Business Matters

The bright future that Alina Matsumoto, a double major in interior design and sustainability, complemented by a minor in marketing, has aligned for herself is within grasp, and in the coming days she’ll know if she’s achieved her two degrees with the extra helping of panache she so seeks.

One of Matsumoto’s proudest achievements is the anticipation of graduating college with a 4.0, a feat she never expected to accomplish. 

“I think I am most proud of the fact that I will – hopefully – be graduating college with a cumulative 4.0 GPA,” she said. “I never expected to be able to do this, but I’ve managed to stay on top of school while still having the best college experience.”

This achievement is a testament to Matsumoto’s ability to find balance amid challenges, both personally and academically, and still stay on top of schoolwork while fully embracing the college experience. 

Upon graduation, Matsumoto will be returning to Seattle to continue with Mackenzie Inc., an interdisciplinary design firm with a portfolio running from community infrastructure to multifamily real estate. But this time as a hire. Her association with Mackenzie began with a summer internship, which extended into her final year of college. 

“I was fortunate enough to get an internship with Mackenzie between junior and senior year and was offered an internship extension for my senior year of college,” Matsumoto said. “I’ve loved interning for them especially because I first attended a panel led by [Associate Principal and Department Head, Interiors] Morgan Toth and learned about Mackenzie at the beginning of my junior year.”

It’s a lot to accomplish, double degrees and a prestigious internship that led to a job, and to achieve it with 4.0 perfection, but Matsumoto also faced personal tragedy.

“My biggest challenge was pushing forward during some really tough times in my personal life,” she said. “Sophomore year, I lost my mom to breast cancer, and I never thought I would be dealing with such a loss before having moved onto my ‘adult life.’”

Despite this loss, Matsumoto found strength in the support of her family and friends, who constantly reminded her of her resilience and capability to move forward.

“College is not easy, and the experience is different for everyone,” she said. “I definitely caught myself comparing my experience and abilities to other students. We all navigate life in our own ways, and the path we take to success is supposed to be unique.”

Matsumoto describes the biggest takeaway from college has been the importance of time management and the art of balancing her schedule. She planned diversity into her course load each term, mixing design, marketing and sustainability classes as well as baccalaureate core courses to prevent burnout from focusing on a single subject. Her approach to time management extended beyond academics, ensuring a balance between school, work, and social life. She prioritized completing school work early to enjoy stress-free time with friends.

“A lot of people assume time management means spending every hour doing school work, but for me, I made sure to complete school work early so that I could enjoy time with friends stress free.”