Trailblazers Program

STRAT 5800, 2 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 Spring semester applications are now closed.

The next application cycle will be in Fall 2025.

Apply to the Fall 2025 Trailblazers Program Now

Priority Application Deadline*: April 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Final Application Deadline: April 13 at 11:59 p.m.

*A completed application includes the online application and group interview; apply early to register for an interview, as interview spots are limited. Priority admissions decisions will be made immediately after the priority deadline, so please apply online and complete your interview by April 4 for priority consideration. Second-round admissions decisions will be made after interviews conclude in mid-April.

Are you seeking leadership development and impactful experiences? 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 collaborate 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.

  • Counts towards Entrepreneurship minor, QAMO, Bennion Center Community Engaged Learning Certificate, and as a bridge course for business students.

  • Goff offers a scholarship that covers the differential tuition associated with this course (estimated $600).

  • Students who are admitted to and register for the Trailblazers program will then have the opportunity to apply for a TrailblazersX paid position within the program. Students who are offered one of these positions will support the Trailblazers program through additional work, and will be compensated accordingly. More details about this program/process will be shared with admitted students after they register for Trailblazers.

  • 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 engaging 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

Highlighted Experiences

A team of undergraduate Goff students engaged with 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 assessed options for The Other Side Academy’s 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 subsequently gained an internship with Esusu 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 collaborates directly with real organizations. No matter your major, year in school, or plans for the future, there’s a spot for you in Goff.