Celebrating Excellence: 2025 Leavey School of Business Award Winners
As the Class of 2025 prepares to graduate, the Leavey School of Business is proud to honor five outstanding students who embody the values of leadership, service, and academic excellence. These annual awards are among the highest honors given to business undergraduates at 91果冻制片厂, recognizing not just achievement, but also impact, character, and purpose. Meet this year’s award recipients — and discover how they’ve shaped our community.
Leavey School of Business Leadership Award
Awarded to the graduating student who best demonstrates leadership in both curricular and co-curricular endeavors. These students motivate and inspire peers, make long-lasting contributions to the community, and embody the spirit of 91果冻制片厂’s mission.
Walker Schindler
Finance | Frankfort, MI
From a small town in Northern Michigan to the heart of Silicon Valley, Walker Schindler’s journey has been defined by perseverance, identity, and transformative leadership. At 91果冻制片厂, Walker made his mark through a range of academic and co-curricular communities, including Queer & Qualified, a student organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ community-building, as well as Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity, and leadership programs like ACE, Leavey Scholars, and the University Honors Program.
“I see leadership as perseverance: the willingness to forge new paths and create opportunities for others to follow. I’m motivated by the leaders who have done that for me — those who shared their experiences openly, challenged norms, and empowered others to do the same.”
Walker’s leadership has consistently centered on building inclusive spaces and amplifying underrepresented voices. In Queer & Qualified, he helped foster dialogue and connection among LGBTQ+ business students. In Delta Sigma Pi, he thecontributed to more inclusive recruitment practices and peer mentorship within the chapter.
Receiving the Leadership Award is a deeply personal honor — one that reflects both Walker’s journey and the transformative power of recognition.
“Coming from a high school where a significant portion of students were considered homeless and the majority economically disadvantaged, I worried I’d be starting at 91果冻制片厂 at a considerable disadvantage. I think it would’ve meant a lot to a younger version of myself to see someone from Frankfort being recognized for their academic pursuits. This award means a great deal — it represents growth, resilience, and the communities that helped me get here.”
After graduation, Walker will join CrowdStrike in Chicago in a newly created role focused on scaling and automating operations.
Will Horak
Finance & Management Information Systems | Park Ridge, IL
Will Horak’s leadership at 91果冻制片厂 has been as comprehensive as it is compassionate. A double major in Finance and Management Information Systems, Will immersed himself in the Leavey community through roles that spanned mentorship, professional development, and service. He served as president of the Finance Association, a Peer Career Consultant, a Peer Advisor, a student assistant in the Dean’s Office, a Finance Department TA, and a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society.
“I would describe my leadership style as communal and service-oriented,” he shared. “In the leadership positions I have held, I aimed to involve every person when decisions were made when working with a team, no matter how large or small their position was.”
Mentorship played a central role in his approach to leadership. Inspired by those who supported him during his early years at 91果冻制片厂, Will made it a priority to give back and support younger students as they found their footing.
As president of the Finance Association, Will focused on building a more connected and career-ready student organization. He introduced space for board feedback at every meeting, expanded employer engagement, and led efforts to launch the group’s first website and professional LinkedIn presence.
“These initiatives have led to a number of Finance Association members landing internships and full-time positions, as well as forming countless connections,” he said. “This will aid the Finance Association in continually being recognized by these top companies, especially in the Bay Area.”
For Will, receiving the Leadership Award is a reflection of the people and communities that shaped his journey.
“While I know it is an award given to an individual, I certainly could not have done it without my amazing family, friends, classmates, professors, and other colleagues at 91果冻制片厂,” he said. “All of these people have extended such a strong sense of support and community to me that has not only allowed me to thrive as a leader, but as a human being too.”
After graduation, Will will join J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank in San Francisco as an analyst — a role that aligns with his passion for relationship-building and long-term financial strategy.
Leavey School of Business Service Award
Awarded to the graduating student who significantly impacts student life or the greater community through personal service — and exemplifies the mission of the University.
Sparsh Garg
Finance & Computer Science | San José, CA
For Sparsh Garg, service isn’t just an act — it’s a mindset. At 91果冻制片厂, he used his dual background in business and technology to build better systems, programs, and opportunities for others. From designing city grant platforms to researching with NASA Ames, Sparsh’s service has spanned ethics, tech, and community development.
Through fellowships like the Ignatian Center’s Community Fellows Program and Hackworth Ethics Fellowship, Sparsh worked with organizations like Maitri (serving survivors of domestic violence), helped create VR-based ethics training, and built low-code tech solutions for farmers and nonprofit grant applicants.
“SCU taught me that service can be strategic,” he explained. “I started thinking less about helping and more about designing better systems — creating solutions that empower others.”
