January 10, 2025

From mentorship to MBA

Alumnus Izaiha Ellis, ’20, began his interdisciplinary journey at the University of Washington with the Honors Program course, “Leadership, Democracy and a More Thoughtful Public.” Each week, he read essays by global politicians and writers, exploring how individual actions shape community dynamics. The course challenged students to consider how their choices impact the support or neglect of others.

Through it, Ellis discovered the interconnectedness of socio-political issues, learning to view them not just historically but through a contemporary lens. The Honors Program helped him ask, “How can I be of service in this world?”

Ellis’ journey to the University of Washington from the East Coast wasn’t easy. As a first-generation student, he faced the college application process with little guidance. What kept him going were his mother’s stories of Seattle’s famous rain and vibrant energy, which made him believe he’d love the city.

When Ellis received the UW Honors Program application prompts, he felt a connection. “I’d never been asked what interdisciplinary thinking meant to me,” he said. For his essay, he imagined how Macbeth might have avoided his downfall had he read Machiavelli.

“It was the first time I could express how different fields intersect and influence one another,” he explained. “I realized that if my classes challenged me to think across boundaries, I’d thrive.”

Interdisciplinary thinking shaped Ellis’ path at the UW, where his passion for storytelling led him to major in English and minor in diversity. Ellis strategically curated his courses, blending subjects like medieval literature with ethnic studies and incorporated different Honors courses to broaden his perspective. For him, it wasn’t just about variety — it was about finding meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated fields and exploring how they intersected to deepen his understanding of the world.

“In my medieval literature class, I wrote about the representation of Blackness in a raceless space,” Ellis said. “Though race wasn’t fully constructed yet, there was still significant anti-Blackness in some medieval texts. I wouldn’t have approached this topic the same way if I hadn’t been looking for connections across my courses.”

Shaping the stories of possibility

Ellis reflected on how his studies shaped his life, questioning whether he merely accepted ideas or actively challenged them to create change. Determined to be a catalyst for transformation, he learned about the Dream Project’s College and Career Readiness Assistant (CCRA) internships, where undergraduates mentor middle and high school students in South Seattle and South King County, guiding them through workforce entry, financial aid and college admissions to plan their futures.

Having already become a resource for family and friends seeking college advice, Ellis wanted to extend his impact beyond his inner circle and make a broader contribution to his new community. He joined the Dream Project, commuting early mornings from campus to Auburn Riverside High School to support students’ educational journeys.

Through his work with the Dream Project, Ellis found that his interdisciplinary background — blending literature, diversity studies and storytelling — was a powerful foundation for mentoring. His academic focus on narrative and identity helped him communicate across differences and proved invaluable in assisting students to navigate complex systems.

As a CCRA, Ellis mentored more than 200 students, helping them explore college options and access the resources he had once lacked. By building strong relationships with teachers and counselors, Ellis collaborated to ensure that students not only had opportunities, but were aware of them — helping them shape their own stories of possibility.

Cultivating tomorrow’s change makers through service

Inspired to continue his work in education and advocacy, Ellis applied for a Teach for America fellowship. The following summer, between his junior and senior years, he worked with education-focused community organizations in McAllen, Texas and Chicago. “It was a wonderful opportunity to explore the education system and the lived realities of students in different areas,” Ellis recalled. “Despite the differences [in the two regions], many underlying themes were common.”

During these experiences, Ellis discovered the power of storytelling — the way we frame and amplify narratives — to drive change and foster understanding. Whether in education, service or even sports, stories connect us to each other’s humanity. “The narratives we amplify shape the outcomes we see,” he says underscoring his commitment to centering diverse perspectives. His interdisciplinary education in the Honors Program further reinforced this insight, teaching him to approach complex issues from multiple angles and apply this broader thinking to drive social change.

His work with the Dream Project deepened this understanding, showing him how storytelling, service and education all draw from a shared sense of humanity. As Ellis mentored students, he saw firsthand how empowering young people with the tools to tell their own stories could transform their futures. These experiences shaped his approach to leadership and solidified his vision for ethical leadership — whether in the classroom, the community or the boardroom.

Building on this conviction, Ellis is now pursuing his graduate studies in marketing at the UW’s Foster School of Business, where he is a scholar in the prestigious Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Next summer, he will intern with Nike’s marketing team, collaborating with an award-winning global team to continue exploring how inclusive storytelling can drive meaningful connections, shape brand strategy and create change.