iconic information desk at 7 a.m.
Happy birthday to the Chosen One! To celebrate the boy wizard's big day, we've summoned a magical MBTI chart featuring our fave characters from J. K. Rowling's anthology. To determine whether you're more Snape than McGonagall, check out the free online tests here. Sorting hat not required.
Filmmakers, rock stars, chocolatiers, and deans. When you think Marriott School of Management, those words might not come to mind, but they should. During my five years with Marriott Alumni Magazine, I've interviewed a slew of alums with varying personal narratives and careers. And now I'm excited to add another profession to the have-featured list: advocates....
Gertrude Stine once said, "America is my country, and Paris is my hometown." While I have an affinity for the French capital (and croissants), my true allegiance lies with New York City and its bagels. Before joining the Marriott Alumni Magazine staff, I spent two and half years living and working in America's biggest metropolis....
The cover illustration for our summer issue did more than inspire me to rethink the golden rule of finance. It made me crave my own set of matryoshka dolls. I haven't made a purchase yet, but here are a few of the products "stacking up" in my online shopping cart.
Fill water bottle. Power up computer. Scan The New York Times, Daily Mail (I know), and a slew of blogs. Catching up on the latest news-while hydrating-is simply a part of my morning routine. In fact, "Inbox Intervention," this issue's look at the intrusive nature of email, was based on an article I read nearly...
Web Writing & Slideshows
The recession is tough-even for pets. In 2010, 91 percent of shelters reported an increase in animals as cash-strapped owners gave up their four-legged companions. To make matters worse, adoption rates have declined. "Many pets across the country are in need of homes," says Arthur Hazlewood, director of the ASPCA's New York City Adoption Center.
If you're on a diet or trying to lose weight, you don't have to give up fast food completely. You just have to be careful when ordering. Here, we show you what foods you should avoid and what healthier foods you should eat to save calories and fat at popular fast-food places.
Welcome autumn's crisp evenings with the sweet crunch of candy apples. Creating these harvest treats is easier than ever thanks to simple ingredients and microwave instructions.
More than two-thirds of kids are considered sedentary, says Gregory Florez of fitadvisor.com. "Exer-gaming is a first step to getting kids moving." If they love playing tennis on their console, they'll be more inclined to hit some balls at a local court. And that can lead to a lifetime of healthy habits.
Go ahead and indulge with these better-for-you frozen treats.
Treat your friends to a few of these clever tricks on April 1. Getting pranked never tasted so good!
TextArrest Basic Function: Disables texting and e-mail on smartphones. Best Feature: Locks the phone's screen so no texts or e-mails can be sent or read while driving. (The app senses when the car is traveling faster than 5 mph.)
If Americans are short on anything, it's time. The Rebuccis, a family of four striving to get healthier with Family Circle's help (visit familycircle.com/healthyfamily2011 for more info), are no exception. In order to fit in exercise, Jessica Smith, host of the 10 Minute Solutions game for Wii, suggests mixing fitness with family time.