Customized Major

Katie Boutwell (’21) 

Customized major: Global affairs 

Post-graduation plans: Obtaining a master of arts degree in strategic intelligence studies at The Institute of World Politics 

Accomplishments: 

• Completed advanced coursework in Mandarin Chinese and Formal Standard Arabic 
• Research intern at Mali Rising Foundation 
• Volunteer with the Robert G. Sanderson Center Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Road Home 

If there is anything Katie Boutwell is sure of, they always had a knack for languages. Acknowledging this pushed Katie toward finding ways to support the international community and, eventually, to Westminster’s Customized Major program focusing on global affairs.

During their educational experience at Westminster, Katie discovered a passion for research and policymaking. The program helped Katie develop the skills necessary to analyze intelligence and assist in security and development policy, preparing for a future in helping protect communities against growing and imminent threats. 

Looking forward, Katie hopes to work in the intelligence community (CIA, DIA, or FBI) as an intelligence analyst focusing on China or the Middle East. 

Kate Blair ('21)

Customized major: Dance pedagogy for multilingual learners

Post-graduation plans: Entering Westminster University’s Master of Arts in Teaching program 

Accomplishments: 

• Honors Summer Research funding​ recipient
• Resident with the ArtsBridge Institute​
• Presented research at multiple national conferences​
• Honors College student
• “Sacred In-Between” (capstone dance) 

The gift of studying in a self-directed format allows Kate Blair to focus on dance pedagogy for multilingual learners. Blair’s passion for artistic expression and creating equitable educational spaces for language learners informed their academic goals and Honors research in “Sustaining Belonging in the In-Between through Physical Storytelling.” 

Kate plans to continue interweaving passion into their education by entering the Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education program to develop a capacity to serve diverse learners through arts and language integration. Kate also plans to pursue a Sorenson Arts Scholarship and complete an endorsement in Teaching English as a Second Language. 

Obaid Barakzai ('22)

Customized major: International political economy​  

Post-graduation plans: Attend graduate school at George Washington or American University, Washington D.C., and begin career as a global diplomat

Accomplishments: 

• 2020–21 ASW President
• Collaborated with 350 student body presidents across the country on a climate justice initiative
• Global Citizens Initiative-invited speaker at Harvard and the United Nations (2017 and 2018)
• Honors College student
• Worked for Global Peace and Spirituality and International Student Association

Obaid Barakzai believes the Customized Major program embodies an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to find a sense of purpose and meaning behind every class they take. Barakzai acknowledges the programs’ flexibility and support enables them to take courses in various academic fields, sparking curiosity and intellectual fearlessness as a student and leader. The program gives Obaid the ability to study for their dream major, international political economy, while pushing them to explore the limitlessness of academia. Obaid feels the program is preparing them for graduate school, where they plan to study international relations and public policy.

Ashley Greenwood (’23) 

Customized major: Exercise and wellness

Post-graduation plans: Become a certified personal trainer

Accomplishments: 

• Holds record for the Desert Hills High School girls’ basketball team’s single-game score (40 points)
• Completed coursework at Brigham Young University and Dixie State University

Ashley Greenwood's passion for overall health and physical activity led them to choose the Customized Major program, focusing on exercise and wellness. The program's flexibility allows Greenwood to add psychology classes to their degree plan, combining health's physical and mental aspects. Ashley hopes to help people reach their exercise and wellness goals as a personal trainer by integrating mental and emotional health components in their physical training philosophy. 

“I think it’s so important to learn more about how to make our bodies healthier and more efficient. However, being a student-athlete, I have realized that the mental game is just as important, if not more important than, the physical game. That’s why I have added some psychology classes to my degree plan.” —Ashley Greenwood (’23)

Stacy Stanford (’16) 

Customized major: Disability justice 

Post-graduation plans: Works as a health policy analyst at Utah Health Policy Project

Accomplishments: 

• The New Yorker feature in “The Grassroots Activists Who Got Medicaid on the Ballot in Utah”
• Completed work critical to Utah Proposition 3 (2018 Medicaid expansion initiative approved by Utah voters) 

As a health policy analyst for the Utah Health Policy Project, Stacy Stanford works on state and federal health care solutions for underserved Utahns. Stacy’s custom major degree in disability justice provided opportunities to study subjects aligned with their interests, goals, and post-graduate careers. 

