Lindsay Garza

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

“First-generation Mexicana-Americana, creating firsts guided by curiosity, determination, resilience, and emphatic passion.”

Fun fact about yourself: In the first year I traveled abroad, I traveled nine times, to eight different locations, within four different countries and rode a horse for the first time in Ireland!

Hometown: Federal Way, WA

High School: Thomas Jefferson High School – Auburn, WA

Major: Business Administration – Accounting & Information Systems

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: My favorite Business Course throughout my undergraduate career was I S 320 – Fundamentals of Application Programming with Manoj Parameswaran. While one of the more challenging courses initially, it also proved to be one of the most rewarding. Being one of my first coding experiences I was driven to push myself in not only learning the Python language, but connecting the significance of technology, information systems, and analytics in business to drive insightful data analysis and business intelligence.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Michael G. Foster School of Business – Freshman Direct Admit, 2021
• Edward Feldman Endowed Scholarship Recipient, 2023-2024
• University of Washington Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, 2024
• Shirley Cheramy Endowed Scholarship, Recipient, 2024-2025
• Association of Latino Professionals for America – University of Washington Seattle Chapter (ALPFA UW)
  • Senior Advisor, 2024-2025
  • President, 2023-2024
  • Vice President of Communications, 2022-2023
  • Communications Committee, 2021-2022
  • ALPFA West Regional Student Symposium, Student Committee 2025
• Young Executives of Color (YEOC)
  • Mentor, 2023-2025
  • Alumni Relations Lead, 2023-2024
  • Professional Development Lead, 2024-2025
  • YEOC Seminar Teaching Assistant, Autumn 2023
  • Volunteer, 2021-2023
• Latine Alumni Celebration -– Student Lead & MC – October 2023
• Fostering Inclusive Futures in Accounting (FIFA) – University of Washington Master of Accountancy Department
  • Participant, 2023
  • Volunteer 2024 & 2025
• Hovind Global Leader – Rome, Italy, 2023-2024
• Business Ireland: The Celtic Phoenix Takes Flight Program, 2024
• Undergraduate Women in Business (UWiB) – University of Washington
  • Buddy Mentor, 2023

Where have you interned during your college career?

• University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business – Undergraduate Diversity Services Community Programming and Social Media Intern – Summer 2023
• RSM US LLP – Seattle, WA – Audit Intern – Winter 2024
• Moss Adams LLP – Seattle, WA – Tax Intern – Summer 2024
• Accenture Externship – June 2023

Where will you be working after graduation? Audit Associate – RSM US LLP – Seattle, WA

Who is your favorite business professor? One of my favorite business professors is Dr. Marcus Johnson, who taught my Business Communications course. Dr. Johnson is not only an exceptional educator but also a community leader dedicated to his research and creating tools to support students. He drives discussions not only around course curriculum but also shares his research in technology. He continues to actively participate and attend conventions and seminars, cultivating conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusive education. Dr. Johnson advocates for students from all walks of life, fosters open dialogue, creates tools for success, and encourages students to define their goals through his curriculum. I am grateful to Dr. Johnson for all his invaluable advice.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? One of the biggest lessons that I have gained from studying business is intentionality. Business drives innovation, creativity, and creates a space for prosperity. Through programs, coursework, and connecting with professionals, I’ve learned that the best approach is to lead with intentionality. You learn that the foundation of an exceptional company or individual lies in their mission. This is true whether you aspire to be an entrepreneur or industry leader or work to analyze a company’s success through financial statements, case studies, and research. Business is infinitely integrated, so it is essential to understand tradeoffs, maintain integrity, remember your history, and continue with drive. As you consider pursuing certain opportunities or exploring interests, maintain your intentionality, ask for what you want, and be inquisitive. When you do that, all else will follow.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My advice to a student looking to major in a business-related field is to amplify the spaces you’re in. One lesson I have always carried with me is to make things better than how you’ve found them. Outside of the classroom, my mission has always been to create opportunities, provide guidance, and build bridges for my community. As a first-generation student, I’ve often navigated spaces on my own, learned versatility, and faced challenges. However, I continue to grow and pass on my knowledge to the next generation. From my parents, I have learned the importance of not only seizing opportunities but also elevating others. From the sacrifices they have carried out for my sisters and I, I make it a priority to give back and share my lessons. I believe that this practice will only serve to better our community.

A practice that I have always been determined to continue is to write things down, whether it’s a template, notes, timelines, or tips. I have created guidelines and connected others in the way that I wish I would have been able to receive. That way, I could’ve passed on my knowledge and network to keep the missions going. Whether it’s for student registered organizations (RSOs), work, mentees, or peers, I believe in the power of leading by example.

