This page includes some examples of the ways our students engage with the community.
Academic Year 2024-2025
SHRM Superior Merit Award
Gonzaga University’s Society for Human Resource Management chapter was recognized with the Superior Merit Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. This honor, awarded by SHRM, celebrates the chapter’s outstanding achievements in providing meaningful programs, services, and professional development opportunities for its members and HR students. More information is available here.
Beta Alpha Psi Gold Status
Gonzaga University’s Iota Delta Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has achieved Gold status for the 2023-2024 academic year. This prestigious recognition from the international Beta Alpha Psi organization highlights the chapter’s excellence in academic performance, professionalism, and ethical leadership.
New Venture Lab
In the Fall 2024, students in the New Venture Lab are collaborating with 10 entrepreneurs, including two current college students from Gonzaga and Whitworth with new startups, a joint project with the School of Engineering and Computer Science, a non-profit thrift store, and other popular Spokane small businesses. The lab is also excited to welcome several new advisors who will lend their expertise and experience to the student teams.
Economic Development
Mozilo Intern, Jacob McNab, interned with the Northeast Public Development Authority (NEPDA), contributing to economic growth in Spokane. Read Jacob’s reflection on his transformative summer internship, where he worked on impactful economic development projects in the Hillyard area, giving back to the city that has shaped his identity.
Coffee to Careers
On Sept. 26, 2024, Gonzaga’s “Coffee to Careers” program was launched in the Northeast Community Center. The business venture, supported by seed money from Opportunity Northeast, is designed to support workforce development of youth ages 16-24 in the neighborhood. Gonzaga’s involvement in the program included Wolff Fellows in the Center for Community Engagement, New Venture Lab students and School of Business Mozilo interns under the guidance Dr. Danielle Xu, professor and Mozilo Chair of Business Administration. Coffee to Careers will provide career development and support for local residents while creating opportunities for Gonzaga students to apply their skills in real-world settings.
Board of Regents
The Gonzaga University Board of Regents advises the university’s president and senior leadership on academic and administrative matters. The board also works with the Board of Trustees to help implement Gonzaga’s strategic plans and vision. Two business students serve as members of the Board of Regents:
Undergraduate: Miguel Blancas-Alejo
Graduate: Julie Moore
Academic Year 2023-2024
Entrepreneurship Prizes
Three Gonzaga students in the Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship class won $250 at the first phase of the Avista Entrepreneurial Competition in Spring 2024. This is a collaborative startup competition for high school and college students in eastern Washington and northern Idaho held at the University of Eastern Washington.
Collegiate DECA Winner
Business student Jacob McNab won first place in the Restaurant and Food Service Management category at the 2024 Collegiate DECA International Development Conference in Austin, Texas.
Scholarships for Accounting Students
In Spring 2024, 15 students received Washington State Society of CPAs scholarships, tied for the most amongst any higher education institution in the state. Over the years, Gonzaga students have received $109,000 in WSCPA scholarships to support their undergraduate and graduate studies. Another 15 students received firm-sponsored scholarships totalling almost $20,000.
SHRM Students Attend Conference in Boise
In April 2024, six members of the Gonzaga University student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management attended the annual Northwest Human Resource Management Association HR Leaders of Tomorrow conference in Boise, Idaho. The group attended a wide range of sessions on topics such as policy making, listening and compromise, careers, strategy, and disruption. The trip included a visit to Scentsy.
Banking Accelerator
The Investment Banking Accelerator team placed in the top 15 percent and received an invitation to the final round of the National Investment Banking Competition. This is Gonzaga’s first year participating in the National Investment Banking Competition, which is the world’s largest investment banking competition.
Adobe Analytics Challenge
Vy Nguyen, Huong Giang Han and Daisy Le (Team The Insight Trio) competed in the Adobe Analytics Challenge. About 2,000 teams from around the world entered the competition. The Insight Trio is one of 20 semifinalist teams.
