Skip to main content

Aims in My Ancestry

Discover stories from your ancestry that
illustrate the Aims of a BYU Education.

Discover the Aims in Your Ancestry

This small project is one of the elective tasks in the University 101 BYU Foundations class. Others may complete the assignment as well. It can be done in about an hour, but you can spend more time if you wish.

Steps

  1. Choose an ancestor you want to learn more about. (May be living or deceased.)
  2. Work with a family history missionary in the BYU Library to search for stories from your ancestor's life that illustrate one or more of the Aims of a BYU Education.
  3. Share what you have discovered and learned with someone important to you.
  4. If you are in UNIV 101, summarize what you learned on a single PowerPoint slide you upload to Learning Suite/Canvas.

Getting Missionary Help

Friendly missionaries in the BYU Library are ready to help you find stories, connect them to the Aims, and learn about library resources. There are a few ways to do this:

What students are saying...

Hidden image
Makayla Broschinsky.jpg

"I loved this project! It was so empowering. I was so amped after leaving the library. The Spirit of Elijah is so real!"

Makayla, Student Peer Mentor
Hidden image
Madeline Basham

“I learned in this assignment that my ancestors are imperfect, but inspiring. You can be inspired by imperfect people.”

Madeline, Student Peer Mentor
Hidden image
Dayton Page.JPG

“I always knew that my family history was important to my parents and grandparents, but now that story is important to me.”

Dayton, Student Peer Mentor
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription=true overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=
I discovered the Aims of a BYU Education have been part of my family long before I came to BYU.
Kyndall, Student Peer Mentor

Example Slide

See an example of what one student discovered about her ancestor for the UNIV 101 elective assignment.
Courtesy of Ava Porter, UNIV 101 student.
contentVerticalPosition: , overrideVerticalAlignment: , contentHorizontalPosition: , overrideHorizontalAlignment:
contentVerticalPosition: , overrideVerticalAlignment: bottom, contentHorizontalPosition: , overrideHorizontalAlignment:

Family History: Connections That Last

A student shares a meaningful connection he found to his grandmother.
contentVerticalPosition: , overrideVerticalAlignment: , contentHorizontalPosition: , overrideHorizontalAlignment:
contentVerticalPosition: , overrideVerticalAlignment: bottom, contentHorizontalPosition: , overrideHorizontalAlignment:

Your Story is Worth Remembering

Five individuals who've led seemingly ordinary lives are reminded of the indelible mark they’ve left on the hearts of their loved ones