Meet Washington Foster’s MBA Class Of 2025

You can hear it. You can read it. You can even write it and speak it. In the end, you really don’t learn it until you do it.

Futurist Malcolm Gladwell argues that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. That’s 1,250 work days – or roughly four years. That cost can seem pretty daunting to business students looking to change careers. Luckily, the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business gives their students a huge head start.

That’s because the program is devoted to experiential learning like few others. And employers have taken notice. In 2023, Foster grads raked in $185,127 – or higher than nine full-time MBA programs ranked above them. Chances are, the Class of 2025 will be commanding near $200,000 by the time graduation rolls around. Before then, the first-year class will be honing their skills in class and consulting projects, reinforcing classroom learning with practical, real-world application.

LEARNING BY DOING

The cornerstone is the Applied Strategy Project, held each spring for first-years right before their all-important summer internship. Working in teams over 10 weeks, MBAs partner with companies ranging from Amazon to Paccar to Kaiser Permanente. In the past, teams have conducted new product and market assessments and devised new financial and ESG models, ultimately presenting the recommendations through in-person presentations and white papers. In the process, MBAs gain industry know-how and technical skills, assume different team roles, and sharpen their problem-solving abilities. All the while, they build a network of champions and subject matter experts in top companies, while enjoying the safety net from company and school resources and support.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the experiential learning opportunities offered at Foster,” says Aysha Ayub Mushtaq, who joined Foster’s full-time MBA program last fall. “Recently, I completed my applied strategy project, collaborating with Microsoft to explore the future of Generative AI and its implications for key industries. I had the opportunity to work on a real-word business challenge, working alongside a team of exceptional students, and had the privilege of engaging with professionals at the forefront of the generative AI landscape.”

The Foster MBA’s experiential approach also taps into other advantages. Felipe Reyna, another first-year, points to the Foster’s School’s relationships with Seattle-area business leaders. “The Foster School’s robust connections with tech giants – Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, and Accenture – have opened doors for me to effortlessly network with professionals from these companies, allowing me to understand their operations and roles.”

A MENTORSHIP CULTURE

Equally robust is Foster’s mentorship program. Here, the school assigns students to a current or former executive. During the mentorship, which can last up to two years, mentors can share their personal experiences, open up their networks, and provide guidance on everything from developing executive presence to finding work-life balance.

“One of the most enriching experiences at Foster has been the MBA mentoring program, which pairs students with experienced professionals in their field of interest,” explains Rabeea Ayesha. “Through this program, I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by a seasoned executive who has not only provided invaluable guidance and insights into the industry, but also went the extra mile to connect me with other key industry leaders.”

On top of experiential learning and mentoring, the Class of 2025 also praises the program’s small class size – roughly 100 students – which only amplifies the deeper community relationships that extend long after graduation. For Chinmayee Shenvi, the Foster MBA experience represented a space to gain invaluable soft skills in a supportive community that matched her values.

“Foster’s MBA program stood out to me for its emphasis on experiential learning through applied strategy projects and case competitions, fostering critical skills like collaboration, empathy, and persuasion,” Shenvi explains. “Our small class size facilitates deeper learning, faculty access, and meaningful connections within the truly collaborative, student-driven community. This nurturing “We>Me” culture, ingrained across coursework and activities, resonated deeply, allowing my growth through engaging team environments. Moreover, the program’s focus on constant improvement, with faculty, alumni, and students collectively striving to enhance experiences, aligned perfectly with my growth mindset.”

CAREERS BEFORE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Before business school, Shenvi worked as a business consultant at Shell, where her compliance efforts included developing testing protocols at “100 high-risk applications holding sensitive data…across 6 global teams in 45 days.” In Pakistan, Rabeea Ayesha organized self-esteem advocacy workshops before becoming a marketing manager for the Islamic Circle of North America. Elsa Morales operated her own psychotherapy practice while also working as a school psychologist. At the same time, Harkarn Singh Bains became the youngest person to hold his position at an electrical contractor in the firm’s 78-year history. In terms of volume, Joanna Ndugga-Kabuye supported 700 employees as the HR partner for a government contractor.