Amplifying your community and network will drive you to make authentic changes, push you to ask questions, and advocate for the missions you aim to achieve. If you don’t do it, no one else might. Living by this principle helps you to understand your passion and drive, fostering creativity and development for yourself and those around you. Whether this is inside or outside of the classroom, take the risk, ask the questions, and embrace the journey of lessons you will learn. Amplifying the spaces you’re in will not only amplify your own life, it will leave a mark that brings fulfillment and joy.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? While I wouldn’t change what I have done at Foster, I do wish that I had spent more time creating independent content and projects to document the achievements and accomplishments of myself and my peers. I picked up photography four years ago during the pandemic in 2021. While I did have the privilege of capturing incredible moments with my peers, mentors, and programs, I wish I had documented more of the experiences and lessons I learned at the business school, whether it was during fireside chats, workshops, or key community events.

As a lead for the Alumni Relations Committee on LinkedIn through the YEOC program, I had the opportunity to highlight and spotlight student mentors, student speakers, keynote speakers, and additional achievements. This further elevated the stories of trailblazers and showcased how communities uplift one another. I would have enjoyed creating blogs about student achievements, interviewing student leaders and alumni, or even sharing my experiences at Foster through videography.

A mentor, who was once the director for the Undergraduate Diversity Services at Foster, emphasized the significance of history and acknowledging the efforts of those who come before us. If I could go back, I would have wished to document these valuable moments and lessons.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? In my Business Data Analytics class, we’ve integrated the use of AI into building the foundation of R code, allowing us to focus on analysis and inquiry on business performance and hypotheses. Our professor, Kjiel, uses a case approach. This emphasizes AI as a tool to direct focus on the justification, relevance, creativity, technique, and actionability of our work rather than technicality. AI in the classroom has allowed me to develop a better understanding of the broader implications of tech in business to drive innovation and efficiency. At the same time, it has allowed me to use it as a resource to define areas of growth and adaptability.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of my involvement in the ALPFA chapter at Foster. Initially joining my freshman year, I was driven by the connection of culture, academics, professionalism, and opportunity that the chapter offered; I felt empowered at an elevated level to pursue career and academic success. First joining the communication subcommittee, I had the privilege of learning under Jennifer Cisneros, who taught me the foundation of organizations within and in partnership with all areas of business. Later, I took those skills and became the Vice President of Communications, where I led by presenting internship, scholarship, and leadership opportunities to students.

My time on the board, and later as president, allowed me to participate in a multitude of different experiences and bring them back to campus. I define my year of presidency as one of ‘firsts’. We created our first philanthropy mission in partnership with First-Generation Business Leaders, donating over $1,000 to a local non-profit, El Centro De La Raza. We developed and launched our first mentorship program, pairing 12 professionals with 15 students. We finalized the chapters first self-funded $5,000 scholarship for the next academic year, led Foster’s Latine Alumni Celebration as MC’s during Hispanic Heritage Month, and attended the National Convention with 12 UW students for the first time after the pandemic. This year marked additional ‘firsts’, further driving opportunities for growth and connection between ALPFA UW, other university chapters, and our alumni network. This happened through hosting events like the Tri-Campus meeting with all Washington State Chapters, attending the ALPFA West Region Student Symposium at the University of Southern California and the National Convention.

One of my most cherished achievements is the annual Celebration of Latinos at Foster, planned and hosted by the ALPFA UW Chapter. In partnership with chapter sponsors, we host a night to spotlight the achievements of our student members, share chapter milestones, and celebrate our culture through dance and singing performances by students on campus. Our chapter was incredibly humbled to partner with seven sponsors, spotlight over 30 students, showcase three performances, and have over 100 attendees. These marked significant milestones for the chapter while celebrating the incredible work our community continues to do.

While I am proud of my accomplishments and am immensely grateful for all of the opportunities within the chapter, I am incredibly driven by the future generation of students who, despite hardships, are determined to push for greatness. It is the strength of our roots and village that give us the determination to succeed.

Which classmate do you most admire? A classmate that I deeply admire is Citlalli Judith Cruz. Citlalli stands out by embodying poise, intentionality, and ambition in all she does. I’ve looked up to Citlalli since I first met her my freshman year when she was my orientation leader. We immediately connected as she was one year my senior, and already a leader, involved in the two programs, YEOC and ALPFA, I was determined to join.

After seeing Citlalli heavily involved on campus, I had the opportunity to work alongside her in ALPFA as board leaders, YEOC as mentors, and even take a class together. Citlalli is incredibly thoughtful when it comes to community and leading with intention and consideration. She is a driving force behind starting a scholarship for students and providing a strong foundation for club leadership and mentorship. Citlalli certainly sets the standard for excellence and work ethic – qualities I aspire to embody. Her dedication inspires me to not only drive ambition, but to also create opportunities for others along the way. Citlalli has pushed me to elevate myself, whether she knew it at the time or n. These included demonstrating how to lead a student club, introducing me to new connections or faculty during an event, or even sharing tips on how she has worked towards various goals. Citlalli leads by example, and as a first-generation woman, she continues to show others that if you set your mind to something you can accomplish anything.

