Incoming Class Autumn 2013

AMRO ABU HALLWAH asah@uw.edu

Pharmacy Manger, Fred Meyer Pharmacy BSc. Pharmacy Philadelphia University, Jordan

I am a father and a husband. I have a great interest in politics and world views. In my free time I enjoy nothing more than playing with my twin boys and spending time with my family. Looking forward to starting my MBA where I will learn from each one of my professors and classmates and hopefully I can share some of my experiences as well.

JASON ATHERTON JRA721@uw.edu

North America Marketing & Telesales Manager at KOMPAN Playgrounds

BA Business Administration from UW Tacoma

I just had two babies! Well I didn’t - my wife did; she did all the hard work. Oliver (age 1) and Eleanor (age 2) keep us extremely busy. They are super active and love to climb everything! Coincidentally, I work for a playground company, so they are happy kids. Some things I like (in no particular order): my family and friends, golf, musical theater (who doesn’t!), specialty coffee, travel, literature, RISK!, yoga and meditation, concerts, rock climbing, snowboarding, cooking, and pivot tables (of course).

SARAH BARNES

sarah253@uw.edu

Quality Assurance Analyst, Bremerton Housing Authority

BA in Workforce and Educational Development, Southern Illinois University

My favorite thing to do is spend time with family and friends. I also enjoy playing sports; particularly softball, bowling and tennis. I’ve been on the same co-ed softball team since I graduated high school. I call my teammates my baseball family. I play 3

rd base and left center.

When I’m not playing sports, I enjoy watching sports. I love football season and the Seahawks are my number one team. Here’s hoping for a great season! I watch a lot of Mariner’s games as well, and enjoy watching them live at Safeco Field. Hiking is my preferred outdoor activity. I appreciate living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest which offers countless hiking opportunities. Mount Rainier and Chambers Bay are two of my favorite places to hike. I also enjoy baking, although I don’t do it often because I am diligent about eating healthy on a regular basis. I’m looking forward to starting the MBA program and the next chapter of my life.

NICOLE FERRIN ferrin@uw.edu

Financial Planning & Investor Relations Analyst The Boeing Company

BA Business Administration, Accounting Pacific Lutheran University

I enjoy spending time with my wonderful family and friends watching Seattle sports (Mariners, Seahawks, & Huskies), playing games and trivia, and chatting over a good meal. When I have time to myself, I like to bake (especially cupcakes), go shopping, catch up on

celebrity gossip, or just relax at home.

I also enjoy boating during the summer and skiing during the winter. I love working for Boeing and am excited to see where my career goes with the company, especially with the additional knowledge and skills I will obtain from the MBA program!

Incoming Class Autumn 2013

SAMANTHA GRILLO

sgrillo@uw.edu B.S. Broadcast Journalism from California Polytechnic State University Originally from Monterey California, I spent the last two years in Portland Oregon, and just relocated to Olympia Washington in August 2013. I am recently engaged, and my fiancé and I are having fun exploring everything Washington has to offer. We try to get down to California to see family and friends whenever we get a chance, but are really enjoying the Pacific Northwest! I love being outdoors; hiking, jogging, the beach, and taking our little black lab to swim. When I'm not outside, I enjoy reading, writing, traveling, fashion, shopping, watching sports (basketball and football), home decor, wedding planning, cooking, and great coffee. I am looking forward to working towards my MBA, and hope to land a new job in Marketing in the near

JANICE HA jha89@uw.edu

Project Coordinator Place of Employment: Concept Systems Bachelors of Arts University of Washington During my spare time I enjoy kick boxing and cooking. I have been doing kick boxing for a little over a year just for fun. As for cooking I wouldn’t say I’m great in the kitchen, but I really do enjoy learning new recipes and sharing my dishes with friends and family.

JEFF HARASIMOWITZ jehara@uw.edu

Ocean Export Coordinator, DHL Global Forwarding BBA, Marketing, The College of William and Mary

I am a Connecticut transplant who has fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. I like to hike, fish, and float rivers during the summer. I served for ten years in the U.S. Army and stayed in Tacoma after my commitment. I served a short while as a manager with the Union Pacific Railroad, but felt the need to go back and further my education. I currently live in Tacoma with my fiancé and German Shepard. We enjoy everything the area has to offer and having weekend adventures in our new camper.

