Congratulations, Spring 2026 graduates! Each semester, the Business School recognizes two graduate, two undergraduate, and two First Generation and Multi-Cultural (FaM) graduating students, whose academic performance and contributions to the University have gone above and beyond, breaking down barriers not only for themselves, but also for their fellow students and future Lynx.
Congratulations to the Spring 2026 Outstanding Grad Award winners!
Undergraduates
Tessa Lodewyk
BSBA Risk Management and Insurance & Finance
Tessa Lodewyk jumped into college with both feet, the same week she left the military. She pivoted not only into student life but also into civilian life. Facing challenges navigating social expectations in the classroom, Lodewyk began intentionally seeking ways to step outside her comfort zone, including joining Gamma Iota Sigma, where she would later become Beta Mu Chapter Treasurer and Vice President, and serving on the National Student Advisory Council. Lodewyk has also served as a peer mentor and RMI Student Assistant, giving back by supporting her fellow students.
The day after graduation, Lodewyk will run her first half-marathon, a milestone that to her reflects the hard work she has put into her education. “It reminds me that growth often involves showing up, pushing past discomfort, and moving forward even when the path is uncertain.”
After completing two internships with the company, Lodewyck is excited to continue working with Travelers Insurance as a workers’ compensation claims adjuster after graduation, while also applying to law school to further advocate for those navigating the complex legal and insurance system.
Andy Soumsong
BSBA in Accounting
From the small pond of high school to the ocean of higher academia at CU Denver, Andy Soumsong felt a shifting tide. As a first-generation college student, Soumsong entered the waves of university life without needed mentorship and support. His Intro to Financial Accounting course with Professor Cindy Kennedy provided a north star during the transition. Still, like many students her experienced a common burnout.
Soumsong sought to skip straight to graduation until a scholarship nomination from Kennedy provided not only recognition for his past hard work but also an inspiration to delve back into school wholeheartedly. In the summer of 2025, he completed an audit and tax internship with Plante Moran and served as a student speaker at the 2025 Accounting Advisory Council Meeting.
But just as things were looking up, a new wave threatened to pull Soumsong under. After the unimaginable loss of his home to a house fire, he faced a difficult choice: continue through one of his most difficult semesters without his laptop, notes, or even a stable study place, or drop out. Through determination and resilience, coupled with the support of his professors, Soumsong triumphed over tragedy and finished the semester with straight As.
After graduation, Soumsong will continue pursuing a career as a CPA, completing a second internship at Plante Moran this summer before turning his focus to the CPA exam.
Graduates
James Krzyminski
MBA
James Krzyminski got his start in non-profit and crisis systems, where he saw firsthand how good intentions tended to fall apart when funding disappears or leadership changes. Striving to solve this and looking for more career stability as a single father, Kryzminski enrolled at the Business School to pursue an MBA.
During his time as an MBA student, Kryzminski’s career took immense strides, including a promotion and a role with the City and County of Denver. Now, he works independently as a consultant, supporting local businesses like community gardens, small law firms, and animal rescues, through countless obstacles, helping ensure their growth and long-term viability.
Kryzminski’s time as a student also afforded him more opportunities to bond with his son, who was a few months old when the program began. As his son grew older, Krzyminski had the ultimate study buddy, and the two enjoyed many nights learning together. Outside of work, he enjoys gardening, volunteering, and helping his son develop his own business plans.
Akshit Bhatia
MBA in Health Administration
Dr. Akshit Bhatia’s experience as a frontline clinician during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of well-organized administration. Curious about healthcare operations and the inefficiencies found within, he wanted to create impact beyond individual patient interactions. Dr. Bhatia found the path forward by enrolling in the MBA in Health Care Administration at CU Denver Business School.
One area of focus for Dr. Bhatia is the Vision 2020 program, which aims to improve access to eye care for often underserved communities. His work with the program further cemented the idea that addressing barriers to access is key to fighting inequities found within the health care system.
While working as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Health Administration Research Consortium (HARC), Dr. Bhatia has delved deep into research surrounding the impacts of new technologies on the delivery of services in healthcare, and how those impacts can be harnessed to provide “more effective, more ethical, and more humane patient care.”
“I’m passionate about servant leadership and building healthcare systems that are both efficient and patient-centered. After graduation, I’m looking to step into healthcare operations and leadership roles where I can contribute to meaningful, scalable improvements in care delivery.”
First Generation and Multicultural (FaM) Awards
Andrea Olvera
BS Finance
FaM Outstanding Excellence Award
Andrea Olvera faced a unique challenge when she first started her degree program: the 3-hour cross-border commute from Tijuana to San Diego. Although her curiosity and dedication to learning kept her buoyant for a while, she eventually stepped back from academia. She pursued work as an audiovisual technician before the long commute became unsustainable. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Olvera packed everything into her car and moved to Telluride, Colorado. She stayed for two years and worked a variety of jobs before expanding her horizons and exploring a budding interest in personal finance and investments.
“I thought, if I had already had the perseverance to cross the border every day and study for over six and a half years, I could go back to school for a few more years and finish my bachelor’s degree. But me, as a 30-year-old? What if I was not able to study as before? How would I afford school?”
Putting her fears aside, Olvera moved to Denver and, after one year at CCD, enrolled at CU Denver Business School.
Now, Olvera lived 8 minutes from campus, and she took advantage of every opportunity that came her way, including joining FaM, participating in workshops, working as a teacher’s assistant, and playing on the intramural basketball team, where she competed in the final at Ball Arena. Currently, Olvera works as a Treasury Intern for Frontier Airlines.
“I am a first-generation student, and it took me fourteen years to earn my bachelor’s degree. I am proud of the perseverance and courage it represents.”
Angel Lupian-Alvarez
BSBA Accounting & Finance Minor
FaM Outstanding Community Impact Award
When starting college, Angel Lupian-Alvarez sat alone, both metaphorically and literally. Alone at an event, Lupian-Alvarez joined FaM directors Nimol Hen and Dominque Maes. After weeks of uncertainty, their conversation was a breath of fresh air, but it was at Lupain-Alvarez’s second event that something transformative happened: Hen remembered his name.
“I know how simple that sounds. I know how enormous it was. To be known by name in a place where you have not yet learned to belong tells you something you did not know you needed to hear: that you are not invisible.”
Inspired by Hen and the support she provided him, Lupian-Alvarez now serves as a lighthouse for students navigating the sea of uncertainty he himself once chartered. As a TRIO Student Support Services peer mentor, he has helped students, including his own brother, find a community that hears their stories, an act so simple yet impactful.
In addition to the Community Impact Award, Lupian-Alvarez also qualified for the FaM Outstanding Academic Excellence Award.
