Shadi Farsi, Business Administration

Shadi Farsi has had a mind for business from an early age. A natural entrepreneur, she started investing when she was 16, opened a retirement account when she was 18 and launched her first business at 19.

After Shadi’s parents divorced when she was 14, she had watched how hard her mom worked in housekeeping positions to make ends meet, and she was determined to become financially secure herself.

When Shadi became a mom in 2014, having a son brought her goals into sharp focus. First was education. Living with her mom helped with  expenses, and the CSUSM Temecula Campus was her first—and only—application because the campus location enabled her to balance life as a student and single mother. Her program of choice? Business, of course.

“I knew that I wanted to be able to provide for Leo and be the best role model possible for him, so I decided to go back to school,” Shadi says.“I knew I was going to work really hard. I thrive on getting good grades.”

Shadi’s prudent financial sense has provided stability as she works toward her bachelor’s degree, but she saw many single mothers around her struggling. Her entrepreneurial drive kicked in and in 2018 she launched the Bright Mothers nonprofit organization (brightmothers.org), which raises scholarship funds for single mothers in financial need.

“I understand the level of commitment required to pursue a degree while being a parent,” she says. “This is not an easy task. Many mothers in my situation have the additional stress of financial insecurity. I want to make higher education more available for those mothers who cannot afford it.”

Bright Mothers has raised more than $10,000 from company partners and individual donors, and Shadi continues to raise funds with events such as a local 5-K run. The organization established a scholarship at Cal State San Marcos in the fall of 2018 for a single parent studying business administration who demonstrates financial need. To date, the organization has established seven scholarships at colleges throughout Southern California.

Now a senior, Shadi is nearing the completion of her BS in Business Administration, and she is considering either an MBA or jumping directly into the business world as her next step. But most important to her are the lessons she hopes she is passing onto her son, Leo.

“I hope he has a thirst for learning and that he knows he is capable of doing whatever he wants,” she says. “I want him to work hard and enjoy the journey.”