Samford University's Brock Scholars program empowers high-achieving business students to supplement their educational experience. The program is especially helpful for students whose career goals call for curriculum different from a traditional business major. The goal of the Brock Scholars program is to cultivate confident industry leaders through effective communication skills, quantitative literacy, teamwork and moral development.
Through this distinctive, hands-on program, students are given the flexibility to create their own curriculum, participate in international travel and complete their own research with one-on-one faculty mentorship. Sara McCarty, Margaret Gage Bush Distinguished professor of economics
and Brock Scholar program coordinator, commented, “The Brock Scholars program provides some of Brock School of Business’s top students the opportunity to further enrich their education while at Samford. The flexibility of the curriculum, in-depth topics courses, mentorship and senior research theses allow them to pursue depth and breadth in their areas of study, equipping them as scholars and preparing them for their work and studies after they graduate. It is a joy to work with these students over their three years in the program, watching them develop intellectually and holistically, and pursue their interests with passion.”
Students complete a core of business courses combined with courses from across the university to craft their personalized curricular experience. Some students choose to specialize further in a particular field of business, while others choose to blend their business foundation with a concentration in another area of study. The program offers specialized experience because participating students have specific career goals in mind.
The 2023-24 cohort of Brock Scholars includes:
- David Sputh: economics and philosophy
- Sloane Womac: risk management and insurance
- Will Miller: finance, sports analytics and marketing
- Sarah Childress: business management, human development and family science and sociology
- Kaki Burleson: economics
- Luna Mora: finance, marketing, entrepreneurship and data analytics
- Raegan Jenkins: accounting, nonprofit management and Christian ministries
- Aiden Reyes: finance and computer science
Sophomore Sarah Childress commented on her career aspirations, saying, “I am pursuing a career in nonprofit management, specifically oriented toward serving children.”
Other students are utilizing the program to set themselves up for future endeavors in other industries. Senior David Sputh said, “I would love to attend law school and practice law somewhere in the United States. I am particularly focusing on corporate law that has a meaningful impact.”
The Brock Scholars program also provides incredible experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom through internships and fellowships. The program offers a valuable foundation that empowers students to be thought leaders in the industry of their choosing and navigate the complexities of the evolving professional world. Will Miller, junior, blended his finance major with sports analytics and marketing concentrations to make him a competitive candidate in the modern market. Miller said, “My current career goal is to go into financial advising or analytics for a professional sports team.”
The goal of the Brock Scholars program is to cultivate confident industry leaders through effective communication skills, quantitative literacy, teamwork and moral development.
