2026 Graduate Hood Recipient and Honorees

Tanya Aghazadeh – Master of Science in Business Analytics – Graduate Hood Recipient

Tanya Aghazadeh is a Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) candidate at San Francisco State University, expected to graduate in May 2026. She demonstrated exceptional academic excellence, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA, and brought a strong interdisciplinary foundation with prior degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering, where she also graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

During her time at SF State, Tanya contributed to the academic community as a Teaching Assistant for Data Mining, supporting students in understanding machine learning techniques, analytical methods, and practical data applications. She also participated in SF State’s “Fun Friday” series, where she delivered presentations to fellow students on navigating the MSBA program and successfully transitioning into the workforce, offering guidance on securing internships and full-time roles.

Tanya developed strong hands-on experience through a variety of analytical projects. Her capstone project, conducted in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, focused on trend analysis and machine learning to generate actionable insights from real-world data. In addition, she worked on machine learning models, customer segmentation, and data visualization and analytical projects using tools such as Python, SQL, Tableau, and Power BI.

Tanya currently works as a Financial Analyst at the Surplus Line Association of California, a role she secured during her final semester, where she applies data analytics and financial analytics to support data-driven financial decision-making.
Her journey reflects resilience, adaptability, and a sustained commitment to excellence. Tanya is passionate about leveraging data analytics to drive strategic decisions and create meaningful business impact.

Prachi Gehlot – Master of Science in Business Analytics

Prachi Gehlot grew up in Rajasthan, India, where for many young women, ambition is gently steered inward, where dreams are measured against tradition, and the path forward is often decided before a girl ever gets to choose it herself. Prachi saw this around her and quietly decided it would not define her. Instead of accepting those invisible ceilings, she used them as motivation, earning an engineering degree, then a Master's in Marketing an Management and ultimately making the bold decision to cross an ocean and build something entirely her own.

Coming to the United States as an international student meant starting over in more ways than one – a new country, a new field, and a new identity as a data professional. Prachi embraced every bit of it. She graduated from SF State's MS in Business Analytics program in December 2025, a milestone that represents not just academic excellence, but years of quiet determination.

At SF State, Prachi's impact reached far beyond coursework. She collaborated directly with Kaiser Permanente on a healthcare policy and enrollment prediction project, applying machine learning models to analyze CMS quality metrics and inform real plan strategy. She also built a fully functioning crime analytics pipeline using live SFPD data, GCP, BigQuery, and Tableau, and competed in the national INFORMS Stakeholder Engagement Data Challenge, delivering data-backed recommendations to improve member retention and satisfaction.

Her professional story shows grit and determination. What began as an internship at F.A.M.E. Health Labs became a full-time role earned entirely on merit. She uncovered 58% cost savings through vendor benchmarking, eliminated a two-day manual reporting process by building a fully automated system that cut reporting time by over 80%, and developed demand projections using time-series modeling to guide inventory planning and vendor strategy.

From a place where ambition in women was often quietly discouraged to the halls of SF State and the world of healthcare analytics, Prachi's journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and proof that boundaries exist only until someone decides to walk through them.

Anna Guo – Master of Science in Accountancy

Anna Guo is a first-generation college student, born and raised in San Francisco, who began her academic journey with little to no background in business. She transformed that initial unfamiliarity into well-rounded knowledge in accounting concepts and principles, determined to build her own success. Anna completed both her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting and Master of Science in Accountancy through the accelerated SF State Scholars (4+1) Program. Graduating summa cum laude, she was also awarded the Academic Excellence Scholarship in recognition of her exceptional grades and dedication to her studies.

While attending SFSU and managing full-time studies, Anna gained practical accounting experience through internships and volunteering at the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site on campus. She explored hands-on accounting and tax preparation skills at a local tax firm and the University’s accounting offices. Anna also committed additional hours to helping low-income families, elderly individuals, and international students navigate tax-related matters through the VITA program. During the years, she built meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues alike, all united by a shared commitment to community service. Anna found that the opportunities she engaged in at SFSU provided an ideal transition from student to working professional in the business world. These experiences helped her refine her interests across different areas of accounting.

Following her graduation, Anna began her career as a Tax Associate based in San Francisco. She specializes in tax planning and advisory services for high-net-worth individuals and a range of business clients. In the near future, Anna plans to pursue her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license as one of the next steps in her professional development.

Quan Nhu Quan – Master of Science in Accounting and Analytics

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in a Chinese family, Quan Nhu Quan witnessed gender inequality from an early age. As an immigrant student, Quan navigated language barriers and the challenges of adapting to a new culture, environment, and academic and professional expectations—experiences that have shaped her resilience, empathy, and deep commitment to service.

Quan actively engaged in a wide range of professional development activities, including the Meet the Firms career exploration event, LinkedIn workshops, job interview preparation workshops, a Morgan Stanley office visit, and a finance lecture with BlackRock. She also served as the MS in Accounting and Analytics student representative and student panelist during new student orientation.

