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Ryan Stowers Highlight
We’re all capable of extraordinary things, but in a very unique and individualized way.
About Ryan
- I grew up in rural Utah in a very religious family that really focused on helping others.
- I served a two-year mission in Hungary after high school—my service combined with my mother’s influence as a nurse made me decide that I wanted to keep helping others by becoming a doctor.
- After completing my mission, I came back to Utah for college.
- While studying, I also started to engage in different medical training programs and gain experience in the medical field—I worked as a nurse’s aide, a phlebotomist, and a surgical tech.
- As I gained more experience, I realized there were aspects of medicine that I didn’t enjoy—I also grew more interested in my humanities classes and the impact that ideas can have on humanity.
- I decided to leave medicine and pursue humanities instead—I earned a bachelor’s degree in both liberal arts and political science, and then a master’s in political economy.
- I started working in program management and then joined the Charles Koch Foundation as program officer.
- I’ve been at the Charles Koch Foundation for the last 15 years and have worked my way up to my current position as executive director.
