Trailblazers Program

STRAT 5800, 3 CH, 2 In-Person Sections Offered
In-Person Section 001: Mondays/Wednesdays, 2-3:20 p.m.
In-Person Section 002: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 2-3:20 p.m.

Trailblazer’s Fall semester applications are now closed.

The next application cycle will be in fall 2024.

Apply to the Spring 2025 Trailblazers Program Now

Priority Application*: November 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Final Application Deadline: December 3 at 11:59 p.m.

*A completed application includes the online application and group interview;
apply early to guarantee an interview.

Are you seeking leadership development and impactful work? Look no further, in Trailblazers you get both.

In Trailblazers, students learn the Six Principles of Strategic Leadership, reflect on their leadership skills, and hear from experienced guest speakers. To put the lessons to practice, Trailblazers work in teams to find creative recommendations to complex challenges faced by local nonprofits and organizations.

Regardless of your major, Trailblazers learn transferable skills that will have an impact on your life after college, like navigating teams, strategic thinking, resourcefulness, and more.

Trailblazers Information:

  • To maximize your learning and the value of the experience, and due to this program’s emphasis on strategic thinking, self-awareness, and teamwork, we often give priority consideration to Juniors and Seniors. First- year students are not eligible to apply.

  • One semester, offered Fall and Spring semesters.

  • $1,000 scholarship, counts towards Entrepreneurship minor, QAMO, Bennion Center Community Engaged Learning Certificate, and as a bridge course for business students.

  • Want Trailblazers to count as an elective? Contact your college advisor and ask how electives are approved for your major.

“Prior to participating in Goff, I lacked a sense of academic direction and admittedly had a difficult time engaging in most of my classes. All that changed in my Trailblazers experience when working with the Other Side Academy – a nonprofit providing employment and housing opportunities to the Salt Lake homeless community. During this time, I was exposed to a whole new world of what was possible if I applied myself and fully committed to a goal. Goff has been the most influential aspect of my time in college, and I’m extremely grateful for a space where individuals can challenge themselves beyond conventional academia and glimpse the potential they hold to positively influence the community.” -Carter McDaniels

Project Examples

A team of undergraduate Goff students were tasked by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to recommend a new economic development opportunity for the state of Utah. After a semester of robust research, deep understanding of the problem, and exploration of potential solutions, students recommended a strategy to outreach, incentivize, and partner with corporate entities to offer English language learning programs to their employees.

Trailblazers worked with The Other Side Academy to assess options for their next social enterprise; these businesses allow TOSA to continue supporting and providing dignified wages for unhoused community members. The students ultimately recommended a new business idea: creating and selling succulent arrangements, and less than 1 year later, those arrangements are ready for purchase.

Trailblazers identified market entry opportunities for Esusu Rent, a fintech company working to close the racial wealth gap; and for Landed, a down payment assistance program for educators, public sector employees, and healthcare workers. One Trailblazer continued his work with Esusu via an internship program in NYC, and Landed launched in Utah shortly after the project ended!

Trailblazers evaluated the opportunity for local nonprofit Rape Recovery Center to increase the organization’s financial stability and independence by monetizing programming and rethinking its donor strategy.

Looking for more opportunities?

We model our experiences after the “real world,” connecting students from different backgrounds and perspectives in the classroom to create value for organizations across the world.

Each Goff program works directly with real organizations. No matter your major, year in school, or plans for the future, there’s a spot for you in Goff.