BYU-Pathway Worldwide Devotional
“With Faith in Christ, All Things Are Possible”
You can view or print this speech in the following languages:
English | French | Portuguese | Spanish
My name is Andrés Romeu. I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I had the privilege to serve in the Brazil Santa Maria Mission. I'm married and have two children, and I graduated through BYU-Pathway Worldwide with a bachelor's degree in business management from BYU-Idaho. I work for JPMorgan Chase as a vice president and head of the Retail Technology Support teams, which are responsible for keeping all Chase branches in the United States operating and serving our clients every day, and had previously worked in different roles for the Commercial & Investment Bank within JPMorgan Chase.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide began with an inspired vision during the early days of BYU-Idaho. President Henry B. Eyring envisioned how Church education could be a blessing — not only for students who were able to attend on campus but also for those who could not. In his inaugural address as president of what would become BYU-Idaho, President Eyring declared, “I believe that the community which education should serve is the whole world.... Just as our obligation is to our local students, to prepare them to serve the world, we must also find ways for this college to serve young people whose needs are shaped by a great variety of cultures and situations, and who may not be able to come to this campus.”It was that inspired vision that helped me understand that the opportunity to earn a degree from this prestigious university was coming to me from the Lord.
When I started my studies at BYU-Pathway Worldwide, I was an analyst for Hewlett-Packard, working with the Latin America region and supporting several countries. I considered the job a good career opportunity when I accepted it, but things were not easy at the time. I had to travel 53 miles (85 kilometers) every day from home to work, taking the train and two other buses. I was able to do this job and study because of the benefit of remote education. Attending in person at a local university would have meant not being able to continue with this job and, of course, not being able to attend institute of religion, which was also important during a season of life full of decisions to be made.
As I progressed in my studies, I received tools and blessings to advance in my career. I quickly grew within the team and then accepted an offer at another company called Mecalux, where I was the lead for all technology services in the region of Latin America and reported directly to the CEO. This opportunity was presented to me by a peer in my religion gathering.
Since I was part of the initial groups of BYU-Pathway in Argentina, I faced the struggle of being among the first group of people trying to apply professionally those online degrees in my country. I remember, at the time, there were some questions around if foreign online degrees were going to be as relevant as a regular university campus degree. When I interviewed and was then hired at JPMorgan Chase, I felt a deep confirmation I had made the right choice when I decided to start my education at BYU-Pathway.
In 2017, the bank was starting its 15th global hub here in Argentina to provide operations and support for all JPMorgan Chase employees around the world. To do so, they relocated some executives for the time the expansion and setup of the business lasted. When I was being interviewed by one of the executive directors, I shared my professional experience and my skills. After I shared with him that I was studying with BYU-Pathway Worldwide, he said, “You are studying in the right place,” and he hired me immediately after that. I don’t think he knew how important that confirmation was for me, but I know that my Father in Heaven did.
By the time I finished my associate degree, I was a technical lead for some of the engineers and technicians in the team in Argentina. When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I was an operations manager for one of the teams in the country. The skills I learned allowed me to keep pushing forward, always with a strong pace.
In 2022, I had the opportunity to build out the service I am leading today. It was a challenge to create a team of more than 70 people and do it in just a couple of months. As I faced that challenge and opportunity, I thought, “Where am I going to find skilled people who can be trusted with this challenge and who will quickly adapt and succeed?” My mind already had the answer: BYU-Pathway students! And I hired some of them, who still help me today to run the business every day.
Today, in the labor market, you may question which skills big companies are looking for. Certainly, AI is changing several industries and — as with any disruptive technology in the past, such as the internet, electricity, calculators, or computers — we need to keep learning about it. But this is not the only thing we as employers are looking for in the current and future workforce.
Major employers are looking for people who can lead, people who have the skills that we learn in our gatherings as we relate with peers and help each other to progress, people who have the hard skills learned in academic classes, and people who can be trusted with difficult things in the challenging and changing times we are living in.
I am a witness that we all, as students or graduates, are fully capable and presented with all the opportunities to develop those skills and Christlike attributes. The path is not always easy when we are studying or working; it certainly is not a straight line. But as we learn in the scriptures in 3 Nephi 27:29: “Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”I share with you my testimony that that promise was fulfilled for me, and I know you will also be blessed as you seek Heavenly Father’s help. I invite you to look for His help when challenges come and to be thankful as you progress and receive blessings for your efforts. This exercise will allow you to more clearly see all the miracles happening around you every day.
In Moroni 7:33, Christ said, “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”