That number pales in comparison to the number of people who owe their lives to Jeremy Teague, a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. “[I] aid[ed] in the planning and execution of humanitarian efforts to facilitate the safe transit of more than 7,000 evacuees traveling from Afghanistan while I was stationed in Bahrain, during Operation Allies Refuge in 2021. It was truly rewarding to make an immediate impact and assist those in need.”

Business school certainly didn’t intimidate Paula Andrea Gómez Alexander. After all, she shouldered a co-leadership role on her team’s largest-ever project…after just a month as a senior consultant. “In this role, I had to oversee a team of over 20 professionals located in different geographies and working across various functional areas of the firm. What made this project unique, aside from its scale, was its nature as a highly sensitive government-led investigation into one of the country’s largest and most well-known companies. While it presented significant challenges, after a year of hard work and dedication, we successfully concluded the investigation to the satisfaction of our client.”

TRANSITION TO BUSINESS SCHOOL

That success continued on for Gómez Alexander at Foster. Once afraid of public speaking, she gained the confidence to stake her positions in front of classmates, alumni, and faculty alike – even claiming a 3rd-place case competition finish in the process. Despite the demands of being a parent to two daughters, Rabeea Ayesha found time to compete in a case competition, serve as a school ambassador, and hold two VP roles in student clubs. By the same token, Jeremy Teague transitioned from being a biochemist who operated Naval ships to being a first-year solidly grounded in business fundamentals.

One way the class made these jumps, says Joanna Ndugga-Kabuye, was through mandatory participation in case competitions. She describes the time as “long hours” in a conference room, perfecting their “financial model, pitchbook, and presentation deck” with her team over food and laughter. For Chinmayee Shenvi, the first-year case competition ultimately revealed just how far the class had come last fall.

“It was remarkable to witness 20 teams present their unique approaches to a single case study. Within just three months, we had acquired the ability to apply learnings from finance, accounting, corporate strategy, and marketing to address a real-world business challenge. Our team crushed it, leveraging our synergies to overcome hurdles and bring our A-game. While we did not win, being part of such an innovative and talented cohort instilled a great sense of pride.”

WE>ME

Many times, the Class of 2025 celebrated these moments at TG – or Thank Goodness. Each month, says Felipe Reyna, the Foster gets together to celebrate together (and network too). “Attending these TG events has been an absolute highlight for me,” Reyna adds. “They provide a vibrant platform where I can connect with my classmates on a more personal level, beyond the day-to-day grind of classes. It is in these relaxed, joyful gatherings that I’ve been able to form deeper bonds and create lasting memories with my peers. The sense of community and camaraderie that these events foster is truly special and embodies the spirit of the MBA experience at Foster.”

That spirit boils down to a tagline at Foster: We>Me. It Is a reminder that classmates must be there for each other, whether it is supporting their pursuits or just being there during down times. Felipe Reyna boils the We>Me philosophy down to “collective success over individual achievement” – an “inclusive culture…where everyone is committed to the collective well-being and success of the group.” That is especially true, says Rabeea Ayesha, during job hunts.

“During recruitment, we’ve seen a collective effort to share resources, offer interview preparation sessions, and provide moral support. My fall and winter quarter teams became a tight-knit support system, ensuring everyone stayed on top of deadlines and understood course material. Our class president has been instrumental, going out of their way to organize to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie within the cohort.”

Outside of work and school, Elsa Morales indulges in snowboarding, figure skating, rock climbing, and paddleboarding. Similarly, Felipe Reyna completed two 150-mile rides from Houston to Austin, not to mention two Tough Mudder competitions. Before classes started, Jeremy Teague headed to Thailand for a Muay Thai kickboxing camp. Harkarn Singh Bains is the director for the Seattle Sikh Federation non-profit. While Madison P. Meredith may have drifted into brand management, she was once the California Science Student of Year in 2015.