Troy Ahlstrom
Biography
Tony Ahlstrom from Bountiful, Utah, graduated from Utah State with a degree in Communication Studies in 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Tony’s career journey started with his first job as a contract presenter for an advertising agency, Penna Powers in Salt Lake. However, due to the pandemic, Tony had to pivot and found his passion for higher education. After being accepted into a Master’s program at the University of Utah, Tony was also hired as a Financial Aid Counselor, helping students and families work through FAFSA and scholarships. Then in 2023, when an opportunity opened up at Utah State, Tony was hired for his current position as a Development Officer for the Office of Advancement in the College of Engineering.
As a development officer, Tony specifically visits alumni and fundraises for major gifts from alumni who want to make an impact by giving back to the College of Engineering. Therefore, his days are largely spent calling alumni, conducting outreach visits, connecting with and creating relationships with alumni, and helping alumni navigate their giving via methods such as scholarships or endowments.
In Tony’s career, he uses what he learned from his Comm. Studies degree every day! As someone who has one-on-one conversations with folks daily, Tony utilizes skills he learned in his Public Speaking course to help him engage in meaningful conversations with others. Because a focus of Tony’s job is to create relationships and also ask for funds, which can be tricky, Tony implements skills like asking open-ended questions and active listening. This helps him to truly understand the motivations behind an alum's desire to donate to the school, which allows him to match the alum with a method of donation that genuinely reflects their wants.
As Tony engages with alumni, it’s common to run into those who are unhappy for various reasons. These interactions could end poorly, but Tony utilizes his conflict management skills to expertly navigate the situations with understanding, empathy, and clarity. Furthermore, Tony uses the skills and knowledge he gained from his Organizational Communication class as he works to create a good culture among coworkers, effectively give and receive feedback from others, and support communication processes that foster collaboration. Through other classes such as Intercultural and Family Communication, Tony was able to learn how to respectfully ask others about their backgrounds, what matters most to them, and to appreciate that no two people are alike, but are uniquely fantastic.
While Tony loved and learned from many courses and professors, a few that had an impact on him included Clair Canfield. Tony took his Public Speaking course and was a Teacher’s Assistant for two and half years and built a strong bond with Clair. Another professor to note would be Matt Sanders, as well as his Leadership in Communication class where Tony learned about different leadership styles and read the book Team of Rivals (About Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet) as a case study on how to effectively lead and build a team. Lastly, Tony was able to learn a great deal from Brad Hall in both his Language, Thought, and Action and his Comm. Studies Capstone course. Tony is very grateful for these amazing professors and courses and for the impact they continue to have on his life.
To make himself more marketable, Tony filled in the rest of his degree with skills that aligned with his passions. Firstly, Tony focused on Spanish, because he wanted to be able to connect with as many people as possible. This has served him well throughout his career, specifically when he worked at the U of U and was able to help Spanish speakers understand different college financial options. He also minored in music as it was a passion of his and he wanted to spend time learning about it more in depth. While he hasn’t used this knowledge professionally yet, Tony sees how it would make him marketable if he decided to work as a fundraiser or program coordinator for an opera house or other music-based operation.
ALUMNI ADVICE
“Study what you love and commit to the experience!”
Very few industries and majors require you to study a completely particular path. So pick something you love and are passionate about, but also decide what your “why” behind going to college is and commit to it. If part of the reason you wanted to go was to meet people, then commit, join clubs and events.
“Learn how to explain what you're learning.”
Take the time to learn how to explain what you're studying to people. That way, when your aunt asks you at Thanksgiving or a potential employer asks you during an interview you can say, “I really love talking to people/I really love asking questions/I know all these different things because…” And you can explain why you love what you do, but also recognize what you are getting out of the experience and how that benefits you.
“Be willing to change direction if the course doesn’t fit.”
You might find something in college that you think you’re going to love, like a particular minor and then you don’t. Don’t be afraid to pivot and choose a new direction. Your first choice isn’t your only choice.
Compiled and Written by Cassia Gainer