Although I am originally from Colorado Springs and did my undergrad at Brigham Young University, I have always been a big Duke fan and I am so excited to be a Blue Devil! I majored in linguistics with a double minor in business and Italian, and I have always been very interested in international business. I lived in Italy for two years as a missionary and later returned with my wife for a three-month internship doing market research for one of the leading Italian language schools. We loved living abroad and jumped at the opportunity to participate in the MMS: DKU program which will travel to the new campus in Kunshan (near Shanghai) China. I am fluent in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese and am working on Mandarin (slowly but surely).

Before coming to Durham I was working as a banker at Wells Fargo and really enjoyed the financial services industry. When I was not working at the bank, I was breathing life into my creative side through a photography and videography business my wife and I started called TaylorYouMedia. Whether it is for paying clients or not, making videos is a fundamental element of how I enjoy my free time. I also enjoy most sports, particularly golf, football, basketball, and volleyball. To top it all off, my wife and I are preparing for the arrival of our first baby, a girl, in mid-December! Yes, she is coming to China with us! I look forward to sharing this experience with you and expect that we will all enjoy the ride!

Fuqua Activities: MMS Sports Club; MMS Marketing Club, General Management Club, International Business Club, Golf Club, Latter-Day Saint Student Association

Follow me on Twitter: @austintayloradt