For four years, Quan dedicated significant volunteer hours to the IRS VITA/TCE (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly) programs as a tax preparer, providing free basic tax services to low-income families, individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and those with limited English proficiency. Additionally, she volunteered with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) as a Business Advisor, supporting high school students in their entrepreneurship curriculum. Quan’s community involvement extends to the Charity Cultural Services Center (CCSC), where she served as a tour guide for San Francisco Chinatown and assisted with meal preparation and distribution for low-income, elderly, and homeless individuals.

As a proud Gator, Quan earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at SFSU – earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, graduating Summa Cum Laude and ranking among the top 1.5% of honor students at the University, and her MS in Accounting and Analytics. She was also honored to receive scholarships from the San Francisco Asian Peace Officers Foundation and the Ascend Foundation in partnership with Synchrony Financial.

Joshua Schmidt – Master of Science in Quantitative Economics

Josh Schmidt was born and raised in South San Jose as the oldest of four children. Growing up, he enjoyed playing football and developed a strong commitment to serving others, volunteering at soup kitchens to support vulnerable members of his community. As a first-generation college student, Josh has worked hard to turn that commitment into a career centered in public service.

During his time at San Francisco State University, Josh was a Health Equity Institute Intern and an active member of the Economics Student Association. He also served as a teaching assistant and grader for introductory economics courses, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, and intermediate macroeconomics, under the guidance of faculty in the Lam Family College of Business. In 2025, he worked with Professor Sepideh Modrek on Gendered Divide in Abortion Attitudes: Evidence from U.S. College Students After the 2024 Election, a survey-based study of abortion attitudes.

Josh’s graduate culminating experience project, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Use and Financial Well-Being, completed under the supervision of Professor Venoo Kakar, utilized nationally representative data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making (SHED) to show that BNPL use is strongly associated with revolving credit card debt, difficulty covering emergency expenses, and overspending.

Outside of the University, Josh is a certified scuba diver and has participated in Bay Area chapters of the UCR Alumni Association through community service. Josh currently works as a Crime Analyst for the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms, Armed and Prohibited Persons unit (APPU) where he applies legal and data analysis skills to support efforts to protect Californians from gun violence.

Jianan Shen – Master of Science in Business Analytics

After a seven-year career in finance, Jianan Shen came to the US looking for a new direction. Initially, she thought graduate study was a practical step toward a career transition. Over time, she found herself genuinely engaged in the process of learning new knowledge, supported by a collaborative environment and dedicated professors at SF State. Although Jianan had no prior background in coding, she learned from zero and built a technical foundation step by step and achieved straight A grades.

As a Research Assistant, Jianan led an independent project examining corporate ESG disclosures. By combining AI tools with data analytics, she explored how companies talk about sustainability efforts and whether those narratives align with real-world outcomes. Jianan’s work involved building scalable data pipelines to uncover patterns in corporate behavior and responsible management. Jianan presented her project at the CSU Student Research Competition and joined the LFCoB Pitch Contest. She also presented at the Research & Creative Works Showcase in April 2026 and will present at the Responsible Innovation Conference in Germany in July 2026. Through these opportunities, Jianan has contributed to expanding the visibility of student research at SF State and has brought broader exposure to its academic work.

Before returning to academia, Jianan worked at Goldman Sachs, where she engaged with global institutional investors in equity markets while also participating in community service initiatives, including coastal clean-ups and volunteer work supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities every year.

Jianan’s experience at SF State has reshaped how she views challenges, especially in the context of rapid technological change and an evolving job market. Rather than seeing AI as a source of uncertainty, Jianan sees it as a shift that creates new possibilities. Just as the invention of the automobile replaced horse-drawn carriages, but gave rise to new roles like drivers, technological change does not eliminate opportunity but transforms it.

Jianan has been actively embracing this transition by integrating AI skills, business analytics, and her finance background in her work. Stepping beyond her comfort zone has shown Jianan that past experiences do not limit future direction. Jianan moves forward with curiosity, adaptability, and a long-term commitment to learning.

Neil Sterud III – Master of Business Administration

Neil Sterud III is a dedicated leader and MBA candidate at San Francisco State University who is defined by his commitment to community impact and professional excellence. During his tenure at SFSU, Neil notably brought TEDxSF State to life. As the primary organizer for this event, he coordinated eight speakers and drew hundreds of attendees, an undertaking that required him to spearhead fundraising, manage budgets, and lead a diverse team of volunteers. Beyond this initiative, he served as the Vice President for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) club and shared his professional expertise by guest lecturing undergraduate students on the value of gaining board experience while pursuing a degree.

Neil’s leadership extends well beyond the campus. He currently serves as the Board Treasurer for two nonprofit organizations: Crisis Support Services of Alameda County and Mercy & Grace Ministries. His dedication to these roles is fueled by a deep passion for suicide prevention and a personal faith in Jesus Christ. Simultaneously, Neil has maintained his service in the United States Navy Reserve, successfully balancing military obligations with rigorous academic and professional pursuits.

Professionally, Neil works within the real estate industry with a focus on property management. He intends to leverage his MBA and his years of industry experience to continue growing as a strategic leader in the real estate sector. His academic journey has been marked by significant recognition, including his completion of the President’s Leadership Fellowship Program. He further expanded his technical and civic expertise by earning a certificate from Syracuse University’s Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement, along with two certificates in artificial intelligence.