Ellensburg newspaper highlights first-gen College of Business graduate

Recent CWU College of Business graduate Miguel Gomez was featured by the Ellensburg Daily Record last week after earning dual degrees in marketing and accounting.

The first-generation college graduate from Yakima, who also minored in entrepreneurship, talked about how going to college helped change his career trajectory.

“When you come to college, the goal is to have a better future than your parents,” he said in the June 11 article, written by reporter Anna Rose. “It’s a blessing to be the first one to break that barrier. And, hopefully, my future generations can come to college as well.”

Gomez went on to explain where his entrepreneurial instincts originated — at home. He is currently helping his parents start a small farming business called Fresh Valley Products, which sells cucumbers, red peppers, pickles and other vegetables, plus some varieties of fruit.

Looking back on his time at Central, Gomez says the opportunities afforded to him came at exactly the right time in his life.

“I arrived in a moment where my soccer career had just ended,” said the La Salle High School graduate who briefly attended Yakima Valley College before transferring to CWU in the fall of 2021. “Due to the pandemic and to an injury, I decided to focus on my education.”

Among Gomez’s most notable successes at Central was founding the student-run business plan competition Cat Tank in 2022. The competition continued to grow in 2023 and 2024 with the help of different student leaders from across campus.

During his time at CWU, Gomez also participated in the Entrepreneurship Club and served as vice president of professional development for ALPFA, an association of Latino professionals. In addition, he served as a peer mentor, a peer academic success coach, and as the student director of a new CWU initiative called Business and Community Services, which focuses on economic development opportunities in small communities.

Now that he has his degrees in hand, Gomez will be working as an auditor for Moss Adams in Yakima. He also plans to continue working with the family farming business.

“There’s always a plan; just keep on working,” he said. “Every single day, there’s some new challenge. Wake up and enjoy it.”