Student Spotlight

Fletcher Smith, a Washington state native, feels that Utah has now become his home. Fletcher is in his fifth year at BYU and has lived in Utah for seven years. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Utah Salt Lake City South mission speaking Spanish. Fletcher loved his mission, especially the process of learning a new language. The most valuable thing he learned on his mission is the fact that other people are actually very similar to you, even if their country of origin and the language they speak are not, he said.

Following his mission, Fletcher began his academic journey at BYU. He always knew that he wanted to be a student here. In fact, the only schools he applied to were BYU and BYU-I. Fletcher loves the spiritual environment and the academic rigor that he gets to experience here.

When deciding a major, Fletcher was drawn to chemistry. He had an AP Chemistry teacher in high school who was really great, which grew his love for the subject. He also loves the process of building and learning how things work, so he decided to combine these two passions and major in chemical engineering.

Fletcher has participated in many activities involving his major, including clubs, research, and internships. Fletcher was a club officer for two clubs: BYU chapters of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Nuclear Society. He enjoys serving in this capacity because he believes it is a wonderful opportunity to serve, grow, and develop. Fletcher said that his love for the academic environment and learning as a whole drew him to research and sparked his desire to go to graduate school. He grew up near the Hanford Area in Washington, where the U.S. produced plutonium for the Manhattan Project, so he was surrounded by topics of nuclear energy and radiation. Fletcher found this extremely interesting and will be pursuing a graduate degree in nuclear engineering following his time at BYU.

Fletcher is always looking to learn, know, and do more. “When looking back at my life, I want to say that I did something new and created something,” he said.

In addition to his passion for learning, Fletcher adores the outdoors. He spends much of his free time in the mountains, hiking and canyoneering. He also appreciates TV shows and – despite recent years – still loves Star Wars. Fletcher enjoys being active and taking care of his body, especially through SWELL classes such as swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics, and jujitsu.

Fletcher’s advice to his fellow engineering students is to “work on the things that don’t have a deadline but are still important.” While in school, students can get really focused on homework and neglect things like networking, working on their resume, and getting internships or jobs for real world experience. Fletcher suggests trying to look at the bigger picture and trusting in the Lord to guide you.

We are so thankful for Fletcher and that he is part of our student body!