WMU Haworth celebrates 2026 Presidential Scholars
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Each year, faculty members from across Western Michigan University select outstanding students in their various academic schools, departments and programs to represent their units as a Presidential Scholar at Western, the highest academic honor that WMU can bestow on its undergraduates. In the Haworth College of Business, six Presidential Scholars are selected each year.
Noah Newman
Presidential Scholar in accountancy
Noah Newman of Stevensville, Michigan, is an accountancy student with a minor in general business. Graduating in spring of 2026, Newman is an active member of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society for accounting, finance, and information systems students, which offers professional development and service opportunities for its members, where he previously served as the vice president.
Throughout his time at WMU Haworth, Newman has interned with Kruggel Lawton CPAs. In his position he gained exposure to both auditing and tax assistance, determining which area accounting fits him best. After graduation, Newman will be joining Kruggel Lawton CPAs as a full-time accounting associate within their Portage, Michigan office. During this time, Newman also plans to pursue his CPA certification.
Kevin Wright
Presidential Scholar in business information systems
Kevin Wright of Beverly Hills, Michigan, is a business analytics student with minors in finance and leadership and business strategy. Graduating in spring of 2026, Wright has been involved in many student organizations at WMU including the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the Financial Planning Association. Additionally, Wright has gained leadership experience in the Business Technology Network, where he serves as the secretary, and the club baseball team, where he currently serves as the president. Wright has been on the dean’s list each semester of his college career.
During his time at WMU Haworth, Wright worked as a project management intern at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and he currently works part-time for WK Kellogg Co. as a student support sales planning analyst. Wright is also a member of the Lee Honors College, where he will defend his honors thesis entitled, “Is ‘Moneyball’ an effective strategy to build a successful MLB team?” Also, Wright is a WMU Medallion Scholar and has organized his cohort service project through Kalamazoo Communities in School where WMU students tutor students at Prairie Ridge Elementary School. After graduation, he hopes to obtain a data analyst role in either the Kalamazoo or metro-Detroit area.
Jenna Hayes
Presidential Scholar in finance and commercial law
Jenna Hayes of Dayton, Ohio, is a finance student with minors in general business and Spanish. Graduating in spring of 2026, Hayes is finishing up her final season on the women’s golf team, where she has played for her entire WMU career. She has participated in Alpha Lambda Delta and the Financial Services Association events, working meetings between her golf practice schedules. Hayes has been on the dean’s list each semester of her college career and has been named Academic All-MAC (Mid-American Conference), Women’s Golf Coaches Association Scholar All-American, and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District.
Hayes completed a rotational internship with METTLER TOLEDO last summer. As a finance and accounting intern, she participated in programming in group finance, the operational unit and the fleet team, gaining valuable insights into multiple sectors of the work field. After graduation, Hayes will be working with Backswing Golf in Dayton, Ohio. She plans to move to Charlotte, North Carolina, after her wedding in September, where she hopes to work in a corporate finance role.
Lyndsey Sootsman
Presidential Scholar in management
Lyndsey Sootsman of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a human resource management student with minors in general business and communication. Graduating in spring of 2026, Sootsman has been heavily involved on campus, including her time as president of the Society for Excellence in Human Resources and her membership in the Women’s Business Network. Sootsman has also grown her connection to the college through her work as a front desk assistant in the dean’s office over the last three years. Sootsman has been on the dean’s list each semester of her college career and is a recipient of the Department of Management Achievement Award, the Dr. Kimon Bournazos Memorial Scholarship for Human Resource Management, the Jeffrey T. Robideau Award for Meritorious Scholarship and the Thomas J. Sullivan Scholarship in Business.
Over the summer, Sootsman completed a human resource internship with IBM in New York, where she focused on employee concerns. She has also participated in the Michigan Collegiate DECA State Career Development Conference, where she has won first place in Business Ethics two years in a row with partner Mac Graham. After graduation, Sootsman will be returning to IBM, this time with their Raleigh, North Carolina branch, where she will start on the talent acquisition communications and organization operations team.
Cheyenne Niemann
Presidential Scholar in marketing
Cheyenne Niemann of South Lyon, Michigan, is a digital marketing and dance student with a minor in general business. Graduating in spring of 2026, Niemann has been involved on campus through the Digital Marketing at WMU student organization and the Orchesis Dance Society, as well as working as a tutor at Dallas Rauker Tutoring Center for the las three years. Niemann has been on the dean’s list each semester of her college career.
This past summer, Niemann completed a marketing internship with Wellspring in Kalamazoo, which combined her passions of marketing and dance. Currently, she works as a social media manager for Big City Dance Center, where she continues to put her skills into play and stay connected to her interest in dance. After graduation, Niemann hopes to obtain a full-time position that combines marketing and dance, which includes sports organizations, dance companies and performance-driven brands. Her goal is to continue growing as a digital marketer while also staying connected to her dance career, ideally finding a position that allows her to blend both passions.
Jacob Steiner
Presidential Scholar in food marketing
Jacob Steiner of Troy, Michigan, was a food marketing student with a minor in leadership and business strategy. Having graduated in fall of 2025, Steiner was involved in many student organizations, including leadership in Delta Sigma Pi, membership in the Food Marketing Association, and participating in the Leadership and Business Strategy student organization. He was also a founding member of the club track and field team, where he helped to establish and grow the organization while competing. Steiner was on the dean’s list each semester of his college career as well as a member of the Lee Honors College.
As a student, Steiner interned with United Shore Professional Baseball League as a promotions intern as well as with E. & J. Gallo Winery as a sales and leadership intern. The skills he gained during these opportunities helped him secure his full-time position in Metro Detroit with Great Lakes Wine and Spirits as a sales representative. In this role, he manages multiple grocery accounts, represents a diverse portfolio of brands, executes merchandising strategies, builds in-store displays and develops strong client relationships. His long-term goal is to advance into management or a recruiting leadership position, where he can mentor future professionals entering the industry.
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