One First-Gen Student’s Journey to the Carlson School

For Goomaral “Marla” Bat-Ulzii, ’25 BSB, attending the Carlson School is about more than earning a business degree. It’s about realizing a dream for both herself and her family by becoming a first-generation college student.

“Being first-gen elevates life,” says Bat-Ulzii, who moved from Mongolia to the United States to become the first person in her family with a college degree. “I know I can be the one who actually brings the change. The reason I’m pursuing this higher education is not just because I want to study, but also because I have to make a change in my whole life and family. My mom, my older sister, and I, we are putting everything into this.”

When Bat-Ulzii was growing up in Mongolia, her mother worked hard to send her to a private school where she could learn English. “As a single parent, that was the best she could do,” Bat-Ulzii says.

It wasn’t easy. After graduating from high school in 2017, Bat-Ulzii wanted to go to college and study abroad—but she didn’t know how she would pay for it. Not only was the cost of school daunting, but the standardized tests required to study in the United States were expensive and challenging, too.

“So, I decided to take a gap year to work and prepare,” she says.

Overcoming Barriers and Pandemic Delays

Because no one in Bat-Ulzii’s family had been to college before, she was largely on her own in navigating the process. Still, her mother and sister encouraged her along the way. Bat-Ulzii took a job as a tour guide in Mongolia, where she could learn more English and meet people from all over the world. Plus, it paid more than most other part-time jobs. Slowly, she saved money for her future.

As Bat-Ulzii worked and studied for her standardized tests, it became clear that she needed more time. One gap year became two.

Meanwhile, she met her now-husband, whose family got an opportunity to move from Mongolia to Minnesota. When Bat-Ulzii was ready and able to become an international student in the United States, she would join them.

In late 2019, Bat-Ulzii was accepted to Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“Then the pandemic happened, and my country closed its borders,” she says. “Because Mongolia borders China—and at that time, China was in a very critical situation—we were extra cautious. It delayed my education two more years.”

Finally, in 2021, Bat-Ulzii moved to Minnesota and started her associate degree with an emphasis in economics at Normandale. Not long after she arrived, she set her sights on the Carlson School.

“I always wanted to study business, and the best in Minnesota is Carlson. I didn’t even think about any other colleges,” she says. “When I was at Normandale, I was taking prerequisite classes to transfer here.”

Life at Carlson

After earning her associate degree, Bat-Ulzii started in Fall 2023 at the Carlson School, where she immersed herself in campus life, academics, and more. Bat-Ulzii works as a student ambassador and as a front desk assistant in the Maroon and Gold Lobby. Pursuing an Accounting major with a Business Analytics co-major, she’s taking as many credits as she can handle. This past summer, she interned at Deloitte, where she applied her classroom lessons to real-world projects.

Bat-Ulzii describes herself as “always working or studying.” To get through it all, she leans on friends from her classes and her academic advisor, Anny Lin. “The people support is very important,” Bat-Ulzii says. “I’m very thankful, especially when my friends and I are taking all these heavy classes together.”

As a first-generation college student, she adds that the support she’s received at the Carlson School feels even more crucial.

“Before I got here, no one had even told me how to make a good resume,” Bat-Ulzii says. “At Carlson, I learned what recruiters and companies are looking for, and I learned networking skills, too. In my family, no one can tell me about that because they don’t know.”

Looking Forward

As Bat-Ulzii reflects on her journey, she credits her mother and older sister for encouraging her to pursue a college education. And now, Bat-Ulzii looks forward to offering her younger family members the first-hand guidance she never had.

“My older sister has young kids, and I’m so excited for them,” she says. “They can be better than me because I did the trial and error in getting my education, so I can tell them what to avoid or what to focus on more.”

After she graduates, Bat-Ulzii hopes to get a job in Minnesota so she can stay near her husband’s family and develop her career. But someday, she thinks she’d like to return to Mongolia.

“I want to see how far I can go in my profession here in the United States. I would like to see if I can make it to become a higher manager or even a director,” she says. “But I have this urge to go home and contribute to my society, too. In Mongolia, life is not easy. But, as in any developing country, there are so many opportunities to start something new, and I think that’s exciting.”

No matter where she goes, Bat-Ulzii says she feels empowered by her experience as a first-generation college student.

“In hard times, I can remind myself, ‘OK, this is for a big purpose,’” she says. “Everything I’m doing is meaningful, and it’s going to bring change.”