Meet The Washington Foster MBA Class Of 2027

Each year, the University of Washington Foster School of Business enrolls MBA students drawn to its collaborative culture, rigorous academics, and emphasis on purposeful career development.

This year, Foster’s full-time MBA Class of 2027 has welcomed students from all over the world who bring with them their experiences in engineering, marketing, psychology, military leadership, banking, product development, and entrepreneurship. The common thread between each of the Foster MBAs is their desire to grow not just as professionals, but as people.

This year’s class has vastly different roots. Some are from Peru, India, and England — and hey’re learning alongside classmates who grew up just a few hours from campus.

Each decided to go to purse an MBA for different reasons. Some came to business school to pivot, others to go deeper in fields they already love. Together they are a cohort that’s curious, grounded, and genuinely invested in one another. 

WHY SEATTLE IS A GREAT CITY TO EARN AN MBA

Being so close to Seattle means that Foster MBAs have all the perks of a big city, like plenty of career opportunities and industry access. The other perk of the city is there’s tons of natural spaces, where you can escape the built environment and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.  

Growing up in Bend, Oregon, John Hartmeier never imagined he’d find a city that matched his energy. Hartmeier describes himself as both a lighthearted surfer and a scientist, and he is happy to find that Seattle’s energy matches his. 

“Seattle is a unique mix of big tech and culture,” he explains. “Some of the largest companies on the planet are headquartered in the Seattle area, yet the beach and the mountains are just a few hours away.”

Hartmeier appreciates the city’s pace — fast when he needs it, slow when he doesn’t. This, he says, has helped him stay grounded while navigating the intensity of earning an MBA.

A very different journey brought Joanell Leggett from Minneapolis to the Pacific Northwest. She describes herself as an empathetic, detail‑driven leader. She enjoys inspiring growth and building inclusive spaces where people can thrive, and Seattle has been a place where she can be herself.

The university and the city are highly intertwined. “What truly sets Seattle apart for me is how seamlessly the city and the University of Washington are integrated,” she says. 

Leggett has embraced the city’s quieter pleasures too, like ferry rides to nearby islands, afternoons in bookstores, and wandering through farmers’ markets that feel to her like small communities of their own.

“Coming from the Midwest, I am still amazed by the mountains and how green Seattle stays year‑round!”

For MBA Susan Salinas Moncada, the path to Seattle began in Lima, Peru, where she first trained as a psychologist before transitioning into marketing. 

“The city’s tech and innovation ecosystem creates constant exposure to new ideas and career paths I’m still discovering,” she says. “But its proximity to nature gives me the opportunity to step back to think clearly.”

LEADERSHIP IS CENTRAL AT FOSTER

Foster’s leadership model is built on action. Students learn by doing, reflecting, — and then doing again.

Moncada says that this kind of hands-on approach was the deciding factor for her when choosing a business school. Coming from a background that blends psychology and marketing, she wanted a program that would let her apply her understanding of human behavior to real business challenges. 

Foster’s first‑quarter case competition was really the moment when everything she’d learned suddenly became interconnected.

“It forced me to think across disciplines in real time,” she explains. “Working with real clients, real stakes, and real outcomes convinced me Foster would push me beyond what I thought possible — not just technically, but as the kind of leader I’m working to become.”

Not everyone enters the Foster MBA with a business background. August Hoffman, who grew up in Boston, came to Foster as a avid  gamer. He’s found a community through gaming, and Foster is teaching him to build for that community.

“Coming from a psychology background, I’ve always understood what motivates people,” he says, “But I lacked the frameworks to translate those insights into go‑to‑market strategies, pricing decisions, and product roadmaps.”

Through the applied strategy project and the fall case competition, Hoffman tested those frameworks in real time, and gained the confidence in his ability to build products. 

A self‑described lover of cooking, electric guitar, and DJ originally from Reading, England, MBA Nathaniel Fernandes chose Foster for its small class sizes. 

“I’ve always felt the strongest sense of belonging in communities where I can connect with everyone,” he says. “Foster’s class size has allowed me to build rapport quickly and form lasting friendships.”

Fernandes says the small cohort has made collaboration feel natural. He’s had the chance to work with nearly everyone in his class, learning from their backgrounds and building relationships that feel both personal and professional.

FAVORITE MOMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM 

Outside of bonding with those in their cohort, Foster students have been enjoying extracurriculars at the school. 

For Fernandes, the MBA Huddle society has been a gateway into American sports culture — something he’d never experienced growing up in the U.K.

“Being from the U.K., I had no prior exposure to many American sports,” he says. “Attending every event and learning about the culture surrounding them has been an amazing way to meet new people.”

He’s enjoyed cheering for the Huskies in the massive stadium, DJ-ing at the annual Sail‑Gate boat party, and joining classmates on a ski trip to Whistler – which he said was a much‑needed break after the intensity of the first quarter.

From Mission, B.C., MBA Linden Penner is currently balancing two different parts of his life: the demands of an MBA and the responsibilities of active‑duty military service. He’s a family man who says he loves Jesus, his wife and his daughter.

