International student discovers career direction at CWU‑Lynnwood

When Fatikka Rashid arrived at CWU‑Lynnwood two years ago, she immediately felt right at home.

After earning her associate degree at Edmonds College, she had already created a sense of belonging on campus and in the community, which gave her the confidence she needed to continue her higher education journey.

“I decided to go to CWU‑Lynnwood because it offered a smooth transfer from Edmonds College and had the kind of supportive environment I was looking for,” said Rashid, an international student who graduated earlier this month with a degree in business administration and a minor in digital marketing. “It felt like the right place for me to keep growing academically and personally while staying close to home.”

Wanting to explore a possible career in business, Rashid started out in the accounting program. But, over time, the program that truly captured her interest was business administration — specifically, the business analytics specialization.

That newfound interest led her to enroll in CWU-Lynnwood’s inaugural business analytics cohort, and she quickly realized that it was a perfect fit.

“I was looking for a major that felt more specialized and aligned with my interests, and when I heard about business analytics, I knew it was something I’d really enjoy,” Rashid said. “When I came to Washington, I was looking for an opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and this program ended up being exactly what I was looking for.”

Rashid thanked Professors Fang Wang, Sayantani Mukherjee, and Peter Boyle for helping her master key concepts and apply those lessons in practical ways. She also credited Strategic Management Professor Tim Hargrave’s leadership on her capstone project this spring.

“The faculty did a great job of showing us how the course material connects with the outside world, and I feel like I came away with everything I need to know to get started in my career,” she said.

One project that stood out to her was a business analytics simulation that required Rashid and her peers to create and run a makeshift marketing company. The student teams implemented their own sales and production strategies and then used the projected results to determine how their companies would fare in the real world.

Rashid’s team emerged from the competition having gained new insights that will serve them well as professionals.

“The work gave us a valuable perspective about how markets operate, and how sales, production, and other aspects affect the overall outcome of the company,” she said.

Now that she has completed her degree, Rashid is focused on taking the next step in her career by exploring opportunities that will allow her to continue growing both personally and professionally.

“I’m open to new experiences and excited to see where the right opportunity takes me,” she said. “I’m ready to build some hands‑on experience and see how my studies translate into the workplace.”

Among the highlights of her time at Central was serving as a student liaison for the west side centers — a role that allowed her to learn more about the university while helping people like her figure out what they want to do in the future.

“Serving as a liaison was one of the more meaningful parts of my time at CWU,” Rashid said. “I was able to build my communication and leadership skills, while helping other students navigate their academic journeys. I also had an opportunity to give back to the community that supported me throughout my own transfer experience, and it felt good to make others feel welcome as they worked toward achieving their own educational goals.”