Stanford’s experiences in the Customized Major program provided them the essential knowledge necessary for working in the non-profit sector—from statistics and research methods to community building, critical theory, intersectionality, and even constitutional law. As a custom major, Stacy gained independence and flexibility, shaping them into a leader for their community and workplace.

Chris Manfre (’19) 

Customized major: Biomedical illustration 

Post-graduation plans: Animator for Gantry Creative

Accomplishments: 

• Presented “Education Remix: The Changing Role of Art in our Society” at TEDxSaltLakeCity
• Previously worked for Intermountain Healthcare, as well as a DJ, artist, and filmmaker at Spy Hop​.
• Completed coursework at The University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College
• Completed degree as a working student-parent 

Chris Manfre was unsure of his ability to juggle fatherhood while earning a bachelor’s degree until he discovered Westminster’s Customized Major program. Chris was able to study subjects he authentically loved. Manfre credits the program for helping prepare for his position at Intermountain Healthcare as a designer and animator in patient education; the unique degree helped him stand out from other applicants and instilled a desire to evolve as a professional continuously. 

Currently, Chris uses his educational experience to identify insights in the healthcare industry and improve patient education through new visual technologies. Chris also credits his custom major degree sponsors for providing encouragement and pushing him to try something different. 

READ MORE ABOUT CHRIS

Maggie Regier (’20)

Customized major: Community health 

Post-graduation plans: Manager of alumni engagement for Westminster’s Office of Institutional Advancement and student in Westminster’s Master of Arts in Community and Organizational Leadership program 

Accomplishments: 

• 2019–20 ASW President
• Honors College alum
• Involved with Feminist Club, Theatre Society, and VDay​
• Volunteered for Stan Penfold's mayoral campaign​
• Interned with the Democratic Party of Utah​
• Presented “The Whole Damn Cake” at Westminster Thinks Big 

Maggie Regier acknowledges their custom major degree as the biggest key to their success. Regier constructed a course plan around their interests, gained tools and knowledge, and developed an interdisciplinary insight. As a student of the program, Maggie was able to simultaneously complete theatre and political internships, job shadow, and choose coursework focusing on reducing maternal mortality rates. 

Even after completing the program, Maggie utilizes the skills they developed and continuously looks for new approaches to problem-solving. Maggie credits the Customized Major program for giving them the space to think about the world through a lens aligning with their values and uses this perspective to navigate issues in the workplace. 

Cambri Fox (’21) 

Customized major: Neuroscience of dance

Post-graduation plans: Completing medical school and, during a gap year, working a variety of medical jobs

Accomplishments: 

• Honors College alumni
• Former Griffin Orientation leader
• Served as vice president and president of Westminster's Dance Society

Cambri Fox’s custom major degree concerns the neuroscience of dance, with premedical, neuroscience, and movement courses. By combining these various courses, Cambri focused on their passion for movement-based therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Fox’s degree helped them reach a goal of gaining entrance into medical school, and was offered a job at The University of Utah as a researcher and study coordinator in the Parkinson Lab. While conducting interviews, Cambri successfully communicated how their custom major degree was directly related to their future goals, allowed them to explore their interests, and helped to stand out against competing applicants.

Alec Monson (’21) 

Customized major: Applied ethics and entrepreneurship

Post-graduation plans: JD candidate for The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law ('23)

Accomplishments: 

• Shooting guard for Westminster Men's Basketball

Alec Monson was grateful for the Customized Major program’s widespread opportunities as a transfer student entering their junior year. Monson held many interests, but the Customized Major program gave them the option of combining philosophy and political science.

Having the ability to curate a program to their interests, Alec used their studies to understand the world better. Alec credits the program for helping them develop logic, communication, and writing skills. In addition, the faculty and advisors of the program were instrumental in pushing Alec to question, list, and get out of their narrative, a foundation that molded them into a future lawyer fit for acknowledging community needs.