Michael Streuling

“Lifelong learner who loves helping others, sports aficionado and craft beer enthusiast”

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I learned Spanish and Arabic as an adult.

Undergraduate School and Major: Arizona State University, B.S. Geographic Information Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CVS Health, Cybersecurity Analyst

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA?

The easy answer is the unparalleled access to so many great companies, but my favorite thing about living in Seattle while earning an MBA is the geography of the city. Whether that is the views of the Puget Sound, the access to the Cascades and Olympic Mountains (with the best skiing within a two-hour drive of a top MBA program), the San Juan Islands, or the activities on Lake Union and Lake Washington, there are countless places to explore the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Aside from your location and classmates, what was the one key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

A key factor that led me to choose Foster was the class size. I was looking for a top MBA with a class size that would allow me to forge relationships with everyone in my class, as well as be a name instead of just a number to faculty. Foster has been that and more so far. Professors are extremely accessible and always willing to take extra time on the side to discuss concepts. As you’ll read later, the cohort truly exemplifies Foster’s philosophy of We > Me.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Foster?

My favorite course so far has been Financial Accounting, which was taught by Elizabeth Blankespoor. She made the topic very approachable for someone without a business background and consistently related the material to what was happening in the world. One of my favorite class sessions was one where we looked at a case where a company’s board had some difficult decisions to make due to some accounting issues, and several students were selected to sit on a mock board and make a decision based on the information the board had at the time. However, I think the truest measure of the class’s impact on me is that I found myself looking at company financial statements over the holiday break for fun!

Washington Foster operates off a philosophy of We>Me. Give us an example of how you’ve seen that among your classmates so far.

Right before our fall quarter finals one of my Class of 2026 classmates, Will Howie, led a review of our accounting and finance classes. This was in addition to sessions that our professor and TAs offered, and Will did it because he wanted to share his expertise and insights with the class to help better prepare us for finals. This attitude permeates the entire program with classmates always willing to help with interview prep, even when interviewing for the same role!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

While at CVS Health, I was part of their Technology Leadership Development Program (LDP) and led a workstream focused on talent development within the program. As part of that workstream, I spearheaded the creation and orchestration of a talent growth strategy that directly impacted over 40 colleagues. The strategy included mapping in demand tech skills to internal learning opportunities across 4 domains and was later used as a blueprint for a broader talent growth strategy for all early-in-career LDPs at the company.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far:

One of the most impactful things I’ve experienced in the MBA program so far was being nominated by several of my peers to serve as one of two 1st Year Class representatives and then being elected to that position by the entire class. It was humbling to be asked to serve in a leadership role and a good reminder of the importance of making genuine connections with everyone I interact with.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

My best memory as an MBA so far is a tie between our annual Whistler trip after the fall quarter and beating Michigan at Husky Stadium, then making a friend who went there for undergrad rush the field with us. The trip to Whistler was a great opportunity to decompress after the fast-paced nature of the fall quarter. The snow was great for being so early in the season and the vibes during the social gatherings were immaculate. One of several reasons I chose UW for my MBA was for the chance to see some epic college football games and, despite a step back from 2023, the Huskies delivered.

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