New Rollins Center, BYU’s mission ‘starts and ends with students in mind,’ President Reese says

At the unveiling for the Rollins Center for entrepreneurship and technology, President Reese spoke about BYU's efforts to inspire students to lead in important and different ways.

At the unveiling for the Rollins Center for entrepreneurship and technology, President C. Shane Reese spoke about BYU’s efforts to inspire students to lead in important and different ways.

The center was unveiled on Friday, April 12, and the center’s founders gathered to witness it. The new center is located just south of the BYU campus.

President Reese welcomed the founders to the event and said he can’t wait for what is to come of the students who work here.

Statistically speaking, students who have at least two inspiring learning experiences are 50% more likely to feel successful in their life’s pursuits after graduation, President Reese said.

“And it’s going to be made possible because of the efforts of our faculty in coordination and collaboration with all of you,” President Reese said.

The mission of BYU, he said, has everything to do with the success of these students.

“How do we at BYU become a Christ-centered, prophetically directed university of prophecy? In other words, how are we different from other institutions? It has to do with the people. It starts and ends with the students in mind,” President Reese said.

Westin Dangerfield, the center’s creative director, said he appreciated President Reese’s support.

“I think it was actually really inspiring to hear his vision and how he’s seen … not only what BYU is doing, but also the center and what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said.

President Reese emphasized that the educational mission of BYU works hand in hand with its spiritual mission.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, that we’re not going to be successful as a university in spite of our spiritual mission, it will be precisely because of our spiritual mission,” President Reese said.

It is amazing to see how what the center is doing fits into BYU’s vision, as well as the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dangerfield said.

The Rollins Center will have an official ribbon cutting ceremony for students and faculty to attend in Fall Semester 2024.