Finance Case Win
The “Spike Capital” team won the Association for Corporate Growth Cup finance case competition. This win represents Gonzaga’s first ACG Cup Championship and the first time the cup was won by a team of undergraduate students. Seven teams from top MBA and undergraduate programs in Oregon and Washington competed.
Student Investment Program
Students and faculty participated in the D.A. Davidson Wealth Management Student Investment Program. Gonzaga has regularly maintained a strong student team over the years and has earned the program’s top award three times.
Tutoring
Accounting tutoring provided by Beta Alpha Psi students
Economics tutoring provided by senior economics students
Writing Laboratory provided by graduate assistants
Resume Help in Jepson Lobby
ProReps from Career and Professional Development offer drop-in resume and cover letter help sessions in the lobby of Jepson on Wednesday afternoons. No appointments are required. Students can stop by to meet with a trained student employee to receive assistance. ProReps also are available in Crosby from 10-4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Innovation Dinner
Fourteen students attended a VIP dinner for Gonzaga students with Taylor Black, Principal at Microsoft Incubation Studio, and Al Stephen, CEO at Soovu Labs, as part of the Innovation Collective Story Summit in Coeur D’Alene on Oct. 6, 2023.
Students visit with JPMorgan Chase CEO
Four SBA students and Dean Anderson attended a lunch discussion with Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase in Summer 2023. Dimon was in the Inland Northwest as part of his annual bus tour to Chase Bank branches across the United States. You can read more about this event here.
Students Trek to New York
Gonzaga’s Career and Professional Development offers “Treks” to key metropolitan areas in the country. Treks include career development activities such as job fairs, visits to employers, and networking events with alumni. The SBA participates in all Treks, but plays a special role in the New York Trek where students are selected to go on tracks for Finance or Marketing.
In Fall 2023, 12 students went on the 16th annual finance trek and another 12 students went on the first-ever marketing trek in New York City.
School of Business Administration Podcast
The podcast on G-Suite provides in-depth conversations with Gonzaga School of Business Administration graduates, faculty members, and friends.
Numerica Board of Directors
Gonzaga has several juniors and seniors who have served on the Board of Directors at Numerica Credit Union. The students have the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a financial institution and to network with people in the industry. It is good experience for any business student who is looking for experience in non-profits, community organizations, or servant leadership. To qualify, a student must be a junior-level business or accounting major and be able to commit to two years of service to the Board as a non-voting member.
Avista Entrepreneur Competition 2023
Mateo Valdez (’24) won the third place $7,750 prize in the Avista Entrepreneur Competition for his work developing InternFleet, a newsletter that builds and compiles attainable internships for undergraduate students across the United States.
College Media Business and Advertising Managers Award
Gonzaga student Iain Smith, Class of 2023, won first place for Best Sales and Operations Manager in the College Media Business and Advertising Managers Organization national competition for students who work in college media.
Northwest Entrepreneur Competition 2022
Kody Lukens (’23) and Katrina Wagner (’24) won prizes in the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition in spring 2022. Lukens won the first place $10,000 prize in the Traditional Business Category for Stimagz, a fidget or stimulated toy designed for ADHD and autistic adults. He also won the second-place $3,000 prize in the technology business category for his tech idea of Print4Us, a decentralized affordable 3D printing service. Wagner won the third-place $1,000 prize in the technology business category for TravAll, a travel agency that specializes in providing fully accessible trips for people with physical disabilities.
Bite2Go
The School of Business Administration supports students at Linwood Elementary School who have food insecurity by delivering Bite2Go bags for their weekend meals. The staff and faculty sign up to take bags of kid-friendly food from the Second Harvest Food Bank to the school every Wednesday during the school year. On Fridays, staff members at the school discreetly place the food into the backpacks of students in need.
Opportunity Northeast
Opportunity Northeast is Gonzaga’s place-based initiative, strategically focused on improving outcomes for children, youth and families in Northeast Spokane.