The Sibling Effect

If you ask Tavo and Onalee Estrada about their time at the Huntsman School of Business, they won’t start with classes or clubs.

They’ll start with each other.

When Tavo chose Utah State, it came down to one thing: “I’m going to go where I’m valued.” What he didn’t realize at the time was that decision would shape his sister’s future, too.

“I always wanted to go to Utah State,” Onalee says. “It was a dream school… but I didn’t think I could make it work.” 

While she was away serving a church mission, Tavo kept bringing it up. Encouraging her, reminding her, making the possibility feel real. Eventually, she applied.

Around that same time, their lives shifted in a way neither of them expected. During Tavo’s first semester, their father passed away; an experience that reshaped how both approached school, responsibility, and what came next.

“It has made me reach higher,” Tavo says. “Though it was a very difficult thing… I’ve been able to thrive through this entire experience.”

By the time Onalee arrived in Logan, Tavo had already shown her what was possible at the Huntsman School, not just academically, but personally. If you ask Tavo what defined his time at Huntsman, he points to the people. “Utah State cares that I’m here. They’ve done everything they can to make me successful.”

Watching him throw himself into leadership, mentorship, and opportunities outside the classroom helped Onalee picture herself doing the same. 

“I haven’t looked back. It has been one of the best experiences,” she says. “I knew that the education I would get at Huntsman is incomparable anywhere else, and I knew for me—I have ADHD—I needed a hands-on learning experience. That’s what unlocked the door for me to be able to come here and get the education not only that I need, but also the one that I want. I love learning and I love going to school. What mattered to me was getting an education where it wasn’t just sitting in lectures, where I had the opportunity to apply what I was learning.” 

For the past few years, their lives have run in parallel. Same campus, different paths. Tavo balancing a double major in marketing and data while leading student organizations, mentoring younger students, and exploring future opportunities in law and public service. Onalee building her place in human resources through leadership roles, experiential learning, and a summer sales internship with General Mills.

As she heads into her senior year, Onalee says she’s learning the value of “simplifying and focusing.”

“I love being involved,” she says, “but I realized this past year that I can make a bigger impact by focusing on the groups and experiences that mean the most to me and help me grow professionally.” She credits the Huntsman School’s emphasis on experiential learning for helping her see what’s possible beyond graduation. “I haven’t just taken classes,” she says. “I’ve taken my learning to the next level through hands-on projects and career trips. I’m excited to apply that Huntsman spirit to a full-time career.”

And through all of it, she says one of the most meaningful parts of her college experience has been sharing it with her brother.