Change in major broadened biz student’s horizons

Sept. 25, 2025 ― DENTON ― Brittney Lay experienced a little bit of corporate culture this past summer with her internship at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The Texas Woman’s junior not only received real-world experience, she also obtained hands-on training that aligned with her business administration degree.

The DART internship was Lay’s first in a professional environment, pushing herself out of her comfort zone. One of the highlights was being able to build on her marketing skills. Lay designed flyers for the bus operators and certificates for employees of the month. She also was assigned routine clerical duties. 

“So I think this was like seeing my future,” Lay said. “Because I know that I'm probably going to end up working in corporate or I'm going to end up probably working in an office.”

One of the perks of the internship was a free pass to ride the train. Lay took advantage and rode the rails to downtown Dallas most mornings for the majority of her internship. 

“I felt like I was in New York on the subway,” Lay said. “It was cool.”

The DART internship was one of the many varied, diverse experiences that Lay has had during her time at Texas Woman’s. 

“Being at TWU just has spread me everywhere,” she said. 

After graduating from Berkner High School in Richardson, Lay had plans to major in healthcare administration but decided on business administration after talking to other students in the Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship and learning about the different business career options.  

“I've always had an interest in being creative since I was a kid,” Lay said. “I've always liked art, singing and dancing and stuff like that. It's like a side that I never deeply explored. So with being a business major now, I'm able to have a bigger, broader sea of things I can do.”

Lay has excelled academically at Texas Woman’s. She has been named to the Chancellor’s List every semester, and is a member of the Athenian Honor Society, serving as fundraising secretary.

Lay was elected co-president of the Asian Student Association, where she has met many of her friends. She also held the post of public relations officer, where she dipped her toe in marketing for the first time.

“I got a taste of what it is to market for an organization, and I try to keep up with all the social media and all the trends,” Lay said. 

For the second straight semester, she was selected as a mentor for the MAK College Owl’s Nest Peer Mentoring program. She is a self-proclaimed gym rat, not only working out at TWU’s Fit and Recreation Center but also working in its gaming room. 

Lay is one of several students on campus that has the distinction of being a Chancellor’s Endowed Scholar, which covers costs for tuition, fees and textbooks for four years. It is the university’s most prestigious scholarship and is awarded to one top scholar each year.

“I feel very lucky to not have to worry about finances,” Lay said. “The whole reason why I'm able to do all these different things is because I'm a Chancellor’s Endowed Scholar.” 

Looking ahead at her final years at TWU, Lay is hoping for many more different experiences.

“I think just making sure that I stay on top of my work and stay on top of all my different orgs,” Lay said. “And also, I will eventually be applying to internships again this summer. So, I think I'm excited to see where my school year takes me.”