Haworth College of Business celebrates 2024 Presidential Scholars

Opal Eddy of South Haven, Michigan, is an accountancy major with minors in finance and general business. Graduating in spring of 2024, Eddy has been on the dean's list each semester of her college career.

She is a member of the Accounting Club and Delta Sigma Pi, having served as the vice president of chapter operations for Delta Sigma Pi. She has completed two internships with Gordon Food Service and the Kellogg Company. Eddy has also participated in two study abroad trips in Ireland and India. After her graduation, she will be completing an audit internship with Plante Moran at their Denver office before returning to WMU to pursue her Master of Science in Accountancy. She hopes to become a certified public accountant after the conclusion of her studies.

Shanice Tan of Malaysia is an economics in business and business analytics major with a general business minor. Graduating in fall of 2024, Tan has been on the dean’s list and awarded the Diether H. Haenicke Scholarship each year. She has held leadership positions in WMU’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) and is a current member of Beta Sigma Gamma, the Malaysian Student Association, the Indonesian Student Association, Business Analytics and Information Technology organization, and the Data Science Club. Tan’s previous commitment as president of CAB led her to receiving a WMU Golden Bronco Award.

She is a member of the WMU Lee Honors College and defended her honors thesis titled “Clearing the Hurdles—Examining the Development of High-Speed Rail Systems in the United States of America” last winter. Tan has completed an internship with MST Golf in Malaysia and currently works as an undergraduate research assistant and a peer navigator on campus. After graduation, she plans to pursue her career in business analytics.

Presidential Scholar in finance and commercial law

Olivia Bainbridge of Grand Blanc, Michigan, majored in business law with a minor in general business. Bainbridge graduated in the fall of 2023 and was on the dean’s list each semester at WMU. She is a Lee Honors College graduate with over 100 hours of volunteer work and a published undergraduate thesis titled “Is the Fair Use Doctrine a Viable Argument for Generative AI?”

During her time as a student, Bainbridge founded the Business Law Society and was president of the group for two consecutive years. She achieved the Silver Level in the Student Professional Readiness Series and was an active member of the Pre-Law Society. Bainbridge plans to attend law school starting in August to study intellectual property law and artificial intelligence regulation. She hopes to practice at a firm as an associate attorney with the goal of making partner or moving to in-house counsel at a corporation.

Presidential Scholar in management

Haley Jackson of Portage, Michigan, is a human resource management major and a general business minor. Graduating in spring of 2024, Jackson has been on the dean’s list each semester. She has held leadership positions in multiple registered student organizations including the Society for Excellence in Human Resources, the Business Association of Mentors and the Refugee Outreach Collective.

She has traveled with the WMU TechNext team to California, competed in the 2023 MISHRM HR Games, participated in the Business and Culture in Germany study abroad trip, and served as an ambassador for the Western Industry Research and Exploration Discussions. She has received the SHRM Foundation Undergraduate Academic Scholarship, the Kevin J. Klobucar Family Scholarship and the Dr. Kimon Bournazos Award for Human Resources. She has interned with Landscape Forms, Amazon and TechNext. 

Presidential Scholar in marketing

Megan Hansen of Mundelein, Illinois, is a marketing and dance major with a minor in general business. Graduating in the spring of 2024, Hansen has been on the dean’s list each semester of her college career. 

Hansen is active in several registered student organizations and clubs, including the Orchesis Dance Society, 269 Crew and Movement Exchange. She served on the special events committee for the Orchesis Dance Society and held the position of treasurer for Movement Exchange. After graduation, Hansen will be auditioning for various professional contemporary dance companies with hopes of landing in a Chicago-based company. She has multiple dance teaching jobs lined up as she continues to expand her choreography, teaching and leadership skills. In the future, Hansen plans to use her marketing degree to open her own dance studio.

Presidential Scholar in supply chain management

Madison Dober of Lake Orion, Michigan, is a supply chain management major with business analytics and general business minors. Graduating in spring of 2024, Dober is the president of the Supply Chain Management Association and works as a WMU Haworth student ambassador. She participated in the General Motors/Wayne State University Supply Chain Case Competition where her team received first place.

Dober has been recognized for academic excellence with several national scholarships including the Excellence in Education Scholarship from Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education (AWESOME) and the R. Gene Richter Scholarship from the R. Gene and Nancy D. Richter Foundation and the Institute for Supply Management. She has furthered her education with a study abroad negotiation seminar in Germany and interned with multiple companies including Consumers Energy, General Motors and AT&T. Following graduation, Dober will return to AT&T in Dallas, Texas, as a senior sourcing specialist.

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