2024 Mentorship EDGE Awards
On Friday, May 31st the UW Bothell North Creek Events Center buzzed with excitement as we celebrated the annual Mentorship EDGE awards. The event brought together a vibrant mix of Mentorship EDGE mentees and mentors, prospective students interested in joining the program, UWB staff, and the interim Dean of the School of Business.
Mentorship is the bridge that transforms potential into excellence, guiding us from where we are to where we aspire to be. A mentor is a unique champion, distinct from a parent, boss, or friend, offering expertise, experience, wisdom, and connections to help propel you to new heights and unlock your full potential. At UW Bothell School of Business we aim to provide the opportunity to our students to gain hands on industry guidance from our Mentorship EDGE Program. We are deeply grateful to our community leaders who have volunteered as mentors and we are incredibly proud of all our students who take the initiative to seek a mentor and make the most of every opportunity.
“The Mentorship EDGE Program is an incredible and unique experience for UW Bothell students. I have personally seen how the connection between a mentee and their mentor cultivates confidence, drive, inspiration, and excellence. Working in this program is fulfilling as I get to see the results of these mentorship relationships and hear how students are career-ready, as well as continue their relationship with their mentor beyond their time at UWB.”
Jihan Ali, Mentorship EDGE Program Coordinator
Among the mentee award winners were Gia Kamra (2024 MBA), Zay Arif (2024 Media and Communications Studies), Sumanth Bellam (2025 MBA), Vanessa Lora Garibay (2024 Business Administration with a concentration in Finance & Management), Aivy Ha (2024 Business Administration with a concentration in Finance & Marketing), Sarah Krantz (2024 MBA), Yehyun (Kayla) Park (2024 Business Administration with a concentration in Supply Management, Leadership & Strategic Innovation), Maria Pledger (2025 Business Administration in Marketing and a concentration in Information Systems), Arijeet Singh (2025 Finance), Angie Turcios (2025 Business Administration – Management Information Systems with a Minor in Data Science), and Paige Williams (2024 Business Administration – Leadership & Strategic Innovation).
The mentor award winners included Scott Gleason, Settlement Director for The Energy Authority (TEA), and Mahmood Khadeer, World-Wide Support Engineering Leader at Microsoft. Other noteworthy nominees were Peter Goodwin, Director of Marketing at WCW Shooting Sports; Albert Jalso, Senior Director and Head of US Fixed Income at Russell Investments; Tanu Mutreja, Senior Director of Product Management at New Relic; William Rocca, Associate at Clark Nuber; and Datyous Mahmoudian, Senior Customer Support Specialist at Intrepid by Vital Source.
“Mentorship is the bridge that transforms potential into excellence, guiding us from where we are to where we aspire to be. A mentor is a unique champion, distinct from a parent, boss, or friend, offering expertise, experience, wisdom, and connections to help propel you to new heights and unlock your full potential. We are deeply grateful to our community leaders who have volunteered as Mentorship EDGE mentors, and we warmly welcome more to join us. We are incredibly proud of all our students who take the initiative to seek a mentor and make the most of every opportunity. It is a privilege to congratulate them on their well-deserved success!”
-Elizabeth Prendergast, Mentorship EDGE Coordinator
The event was a testament to the power of mentorship and the incredible achievements it can foster. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this event a success and look forward to many more celebrations of mentorship and excellence in the future!
Written by Riley Ovall, Events and Communications Specialist