Speaking at this year’s graduation ceremony is Peter Wasden, an accounting major and political science minor from Connecticut. Wasden first started at BYU-Hawaii in 2009, and since then has taken full advantage of getting to know the people around him. Cami Wasden, Peter’s wife, said, “Peter has always been a people person. He just enjoys learning and loves to help people. Being here at BYUH has only improved his capacity to interact with people and help them with what he knows.” Wasden said, “We all have our talents and we have to use those talents to serve others. We are supposed to serve others in the way we are meant to do it. We are here to specialize in a way tohelp people.” Wasden has really taken this philosophy to heart and worked to develop his talents at BYUH. Wasden started his own company, has participated in Enactus and BYUHSA, was part of the Gamers Association, worked as an accounting tutor and will graduate Summa Cum Laude. Wasden said BYUH is one of the best places to learn because of the close relationships you can create with your professors and classmates. He said, “It is incredibly unique to be able to go to your professor anytime and sit down with them in their office and get advice and be mentored. The professors here are actually your teachers and not just your lecturers.”Wasden said this has been a huge part of his success throughout his time here. “I really took the initiative to get to know my professors and look to them for help. They really do listen to you and are truly invested in you and your life,” said Wasden. Wade Che, a junior from China studying accounting, said, “For me, Peter has a passion to help people. He works hard to make sure that everyone understands the material and can be successful, even students that are not from his class.” Being around to help others and looking for opportunities to improve himself have become a fundamental part of Wasden’s life. Ben Errico, a senior from Nevada studying accounting, said, “One of Peter’s best traits is that he always is working to improve himself. Peter has great foresight that has translated into him reading good books, working hard and setting challenging goals.”Errico continued, “Peter had an easy job before he started as a T.A. for accounting. Professors and students always asked for Peter’s help and wanted him as a T.A., so he changed jobs so he could help more people. This job is more of a labor of love for Peter. He just loves to help others.”Wasden has a motto that happens to coincide with Nike’s: Just do it. He said, “You have to understand that you can do it. If I had a magic coin, I would wish everyone to just do. The world would be a better place and people would begin to realize all they can accomplish when they are doing.”Wasden will move to Idaho this summer to gain experience in the world of accounting and business. He will be working in system analysis and project management for a year to gain experience to prepare for graduate school. Uploaded May 21, 2015
Writer: Trenton McCullough