“The Foster Veterans Association is amazing,” he says. “I felt welcome right away, and everyone does a great job of looking out for one another.”

For Penner, this club has been a place where he can navigate military requirements while staying focused on academics, surrounded by people who understand the unique pressures he carries.

All the way from Bangalore, MBA Aishwarya Harshan has found her people in Foster’s alumni and mentorship ecosystem.

“Networking nights and company visits to firms such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks gave me the chance to understand different company cultures,” she says. “These experiences… have been invaluable in helping me grow professionally and navigate my MBA journey with confidence.”

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS STUDENTS BRING TO FOSTER

The students in the Foster MBA community have had many experiences they’re proud of before even stepping foot on campus. That’s what makes for such a great diverse cohort and such rich discussions. Everyone is arriving with their own unique set of experiences. 

Before arriving in Seattle, Harshan led large‑scale operational and product transformations at ANZ Banking Group across lending, payments, and onboarding.

“I launched workflows that reduced processing timelines from weeks to under a day,” she says. “Beyond the outcomes, I’m especially proud of mentoring emerging leaders and building cross‑functional teams capable of driving change.”

For MBA Ricky Shell, from Woodinville, Washington, the highlight of his pre‑MBA career is tied to the region he calls home. He’s a pacific Northwest native, and becoming a Venture Fellow has been Shell’s proudest achievement.

“My biggest achievement so far is getting the opportunity to work with Pioneer Square Labs,” he says. “With how exciting the Seattle startup ecosystem is, working with the studio is something I’m very excited about.”

Janhvi Singh, from Gurgaon, India, has walked a different path. She describes herself as an MBA who chases new experiences while staying true to herself along the way.”

“My biggest professional accomplishment so far has been successfully pivoting my career from a technical and analytics background into a people‑facing, strategy‑driven marketing role,” she says.

She managed influencer‑driven brand campaigns across industries, turning business objectives to life. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS FOSTER STUDNETS 

This year, students say the Foster MBA has pushed them harder and further than they expected. The first quarter alone seems to have been a kind of rite of passage. MBAs said it was intense, collaborative, and full of moments that has reshaped how these students see themselves as leaders.

Singh says the Autumn Quarter case competition became the moment where everything she’d learned suddenly felt connected. “It challenged us to integrate everything we had learned,” she says. “Finishing as runners‑up felt rewarding because it reflected a team that learned deeply and worked hard.”

When she talks about the long nights spent working on materials for the competition, what she remembers most  is the joy — the laughter between slides, the shared sense of momentum, and the feeling of stepping into a new version of herself.

Surviving the first quarter meant something different for Nalani Cayme, who grew up between Hilo and Waimea, Hawaii. Her friends describe her as part firecracker and part lion. They say she’s spicy, spirited, passionate, loyal, cheeky, fiercely protective, and exceptionally resilient.

“Seriously, no one and nothing can fully prepare you for the intensity of the first quarter,” she says. “Making it through felt like a huge win.”

Nalani balanced academics, recruiting, leadership roles, and unexpected personal and family challenges all while showing up for her classmates. She often reflects on how the quarter tested her capacity, but also revealed a deeper resilience she didn’t know she had. 

From Bellingham, the biggest accomplishment for MBA Sarrah Renfro took shape in Pittsburgh. A “relentlessly curious MBA ex‑engineer, laser‑focused on customer‑obsessed digital products,” Renfro joined a team of classmates to compete in the Tepper Innovation Case Competition. She says it was a weekend that tested their creativity, stamina, and storytelling skills.

“Landing 3rd place felt like a huge win for our tight‑knit crew,” she says. “Those late‑night strategy sessions sharpened my storytelling and analytical edge in ways no lecture could.”

BEST MEMORIES AT FOSTER THUS FAR

When asked about their favorite memories, students this year couldn’t choose just one. What can be seen is that the foster Class of ‘27 has been celebrating together, supporting one another, and finding meaning in both the big milestones and the small, spontaneous moments.

Renfro says the best memories have been celebrating everyone’s wins together as a cohort. “It turns individual triumphs into collective magic,” she says. 

From Fullerton, California, Josh Gonzalez’s best memories involving service, community, and connection. An “Army leader and MBA candidate combining curiosity, creativity, and character to drive meaningful impact,” Gonzalez says he felt welcomed into the Foster community before he even arrived in Seattle.

“From the day after I received my acceptance, I felt supported,” he says. He remembers the president of the Foster Veterans Association reaching out immediately, answering questions, offering guidance, and making him feel like he already belonged.

Gonzalez says his fondest memories are helping international classmates move into their apartments, navigating U‑Haul rentals, and figuring out Seattle’s logistics together. He remembers cheering at Sail‑Gate, celebrating Diwali, running to Gas Works Park, traveling to Atlanta with fellow veterans, and tackling cases late into the night.

“The people at Foster made the entire experience unforgettable,” he says.

Next page: An interview with Associate Dean and MBA Program Director Lingling Zhang and profiles of 12 CEIBS MBA students. 

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.