Meet one of Lynn's youngest graduates

Telling McKenzie McFarland '25 that she can't accomplish a specific goal is a mistake. In the fourth grade, McFarland was told that skipping grades was not possible. As a relentless competitor and high-level achiever, McFarland challenged normal conventions years later by fast-tracking her education through dual enrollment at Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and Lynn University.

"I bring a competitive edge to every aspect of my life," said McFarland. "I've always aspired to be the best at everything that I tried. If you tell me I can't do it, I am going to find a way and prove you wrong."

By the time she was 14, McFarland officially stepped into Lynn's lush campus as a first-year student. Fast-forward three years, and McFarland became the youngest graduate in the class of 2025.

After graduating from FLVS, McFarland found herself in uncharted territory—she knew she was not going to be sent away to college at the young age of 14. Instead, she relied on her family ties at Lynn to jumpstart her collegiate experience. Her mother, Jennifer McFarland, an assistant professor, has taught at the university since 2013 and McKenzie has often been seen roaming campus with her mother since she was five years old. From a very young age, she adapted to Lynn's environment, understood the culture and loved the people …

"Lynn is ingrained in me as a really special place to be a part of, so I knew I was going to start college at Lynn," said McFarland. "But in my head, the plan was to branch out and transfer at 16 to finish my last two years elsewhere."

McFarland already had incredible opportunities available with scholarships to The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Ultimately, a change of plans was in order when Lynn's community proved to be too strong of a competitor.

"I was already taking classes at Lynn with professors who watched me grow and they sacrificed so much of their time and expertise to help me succeed—people who are like aunts and uncles to me," said McFarland. "The lifelong connections I've established with friends from around the world, the sense of belonging through Lynn's student-centric community—everything just came full circle one day. I couldn't imagine finishing out my last two years away from Lynn."  

Lynn became everything McFarland needed. Starting as a five-year-old, it was her fun place, the place where her mother worked, a place where she met new uncles, aunts and established local and international friendships. Lynn became home.

McFarland leveraged Lynn's three-year Accelerated Degree Scholars Program to graduate from Lynn's College of Business and Management, earning summa cum laude in data analytics as an undergraduate student.

"I've experienced a lot of stressful and late school nights, but ultimately, I love business, numbers and data. It's where I'm most comfortable," said McFarland. But the road wasn't easy nor predictable—thanks to some tough love from her parents.

"My parents pushed me to put myself out there, especially as a communicator," said McFarland. "I hated writing and public speaking at first—but my parents kept pushing me to try. So, I did … very reluctantly."

Her mother, who teaches courses in the College of Business and Management and the College of Communication and Design, encouraged McFarland to be part of an advertising association competition at Lynn. The decision to step out of her comfort zone allowed McFarland to serve as vice president of the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition and compete for the last two years in the District 4 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), where the team clinched second place in the state in 2024 with an advertising and public relations campaign for Tide Cold Wash. This year, the Lynn team came back for unfinished business and claimed first place in the district for their AT&T campaign, earning an opportunity to compete on a national stage this summer.

"NSAC has become the most challenging and rewarding experience," said McFarland. "Win or lose, you learn, you laugh, you cry, you put sweat, blood and tears in a common project with amazing individuals that I would have never met if I had stayed in my tiny data analytics box."

In addition to her academic success, McFarland was deeply involved in numerous extracurriculars that contributed to her personal and professional growth including memberships in Lynn's Hospitality Club, College of Business and Management Symposium and as an active participant in the annual Lynn Fashion Showcase.

McFarland also worked with one of her biggest mentors, Joanna Sackel, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, to collaborate on two publications—a research paper on feminism and a publication on UN women in Israel.

During her time at Lynn, McFarland exemplified student involvement and engagement:

After her first successful team presentation in NSAC, McFarland had a conversation with one of the judges from the competition who acknowledged the standout presentation of the team, and the data analytics tasks and copy testing completed by McFarland. The conversation led to a Zoom call with a member of Procter & Gamble's marketing team to discuss an immediate job opportunity. As a 16-year-old, still needing to complete her degree, McFarland prioritized school and postponed the start of her professional career.

"I felt immense pride and joy when Procter & Gamble offered me a position in Tide's marketing and analytics team," said McFarland. "It was a pivotal moment in my life. It was the first confirmation that my professors and education at Lynn had prepared me for the real world."

Before the start of her senior year, McFarland accepted a four-month summer internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Chicago, Illinois. The highly competitive internship was offered to only eight people in the country and six people worldwide. As an intern in private equity value creation, the learning curve was steep, filled with challenges and personal growth for McFarland.

"As my Lynn professors warned me, in the professional world, you really do learn on the job," said McFarland. "I've learned to be ok with not knowing everything all the time and accept mistakes. There's real value in falling flat on your face and getting back up. That's when change happens—it's a key part of learning."

McFarland accepted a full-time role with PwC in 2025. In conjunction with her upcoming role at PwC, McFarland currently performs freelance consulting work focusing on working capital optimization for several companies. As McFarland takes the first steps in her career, she leaves classmates and future graduates with parting words:

"Put yourself out there, get into school activities, ask for help, it's going to be ok. And don't forget to say hi to someone random at school sometimes. You never know if they're going to become your classmate or your best friend."