Business students recognized for academic excellence and leadership

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Twenty-five students from Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business were recognized the end of March as part of the fourth annual Trailblazer Student Recognition program, including senior MacKenzie King, of Vicksburg, who was named Trailblazer of the Year.

“The Trailblazers recognizes students who demonstrate dedication to academics, community, professional development and leadership,” says Dr. Satish Deshpande, dean of the Haworth College of Business, of the event March 28. “This group of students is just that—dedicated to the many communities they’re involved in and committed to all of the facets of their academic and co-curricular experience.”

MacKenzie King

A Lee Honors College student majoring in management and biological sciences, King is an active member of the WMU campus and surrounding communities, currently serving as both a WMU neurobiology research assistant and a lead researcher for Refugee Outreach Kalamazoo. King has published research and has presented at the 2017 Michigan Society for Neuroscience Conference. She has been recognized as the Department of Management 2018 Presidential Scholar and is the recipient of numerous scholarships from the Haworth College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. Future plans involve presenting her research in neurobiology at the 49th annual Michigan Society for Neuroscience with Dr. John Jellies, WMU professor of biological sciences, and attending the Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan, to learn Arabic.

“Being honored as a Trailblazer by the Haworth College of Business threw me into deep contemplation about the importance of innovative, risky ideas,” says King “It solidified my understanding of the college’s commitment to free thinkers. It showed me something truly beautiful, that interdisciplinary ideas—even reaching beyond the realm of business—are welcomed and appreciated by faculty, staff and students alike. This is not normally the case, but the Haworth College of Business is not your normal business school.”

The Finalists

The program is application-based, and a panel of college faculty and staff chooses the finalists.

WMU Trailblazer Student Recognition program—2018 finalists

The following students were selected as finalists for the 2017-18 academic year.

• Julia Avery, a junior human resource management major from Battle Creek.
• Kimberly Campbell, a senior marketing major from Burlington, Kentucky.
• Lauren Carroll, a senior food and consumer package goods marketing and integrated supply management major from Novi.
• Mason Day, a junior accountancy major from Eagle.
• Jake DeJulio, a senior food and consumer package goods marketing major from Overland Park, Kansas.
• Jacob Elwell, a junior management and sales and business marketing major from South Lyon.
• Nathan Falzon, a senior advertising and promotion major from Livonia.
• Joy Goldschmidt, a junior integrated supply management major from Troy.
• Alex Gutierrez-Spencer, a junior advertising and promotion major from Kalamazoo.
• Karlee Hancock, a senior food and consumer package goods marketing major from East Leroy.
• Larkin Hubert, a junior human resource management major from Bay City.
• Daniel Israel, a junior integrated supply management major from Fort Gratiot.
• Timothy Johnson, a senior management major from Kalamazoo.
• MacKenzie King, a senior management and biological sciences major from Vicksburg.
• Tracy Kuhle, a senior marketing and Spanish major from Decatur, Illinois.
• Alexis Lenderman, a senior entrepreneurship and global and international studies major from Kalamazoo.
• Samantha McGrath, a sophomore food and consumer package goods marketing student from Canton.
• Megan Miller, a sophomore management and marketing student from Lake Orion.
• Edward Mulford, a senior integrated supply management major from Freeland.
• Lauren Nowakowski, a junior management and sales and business marketing major from Granger, Indiana.
• Margaret Scannell, a junior management major from Grand Rapids.
• Jack Szott, a junior accountancy major from Naperville, Illinois.
• Nate Timmons, a senior finance major from Kalamazoo.
• Brittney Wojcik, a senior marketing major from Palatine, Illinois.
• Laurel Wright, a junior sales and business marketing major from Kalamazoo.

For more information, visit the WMU Trailblazer Student Recognition program online or contact Alyssa Benson, marketing specialist for the Haworth College of Business, at (269) 387-5964 or alyssa.benson@wmich.edu.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.