Finding himself in a foreign country for the first time in his life as part of a study abroad program, Brayden Andersen-Masias, international business and marketing double major, was still unsure if he was on the right path in what he chose to study.

He studied in Portugal and Spain from January to June 2022, realizing then that he had made the right decision. While in Valencia, Spain, he witnessed Valencia Vallas, a tradition held annually to commemorate Saint Joseph.

Leaving his housing for a week, he said he saw larger-than-life creations and got to experience something he believed he would not be able to see anywhere else. At the end of the celebration, the city burnt their creations to the ground, a demonstration that he found fascinating and beautiful.

“The entire city of Valencia builds these massive paper-mâché and cardboard structures over the course of a couple of weeks, paint them and at the end, to celebrate, they just burn them all to the ground,” Andersen-Masias said. “That was obviously something I don’t really think you can see anywhere else. That really stands out to me as a great experience.”

While studying abroad only accounted for 12.5% of his college experience, it was the part that made it clear to him that he had made the right decision to study international business.

“I went abroad and I loved it,” Andersen-Masias said. “It really solidified my desire to work abroad after finishing college and once I get into my actual career.”

Andersen-Masias said he has always known in the back of his head that his academic interests lay in business, but WSU is what made him realize that global-scale business is his calling. A bilingual Spanish and English speaker, he thought those skills would translate well to working internationally.

Being from the West Side of Washington, he said he toured all the in-state universities and quickly began narrowing down the options.

Western Washington was not his scene; it was good for the outdoors but not the right fit. Seattle was expensive and he did not want to study in the city. Eastern Washington seemed like “baby WSU.” But once he toured Pullman, he fell in love with the campus.

While not the deciding factor, both his parents attended WSU, something he said could have influenced his decision.

“Both my parents went here, which, as much as I’d like to say that it didn’t influence me — it didn’t hurt,” Andersen-Masias said.

When his parents found out he would go to WSU, Andersen-Masias said they both had large reactions.

“They were pretty stoked. I mean, my dad’s the 1890 club. He’s a big donor for the school,” Andersen-Masias said. “All his buddies went here. He was in Greek life. I mean, he was losing his mind. My mom was really excited, so reactions all around were pretty profound.”

Over his four years at WSU, Andersen-Masias has been involved in Carson College, Greek Life and more. His advisors and professors noticed his leadership qualities and desire to improve early.

“His acute self-awareness and unwavering confidence in his professional goals were striking. Brayden’s eagerness to immerse himself in all facets of the Carson College of Business, university life, and Greek community was a testament to his dedication to his future,” said Michelle Chapman, Carson Center for Student Success student engagement and career development assistant director.

Chapman, who also teaches lower-level classes at Carson College, asked Andersen-Masias to speak to the freshmen and sophomores of her class about his experiences as a Coug. Chapman said he stood out for his ability to connect with the students in such a short time.

“He has become a speaker who not only connects with the students in my class but also demonstrates firsthand how he has navigated similar challenges,” Chapman said. “In my years of inviting speakers, ranging from executives to professors, Brayden’s impact on my students was palpable. They were engaged, asked meaningful questions and demonstrated great respect for his insights.”

Andersen-Masias said the trait he continues to strive to build is his leadership skills, despite not always liking the feeling of being the person in charge. That desire to develop his leadership has made him a vocal presence in his classes.

Associate professor Chadwick Miller said he admires Andersen-Masias’ confidence and ability to work through all types of situations, especially those where he faces uncertainty.

Miller said he has Andersen-Masias in several classes and he would always have a presence in the classroom. He was always fun to have in classes, making tongue-in-cheek efforts to persuade his professor and classmates, and those efforts made him a fun person to be around in the classroom.

“Brayden’s willingness to push for things that he wants and his ability to rationalize why he should get those things is impressive,” Miller said. “Although we did not always agree, I liked that he tried to be persuasive whenever we discussed things like the topic of his project in class, the extra effort points he felt he should receive, or even how quickly he would become the CMO of Amazon.”

After interning with Amazon in Washington over the summer, Andersen-Masias has a job lined up after graduation. He will start as an area manager for an Amazon warehouse in Denver on June 3, continuing his hopeful climb up Amazon or another international business in the following years.

As he looks back at his college experience, one piece of advice stands out from before he started. He said several family members told him to savor the time he would have at WSU since it would go by fast. While he may have thought it was just a cliché, he wishes he took those words to heart.

“Here I am: four years later. I’m sitting here like, ‘Damn, that did go fast,’” Andersen-Masias said.