BYU: Student journey leads to unexpected love for combining technology and genealogy | News, Sports, Jobs

Growing up in Houston, Garrett Mast always dreamed of attending a university on the East Coast, home to some of the oldest and most iconic campuses in the U.S. But after joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 16, the opportunity to further his education at BYU was one he couldn’t turn down.

“I was always keen to attend school, but BYU gave me more options to pursue my interests,” he said.

But the transition from Texas to BYU wasn’t easy. Mast’s first semester on campus was fall 2020, with many classes taught online due to the ongoing pandemic. He found camaraderie and community in the student body, and for the first time in his life, he was surrounded by friends united under the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Some of my friends from high school were going to different colleges that were completely closed, but we had a church here and we met up. It was nice to have a group of friends who shared the same beliefs and the same desire to make the best of the situation,” Mast said. “During my freshman year, I was able to have a support group because I was a member of my ward.”

Mast, who is set to graduate later this month, said several jobs and experiential learning opportunities on campus have given him a front-row seat to the positive impact BYU and its alumni are making around the world. One of his first jobs on campus was as part of the sound staff for BYU’s theater and media arts performances. He remembers the chaos that came with systematically operating the sound setup and controls for countless concerts and live events on campus and around the world.

“I toured Germany with a BYU performing group and it was great to meet members of the Church there and see how far BYU goes and how it has a positive impact on the world,” Mast said. “For me, it was especially great to go to the German countryside and meet people who know about BYU and its ideals.”

But it was an introductory family history course that ignited Mast’s passion for research. Mast said he was drawn to the study even though it wasn’t his original major. After his junior year, he accepted a position at the campus’s Family History and Genealogy Center, where he now leads a team of more than 20 research assistants studying people who lived in Nauvoo, Illinois, when the Church was headquartered there.

“We are identifying everyone who lived in Nauvoo during that time period and doing genealogical research on these early Saints,” Mast said, adding that he hopes to one day turn the research into a narrative history.

As project supervisor, Mast will help organize the entire research process, from deciphering historical records to working with computer programmers to creating an interactive map of Nauvoo land ownership.

“I’ve done a lot of interdisciplinary work and never thought I’d research family history, but I’ve really enjoyed the process and I think my career will move in this direction,” Mast said. “I love integrating technology with family history to create visual displays of people, places and information about their history.”

Looking to the future, Mast said she envisions working in the genealogy industry to make historical information more accessible, and she also plans to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science.

But for now, he’s enjoying all the unexpected twists and turns that have happened on his journey from Texas to Provo, and he knows his experience at BYU will set him up for success wherever he goes next.

“BYU emphasizes learning outside of the classroom, and that had a big impact on me,” he said. “BYU prepared me to work in the community and find ways to make an impact.”

Tyler Staal is BYU’s media relations manager.

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