Bayarsaikhan Amarjargal, former Seasider volleyball player and BYU–Hawaii alumna from Mongolia, said her years at BYUH taught her the value of time, hard work and service. She advised current students to “keep improving yourself and never stop learning because when we are satisfied with our current success, we stop growing.”
What were some of your life-defining moments at BYUH?
“On my graduation day, I got a Good Samaritan award which I did not expect at all. I was going to take a picture with my professor, Jennifer Chen, but I was struggling with which awards to show first. She said, ‘A Good Samaritan award is the most important one.’ That day I understood helping people should be my priority. Since then, I always try to be like the good Samaritan. It was a small yet such an important life-defining moment for me.”
How did you become a Seasiders’ player?
“My stake president, Odgerel Ochirjav, connected me to Coach Mona. I sent my video of playing volleyball for tryouts. That is how I became a volleyball player for Seasiders. I am always grateful for my coach, Mona, for giving me a chance to play for the Seasiders and for my teammates for always supporting me.
“As a new player of the team, I had so many things to learn. Playing volleyball is all about teamwork. We train together, exercise together and play together. I learned how to cooperate with my teammates during the game and how to train hard and be confident. When I was playing, I am sure I made mistakes on the court. Learning from my mistakes helped me to improve my skills. We had many victories and losses, but our coach helped us to turn a loss into motivation to work harder and train harder to achieve our goals.
“After playing [for] three semesters, I quit playing because my husband and I decided to start our family. It was hard to choose my family over my passion for volleyball, my coach and my teammates. It was a tough decision. However, I am blessed to have a wonderful coach. When I wrote an email to my coach about my decision, she encouraged me and said bringing children to this world is always a joy. Now, I have two beautiful children, and I am grateful for my coach for understanding me and everything she has done for my family.”
What advice would you give to current and graduating students at BYUH?
“Keep improving yourself and never stop learning. When we are satisfied with our current success, we stop growing. Whatever circumstances you live in and challenges you are facing, keep learning. Take all the educational and spiritual knowledge from BYUH with you and keep learning, keep growing and keep serving.”
What did you learn at BYUH that you have taken with you?
“In my first year at BYUH, I struggled to manage my time to fulfill my role as a student, wife and part-time employee. However, I started to put God first over my studies and work, and He took care of the rest. I learned to know my priorities. This experience is still helping me today. My student years have taught me the value of time, hard work and serving.”
How did attending BYUH help build your testimony?
“I’m a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ. When I was an investigator, I was a girl who did not know what awaits in the future and had no idea who I could become. However, learning the gospel has changed my whole life. At BYUH, my testimony about Jesus Christ and His enabling power of the Atonement strengthened.
“There were times when I felt like I was never good enough. Then, I got on my knees and pleaded with the Lord to help me overcome my weaknesses and have strength to fulfill my educational and spiritual goals. I have seen His enabling power help me to overcome my weaknesses and giving me hope to become what He wants me to become. Relying on Him helped me to become who I am today, and I am still holding on to this testimony to overcome my current challenges.”
What special memories do you have from your years at BYUH?
“One of the most special memories was serving in the temple with my husband. Going to a temple was my dream, but serving there with my husband was one of the greatest blessings I have ever imagined. Dedicating our time to serve in a temple brought abundant blessings to our lives.
“Meeting with wonderful people in the temple and learning from them was amazing. There were senior missionaries who trained us on our first day at the temple. They taught us valuable lessons about temple work. They have changed our lives and our perspectives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything they have taught us stayed in our hearts.”
What blessings have you seen from attending BYUH?
“Meeting wonderful people is a blessing I will always cherish. BYUH is very diverse, and it is wonderful how these people love one another and create one big ohana. It was wonderful everyone had an aloha spirit, and everyone shared it with each other. We made lifelong friends from many countries [who we] would not have been able to meet otherwise.”
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