Citlalli’s resume and experience are certainly exceptional. Despite her many achievements, Citlalli remains humorous, kind, considerate, and compassionate. Citlalli is certainly someone I look up to and have been incredibly thankful to have met and become friends with during my time at Foster.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? To thank for my success and determination, I am always indebted to my parents, Rogelio Jesus Garza Segura Jr. and Rosa Del Carmen Garcia Zamudio, who have always guided me to maintain resilience and kindness. Immigrants from a small village called Juarez in Coahuila, Mexico, my parents came to the States and raised my sisters and I to always be selfless and caring while maintaining a strong work ethic and curiosity. Despite not having the opportunity or resources to attend school beyond the sixth-grade level, my parents left their family, planted roots in Washington, and supported all my dreams, making their daughters aspirations their own.

From my father I’ve learned to be expressive, adventurous, and show unrelenting passion. After suffering a work injury that left him disabled in his right hand, my father became the force and community builder for my family. He taught me all the life lessons he would have passed on to a son, supported me in all the adventures I pursued, understanding the importance of building a diverse skill set. He never failed to show his love and admiration for family, whether near, far, or during challenging times.

From my mother I learned attention to detail, the power of words, and faith. After taking on the role of breadwinner for our home, our family dynamic changed. Despite financial circumstances resulting in our family losing our home, my mother’s faith never wavered. Through her strong will, we persisted towards better circumstances. Through restless nights of making tamales, empanadas, and cakes to make generate another source of income, my mother passed on the lessons of her home, sharing Mexican traditions and demonstrating delicacy and grace. Through these life lessons, I developed an interest in business and came to honor the strength and resilience of the working class.

I owe and will continue to owe all of my success to my parents, for their countless lessons—to stay diligent, be hardworking, and give without reward—have shaped me.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?  I have many goals for my career, which I am excited to dive into. On my long-term professional bucket list, I would love to – in no particular order – expand my career practice to work in Mexico and gain dual-citizenship. This would allow me to serve the two countries that have shaped my identity immensely. Second, I would also like to create an endowed scholarship for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students who I understand work tirelessly for better opportunities but are hindered with the stress and burden of allocating funds to support their education.

What made Lindsay such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Lindsay Garza is an undergraduate senior here at the University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business, where she is majoring in Business Administration, concentrating in Accounting and Information Systems.

I have had the opportunity to observe Lindsay’s campus leadership since meeting her in 2023, where I witnessed her mentorship of underrepresented high school students in the Young Executives of Color (YEOC) program. For the last two years, she has offered academic and professional guidance to the students in this program as they prepare to consider and apply to college. She shared her mission on why this program was important to her, particularly the parallels of identifying with many of her mentees as a first-generation college student.

This past December, Lindsay was one of the YEOC Mentor Leads where I worked with her to develop her mentor lecture and activity sessions on accounting. For over a month, she worked tirelessly with her co-lead and the rest of my team to create an engaging, interactive, and educational session for the high school students. We received plenty of feedback that the concepts were easy to understand, and the scavenger hunt activity was fun to play. The spark of accounting inspiration that she gave to these students was clear at the end of her session.

Lindsay has demonstrated the same leadership in the local ALPFA chapter, where she has served multiple executive board roles and most recently as senior advisor. An area to highlight was her organizing of last year’s Celebration of Latinos at Foster when she was the chapter’s president. She led the chapter in organizing this annual event and just like I witnessed in her leading the YEOC sessions, I’ve seen her present with poise, humility, and utmost professionalism. Lindsay can bring such authenticity to cultural celebrations like these that I felt such joy at being at this event. I was proud to observe her and the rest of the ALPFA executive board secure community and corporate sponsorship, successfully planned the celebration, and promoted it so well that the room was packed.

Lindsay has been able to successfully manage her community leadership as well as dedication to academics, and other extracurricular activities. Lindsay has plenty of academic achievements as demonstrated in her curriculum vitae, including Freshman Direct admittance into UW Foster, being a recipient of multiple scholarships, and being a leader in other areas of Foster, such as the Hovind Global Leader program. Her community involvement in other Undergraduate Diversity Services (UDS) programs shows her willingness to give back to students that share similar backgrounds as her, shining light on her mission-driven spirit.”

Tarah N. Moore
Associate Director, Undergraduate Diversity Services
University of Washington
Michael G. Foster School of Business

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