Meet the 2022 Outstanding Graduates from the College of Business and Economics

More than 60 Western Washington University students and graduates received Outstanding Graduate honors for the 2021-22 academic year.

Faculty members from dozens of academic departments and programs select one graduate to honor as the Outstanding Graduate of the year. Selection is a high honor based on grades, research and writing, service to the campus and community, and promise for the future.

The Outstanding Graduates from the College of Business and Economics include: 

Samuel Britt

Economics

Britt has come a long way since he dropped out of high school early his senior year and didn’t return to school for several years. But at Western he earned a 4.0 GPA even during COVID online learning. “School has not always been a place I excelled,” Britt says. “Five years ago I never would have expected to be here.” During his short time at Western, he helped restart the Political Economy Club and served as their chair. One of the events he organized was a panel on environmental policy. He also excelled in research. He recently submitted his paper "Ghosts of the Federal Reserve: Institutional Rigidity and Inflation Policy” to the Political Science Association Conference. Now he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in macroeconomics with the goal of “making the economy work for people instead of the other way around,” he says. 

Ruby LeClair 

Accounting and Decision Sciences

LeClair went above and beyond her studies with her role as president of Beta Alpha Psi and the Professional Women’s Association of WWU. She also applied her skills to the benefit of the community through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and through her work as an accounting tutor at Hawthorne Learning Solutions. In her decision sciences major she earned the highest GPA in the program and distinguished herself as a leader among 80 peers. She plans to peruse a CPA license and work as an auditor in Seattle.

Keaton Seifert

Management

Seifert is a non-traditional-aged student who first started at Western in 2009. She then worked for several years and attended four more colleges before returning to WWU. She became a leader in her course work, using her past management experience to bring her fellow students together toward a common goal. “I view my fragmented college path as a strength rather than a weakness," she says, "and believe wholeheartedly that I am a more resilient, compassionate, and well-rounded person because of it.” During her time at Western, she completed an audit internship at Larson Gross CPAs and Consultants. She is now networking with a group of alumni to find employment in human resources nearby. 

Abbey Spivey

Marketing

While juggling and acing her courses, Spivey was at the helm of the Student Marketing Association as their president. She said being part of that club was her “favorite part of being at Western.” She also managed social media for Luxe Booth NW, edited content for the WWU Marketing Program, and worked as the social media and marketing assistant at Joy of Pilates. She plans to move to Seattle with the friends she made at Western.

Nancy Stoita

Finance

Stoita stood out as someone with a “zest for learning” and “the willingness and determination to implement what is needed to achieve her goals,” says Professor Sophie Kong. Stoita landed a job at a real estate firm by impressing a class speaker with her zeal for finance and real estate. Now she works as a valuation analyst for Altus Group. “With her work ethics and maturity, I have no doubt that Nancy will have a super-bright future,” Kong says.