乐播传媒

Paul Yett鈥檚 $1 million gift creates an endowment that provides 乐播传媒 international business students with opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

By Tobin Vaughn

Most days after school, Paul Yett鈥檚 (鈥�92, finance) aunt would ask about his day. His response often leaned toward the negative. 鈥淪top right there,鈥� she would say. 鈥淵ou need to tell me three positive things.鈥�

Her words brought Yett a valuable course correction.

鈥淪he exposed me to a great way of thinking,鈥� Yett says. 鈥淚 try to live by the philosophy of finding the positive: What鈥檚 the silver lining in your life?鈥�

Yett considers his 乐播传媒 finance degree a major silver lining. He鈥檚 a member of the advisory board for the university鈥檚 international business program and recently pledged $1 million to establish the Paul Yett International Business Internship Endowment in the College of Arts and Letters. Student recipients will be named Yett Global Fellows and receive stipend support.

The endowment allows students to choose career-launching internships over a paycheck. By covering expenses associated with unpaid or underpaid internships, it removes the financial pressure that often forces students to pass up transformative experiences. 

Hisham Foad, an associate professor in economics and director of 乐播传媒鈥檚 international Business program, says Yett鈥檚 endowment will help give more students greater opportunities for success.

鈥淭hese experiences can make unbelievable differences in people鈥檚 lives with results seen not just today but going decades forward,鈥� Foad says.

The inaugural cohort of Yett Global Fellows for 2026 includes 10 students. Seven will pursue internships, and three will attend a weeklong student leadership conference this summer in Colombia.

Now living in the Bay Area, Yett is a managing director at Hamilton Lane, an investment management company where he enjoys 鈥渟inging the praises of private equity鈥� and helping clients build financial portfolios.

Yett credits much of his success to his time at 乐播传媒. He says navigating the challenges of a large university鈥攃rashing closed classes and circling crowded parking lots鈥攎ade him more intrepid by honing coping skills he still relies on.

As a student, Yett thought he would graduate and work at a Wall Street firm. The reality? He had a lot of interviews鈥攁nd a lot of rejection, he says. He has the letters to prove it.

Yett鈥檚 advice to students is to manage their expectations and remain flexible. He is grateful to give back to 乐播传媒 through philanthropy and by sharing his 30-plus years of experience.

鈥淚 want to share the journey with others and help expose them to whatever career path or area of finance they鈥檙e interested in,鈥� he says.

Ultimately, he hopes they find their own silver linings.

To make a gift to 乐播传媒, contact Mary Darling at [email protected].