MERIDITH HATCH mshatch@uw.edu

Development and Outreach Professional

B.A. in IAS Global Studies, Nonprofit

Management and Hispanic Studies minors, Public Policy certificate

University of Washington Tacoma A.A.S. Tacoma Community College

My family is everything to me. You'll find us in

the yard, singing with the choir, working in Scouting, riding bikes, maybe even cutting a rug when we catch a riff of swing music. On

my own I read voraciously, enjoy cooking and baking for special diets, and have a soft spot

in my heart for my dad and all things Brazilian.

If my kids' world is to be a little bit better, I need to do my part to make it happen. I

believe we are all powerful people who can influence the world around us-- be it in our

city, state, on our street and in our own home. When we find what matters to us and put our hearts and minds to it, we make good

things happen. President John Adams once wrote to his son

that "all the end of study is to make you a good man and a useful citizen." I strive to be

that good woman and useful citizen.

Incoming Class Autumn 2013

JOE JINJIKA jjinjika@uw.edu

Financial Analyst, Revenue Valuation DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Accounting from UWT and joined a national accounting firm, soon after, where I did a short stint as a auditor. I currently work at DaVita, as a Financial Analyst on the Revenue Valuation team. Prior to joining this team, I was on the Corporate Strategic Initiatives team. Outside of work, I enjoyed spending some time with my family and going on long bike rides. I also enjoy politics, Wall Street, and computer programming (VBA, SQL, and XBRL).

MATTHEW JONES jonesmm@uw.edu

Major Gifts Officer, Foundations of MultiCare BA English, University of Puget Sound

I've been in Tacoma since 2001, and currently live downtown with my wife Mary (a teacher at Clover Park High School) and our dog Barley. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound, I began my non-profit career. I've worked at the Tacoma Art Museum, Bellarmine Preparatory School, the Point Defiance Zoo Society, and now for the Foundations of MultiCare where I raise funds for the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. In my free-time, I sit on the City of Tacoma’s Central Neighbourhood Council, am a board-member for the South Sound’s chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and am an avid, though not particularly talented or quick, fair-weather runner.

MARK MANNING markm15@uw.edu

BRAD MEYER brad80@uw.edu

Incoming Class Autumn 2013

DOUG STODDARD dougrst@uw.edu

Incoming Class Winter 2014

FARID BAGHIROV FARIDB@UW.EDU

Processing Lead, Sterling Reference Laboratories B.S. Engineering Management Azerbaijan University of Technology (Ganja, Azerbaijan)

My wife and I just had a baby girl this year. I love spending time with her and watching her grow. I’ve been married for four and a half years, and met my wife while she was in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan (my home country). I moved back to the US with her three years ago, and I like the outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. In my free time, I like to bike and travel. I speak four languages fluently. While in Azerbaijan, I served in the Army of the Republic of Azerbaijan, worked as a personal translator for the Cultural Affairs Officer for the United States Embassy, and provided translation/language services to USAID projects, FINCA and the United States Peace Corps. I am currently one of the Lead Processing Technicians at Sterling Reference Laboratories, a high volume Toxicology lab. I am excited to share my knowledge and learn from others through this program.

GRACE CAMBRA

GCAMBRA@UW.EDU

JOSH CLEARMAN

ELIZABETH (LIZZY) DROWN EADROWN@UW.EDU

Distribution Manager, Pepsi Beverages Company –

Seattle WA Bachelors of Economics and Business Admin,

University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)

Originally from Seattle, I moved back to the Pacific Northwest after a few years in school in Southern California reminded me why I loved Washington. I’ve spent the last 7 years in retail distribution, first with the Target Corporation in an import distribution center and most recently with Pepsi. Pepsi has afforded me great opportunities, both in distribution and customer-facing, of an ever-changing retail climate. I am looking forward to starting the MBA program and this next chapter in my professional development. I currently live in Tacoma with my husband Bobby (a trainer for Franciscan Health) and our Collie dog, Annie. She looks like Lassie – unfortunately for her hero-dog future, she’s not overly concerned about the whereabouts or safety of anybody but me. In my free time, I like working on our yard or on DIY home projects, playing volleyball or soccer, cook, and travel. Bobby and I have season tickets to the Seattle Sounders – there is nothing better than the match-day atmosphere at the stadium. I also love to water ski, and spend as much time as possible in the summer months on the water at American Lake.

