By Scott Jackson
For Anusha Bose (’25 Mgmt., Mgmt. Info. Sys., Mktg.), choosing a college came down to more than academics. During a campus tour of WSU, she encountered students, faculty, and staff who seemed genuinely invested in each other’s success. Coming to college as a participant in Washington’s Running Start program, she says she was especially impressed that staff took the time to walk her through the credit transfer process before she even applied. That welcoming energy stayed with her.
“I toured a lot of different universities, but the one thing I really loved about WSU was that everyone just seemed to be there for each other,” Bose says. “There seemed to be a really, really strong community.”
Bose says her time at the Carson College was shaped by involvement in student government, mentorship through Carson programs, and the meaningful support of scholarships that helped her aim even higher.
Finding belonging and building confidence
From the moment she committed to WSU, Bose says she began looking for leadership opportunities. She dove into student government during her first week of classes and was voted in as one of two first-year student delegates for ASWSU. That early leadership role was just the beginning—she soon became involved in the Center for Student Organizations and Leadership, and the Carson College Ambassador program. In April, Bose received the WSU Chancellor’s Award for Leadership, recognizing individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and service to WSU Pullman and the surrounding community, as well as those who support leadership development in WSU Pullman students.
“There were a lot of upperclassmen in ASWSU who really guided me and gave me advice when it comes to being at WSU,” she says. “All of my bosses that I’ve had have all been such great resources—they’ve really been there for me and given great advice.”
Through these roles, Bose applied classroom learning to real-world settings, especially when it came to managing teams. She says the college’s Career Amplifier Program was also a major highlight of her undergraduate experience, with networking nights and résumé guidance standing out as especially impactful. She credits this blend of academic and hands-on learning with helping her build critical leadership skills and confidence.
“Being in class is very important; there’s a lot to learn. However, there are skills you learn outside of the classroom too,” she says. “That’s a huge thing the Amplifier program tries to encourage—to get involved so you can gain skills to take with you into the workforce.”
Scholarships make higher goals possible
Bose says she initially started at the Carson College intending to study finance and entrepreneurship, but upon taking a core class in management information systems, she discovered a newfound passion.
“Ever since my senior year of high school, I have really loved leadership and management,” she says. “Finding out about a major where I get to do management and play a role as the person in between the business and technical side sounded really cool.”
While support from her family helped cover part of her education, scholarships were key in making her goals achievable—especially her next step after graduation. Bose was the beneficiary of the Jaimie Jacobsen Scholarship and another scholarship for her work as a Carson College ambassador.
These awards gave her financial flexibility and made it possible for her to plan for graduate school. She says the impact of scholarships is often underestimated. For her, each award was a meaningful vote of confidence in her abilities.
“As a donor, you are playing a huge role when it comes to students pursuing higher education,” she says. “For me, this has created the opportunity to get my master’s right after undergrad. For other students, it could make the difference between whether they go to university at all.”
Building on momentum after graduation
In the fall of 2025, Bose began her master of supply chain management program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Supply chain dynamics have long been an area of interest for her because of their behind-the-scenes role in keeping operations running efficiently and ensuring customer satisfaction.
As she researched graduate programs, Michigan stood out not just for its academic excellence, but for a community- oriented campus culture that reminded her of WSU.
Following grad school, Bose says her dream is to work as chief operations officer in aviation for a company like Emirates or Singapore Airlines.
Through all her leadership roles and mentorship experiences at WSU, Bose discovered a deep interest in supporting other students. Eventually, she hopes to bring her experience full-circle and help guide the next generation of Cougs.
“Something I found out through my positions here at WSU is I really love students and teaching,” she says. “Once I have been working for a while, and I’ve gained more of those skills, I really want to give back to university students and teach them about the world of operations and supply chain. I want to see them grow and reach their leadership goals.”