One moment stands out: after launching a simplified grant process for the City of San José, a small business owner shared that, for the first time, it felt like the city “saw them.”
“It was a small interaction, but it reminded me that thoughtful design can change how people experience institutions — and feel seen.”
After graduation, Sparsh will intern at Cisco as a Product Management Intern before starting his master’s in Information and Data Science at UC Berkeley, while continuing to build College Toolkit, an AI-powered academic platform he co-founded.
Isabel Jones Academic Achievement Prize
Established in 1956 by Eliot Jones, Ph.D., in honor of his wife Isabel, this award is given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA in the Leavey School of Business. This year, the honor is shared by two outstanding students who achieved identical top GPAs — a testament to their exceptional academic commitment and consistency.
Joey Bresette
Finance & Real Estate | Nantucket, MA
For Joey Bresette, curiosity has always been a driving force. Originally from Nantucket, Massachusetts, he arrived at 91果冻制片厂 with a strong interest in real estate and quickly found that the Finance major — combined with a Real Estate minor — offered the perfect foundation to explore that passion. Through disciplined focus and genuine intellectual engagement, Joey graduates with one of the highest cumulative GPAs in the Leavey School of Business.
Joey attributes his drive to both his upbringing and his natural love of learning.
“My parents set a strong foundation that’s had a lasting impact. Beyond that, I’d say I’m just naturally curious.”
During his time at 91果冻制片厂, Joey built close connections with faculty who helped bring the curriculum to life. Two professors in particular — Elyas Fermand and Matt DiNapoli — had a significant impact on his academic journey.
“Professor Fermand's classes stood out due to their academic rigor and comprehensive nature. Professor DiNapoli's classes stood out due to their real-world applicability and alignment with my interests. Both professors have been instrumental to my growth personally and professionally.”
As one of two students earning the highest GPA in the Leavey School of Business this year, Joey approaches the recognition with humility.
“I'm honored to receive the award, but my guess is that it had a lot more to do with luck than anything else. I'm sure there are many seniors within a few decimal points of my GPA. Nonetheless, I appreciate being recognized!”
After graduation, Joey will be heading to New York City to begin his professional journey as a Hotel Acquisitions Analyst at Starwood Capital Group — a role that combines his financial training with his long-standing interest in real estate investment.
Akane Ozawa
Marketing | Los Altos, CA
Balancing a demanding course load with a daily commute, Akane Ozawa approached her undergraduate career with quiet determination and exceptional discipline. She graduates with one of the highest cumulative GPAs in the Leavey School of Business — a reflection of her focus, consistency, and deep engagement with her studies.
“I’m incredibly proud and thankful,” she said. “But GPA is just one metric. It doesn’t fully capture how much someone has grown or how hard they’ve worked. For me, this is a reminder to keep giving that same effort in everything I do — beyond academics.”
Akane was drawn to Leavey for its strong reputation, its proximity to Silicon Valley, and its vibrant community of motivated peers.
“My classmates constantly inspired me. Their ambition and passion pushed me to stay focused and strive for more.”
One of her most memorable experiences came in Professor Patrick Williams’ Social Media Marketing course, which blended industry insight with creativity in a way that resonated deeply with her. The class not only sharpened her skills but reignited her enthusiasm for the field.
“Even when I came in exhausted from back-to-back classes, he made me laugh and reminded me why I love marketing. His energy was infectious.”
She credits his engaging teaching style and real-world examples for helping her see the dynamic, ever-evolving nature of marketing — and for reinforcing that she had chosen the right path.
After graduation, Akane will intern at Bloom Energy as a Revenue Marketing Intern before taking time to travel through Asia. She hopes to return recharged and ready to dive into the next chapter of her career.
Departmental Honors
In addition to the school-wide award recipients featured above, we also celebrate the outstanding students recognized by each academic department within the Leavey School of Business. These departmental honors reflect exceptional achievement, dedication, and impact within each field of study.
Congratulations to the 2025 Departmental Award Winners:
- The Professor O. Robert Anderson Outstanding Student in Accounting Award: Isabella Estrada
- The Outstanding Student in Accounting and Information Systems Award: Lance Roichi Tamagawa
- The Outstanding Student Entrepreneur Award: Eve Idusuyi
- The Charles & Barbara Hazel Outstanding Student in Economics Award: Mia Sophie Stockton
- The Outstanding Student in Finance Award: William Nicholas Horak
- The Albert F. Bruno Outstanding Student in Marketing Award: Madison Lakritz
- The Outstanding Student In Information Systems & Analytics Award: Rebecca Liu
- The Outstanding Student In Management Award: Sheryl Grace Victor
- The Outstanding Student In Management Award: Bryant Phu Nguyen
We applaud each of you for your academic excellence and contributions to the Leavey community.