Incoming Class Winter 2014

BEN FLORES

BEF2@UW.EDU

Design Engineer Hexcel Corporation B.S. Industrial Technology Western Washington University I am a born and bred west side Washingtonian. I was born and raised in Vancouver, received my undergrad in Bellingham, and have lived the south sound for nearly 4 years. Oddly I’ve never lived more than about 3 miles from I-5 (it’s like a second home to me). My wife and I love Tacoma and recently purchased a home here. We have two adorable babies (dogs actually) Coco and Spartacus, an Australian shepherd mix and a Shih Tzu respectively. In my free time I like to eat/drink with friends and family, cook, draw, read (comic books and computer programming textbooks) listen to public radio and watch movies / TV shows (which are a real treat since we ditched cable TV a few years ago). I haven’t had much time to explore the outdoors around here but I plan on kayaking, clamming, and hiking in the future.

CODY HARGROVE CBH3@UW.EDU

Pulp Machine/Finishing Superintendent Cosmo Specialty Fibers Inc. BS Paper Science & Engineering University of Washington-Seattle My wife, my two children, and I live in “sunny” Montesano, WA. My life essentially revolves around work and family, with a little time allotted for drinking a beer and watching a ball game. Over the last decade, I’ve worked in the chemical and pulp & paper industries. Most of that time has been spent with plants in Washington, with brief stints in Texas and Wisconsin. With an engineering degree from UW and a career background in manufacturing, process improvement, and operations management, I’m planning to use the Milgard MBA to grow as a manager and businessman in an effort to move into more senior management and executive positions within the manufacturing field.

PATRICK MILES PMILES@UW.EDU

Business Analyst, Evergreens Program DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc BABA, University of Washington Tacoma I got a late start on my college career and it would appear as though I am making up for lost time. June of 2013 I graduated from UWT with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration emphasizing Management and Marketing courses, as well as earning a Minor in Economics. I am now working for a great company and I am in an 18 month leadership training program designed to give me exposure to many departments and to learn how these departments interact with one another. If it wasn’t for DaVita, I probably wouldn’t be able to start my MBA so soon after my BA. While attending UWT I interned with First Night Tacoma. After my internship was finished I was asked to stay on with the board. 2013-14 will be my second New Year’s celebration with the board, and I am excited to have an opportunity to help put something of this nature together for the community. I live in Tacoma with my wife and children. In my limited spare time I like to play games (board, card, dice, video, etc . . .) with my friends and family. During the sunny months I spend a lot of time at the local parks with my son where we ride our bikes and play together.

LAURA MOCHINSKI LBM8@UW.EDU

Incoming Class Winter 2014

WUMI O PETERS OLAWUO@UW.EDU

B.Ed Speech Language Pathology,

University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

After moving to the US in 2009, I worked for Portland community college (steps to success unit) as a career specialist and then I moved to Washington state in 2011 with my husband Yomi ( who works as Quality& Safety manager for KIK custom Products- Tacoma) and my two boys. I am currently a speech language pathologist with Soliant health, I love challenges/trying new things and this explains my change or shift towards getting my MBA. In my spare time I enjoy going to the movies with my family and also touring different countries.

MARCUS PERRY

PERRYM5@UW.EDU

PACCAR Inc., Breakdown/warranty specialist PACCAR Customer Center, Renton

Parts Division. B.A. Communications, Western Washington

University

My Interests include fishing, riding motorcycles, boating, Seahawks, and above all spending time with my family. Pursuing, and attaining my MBA will open many doors in my current organization, and I aspire to break into Materials Management and/or Product Marketing.

JILLIAN RUSHING

JRUSH82@UW.EDU Sr. Business (Systems) Analyst, World Vision U.S. B.Sc. Information Technology, Emphasis in Web Development, Kaplan University

I am a Sr. Analyst for World Vision U.S., a Christian humanitarian organization which seeks to solve the root causes of poverty and injustice around the world. I support the major gift fundraisers by serving on the team which manages their CRM through activities like system enhancements, analytics and end-user training. I began my career at World Vision 6 years ago as a CSS/HTML website design/developer. I pride myself in bridging the gaps between technology and business, often being the liaison between technical developers and business professionals.

I am a very proud mom of two great kids, Haileigh (11) and Noah (10) who are both athletes and academics. We have a Great Dane named Meiko who is almost 3 years old. We are excited to see him leave the puppy years. We can often be found repainting our rooms, removing and adding new flooring, resurfacing furniture and sprucing up the lawn - we are relatively new home owners! Other things we like to do as a family are take our dog for walks, watch movies, sing karaoke, enjoy music, family game nights, Seahawk's game days, reading and studying.