[INTERPOSING VOICES]
CHRIS ROSELLI: Well,
good afternoon, everyone.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
CHRIS ROSELLI: This is good.
Conversation's good.
That means people are
having a good time.
Means some of you might have
snuck in three or four beers,
which you shouldn't have.
[LAUGHTER]
Can't do that anymore.
My name is Chris Roselli.
I work in the Alumni
Association here
at Western Washington
University.
It is an honor and a
privilege to be here today
to celebrate your
sons and daughters,
and grandsons and
granddaughters, neighbors,
and friends.
Just a little bit
of a pre-welcome
to give you an idea as to
what's about to happen.
So they are outside right now
getting their photos taken.
The photo's important--
we do take the photo,
we keep track of those
photos, we store them,
we pass them on to the
students via email later on.
But it's really to buy some
time so I can chat with you
so that way they have an
audience to cheer them
on when they walk in.
We have about 15,000
students here at Western.
We graduate over
3,000 students a year,
and of those 3,000
students there
are 54 departments who pick
an Outstanding Graduate.
There are-- not every department
every year actually selects
an Outstanding Graduate.
The bar is high.
There were three departments
this year who said,
you know what, we have
outstanding students,
but none of them
meet our standards
of outstanding graduates.
So it is a high bar
for the students that
are selected to be
outstanding graduates truly
represent the top 1% to 2% of
our students who are graduat--
graduating from Western.
It's a true honor
to have them here
and you should very proud
of the accomplishments--
I'm sure you are, duh--
Be very proud of
the accomplishments
that they have achieved here
in their time at Western.
This is our 41st
year of celebrating
our outstanding graduates.
And they will be coming in
the next, oh, 5 minutes or so.
So I'm sure, as they come in
here in the first three rows
that you'll give them the
celebratory cheer that they
deserve.
Thanks for being here.
[CHEERING]
I'm all sweaty.
My-- I haven't worked out
that hard in a long time.
[LAUGHTER]
My wrists are sore.
Well, welcome
outstanding graduates.
You did it.
You've done it.
Stand up if you've
already graduated
and you're an
Outstanding Graduate.
[CHEERING]
Stand up if you don't
graduate until summer.
[CHEERING]
Apparently you're so
outstanding that they just
have a hunch you're
probably going to carry it
through [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
And then raise-- stand up if
you're graduating tomorrow.
[CHEERING]
[INAUDIBLE]
Well, my name's Chris Roselli.
I'm the Director of Young
Alumni and Student Programs
here at Western in the
Alumni Association.
And it is an honor
to be here today
to stand in front of our
most outstanding students.
For 41 years the Association
of Western Alumni
has been honored to host
this ceremony recognizing
our very best students--
our best researchers, our best
leaders, our best thinkers,
our best creators, our
best changemakers--
your best students.
Over the past 41 years
we've been in touch
with our outstanding graduates.
We know what they've been doing.
They've moved on to
create companies.
Many of them have
sold those companies,
created more, and sold
them again providing jobs
for thousands.
They have become
leading researchers
in the world's top
universities and industries.
They've taught at the
world's top schools,
whether they be elementary
schools, or middle schools,
or high schools.
Or universities like Oxford
and Stanford and Harvard
and Princeton, and of course,
the best university of them
all, we have
outstanding graduates
teaching right here at Western.
They've traveled
the world providing
years of selfless work
for the less fortunate.
They've become proven ethical
leaders in their businesses,
in their communities, and their
states, and for their country.
They've performed at world
renowned concert halls
and opera houses.
And they've had their works
displayed in museums worldwide.
For the past 41
years Western has
graduated outstanding
students who
have truly benefited our world.
Our students have truly impacted
our world for the better.
And they've changed the world to
make it a more positive place.
The Outstanding
Graduate Awards Ceremony
doesn't just represent and
recognize you as students
though.
It also represents the
professors who sit next to you.
These professors
are nationally known
for their research
and their teaching,
and they are highly
recognized in their fields.
But these professors aren't
sitting with you today
because of those achievements.
They're sitting with
you today because they
chose to sit with you and
help you research-- and help
you do the work that you do.
They chose to have their door
open for you in their office
hours and spend time
with you to ensure
that you were on the right track
if that was the track that you
chose.
They're here with you
because of the connections
that they've offered you
and the opportunities
that they have provided you.
And, of course, the wisdom
that they have shared with you.
So please don't
forget, of course,
that much of your
success here at Western
is because of these
faculty and because
of the opportunities created
by our alma mater here.
So the Outstanding Graduate
Awards-- so, so I, by the way,
I apologize, I'm gonna
open your award here.
[LAUGHTER]
Oh, it's very nice.
[LAUGHTER]
Anyway, that's it.
[LAUGHTER]
So what it is-- it is a crystal
globe because of the impact
that we know that you are
going to make on our society
and in this world.
It says WWU
Outstanding Graduate.
You can use it to
throw at your bosses--
[LAUGHTER]
--in the future.
Put it on your desk at work
or have it in your home.
It's something that you
should display proudly.
So it is a crystal
globe that does
show how you have
benefited our campus
and will continue to
benefit this planet.
We hope you display it proudly.
Emceeing today's
ceremony is the President
of Western's Faculty Senate.
Of course, she's not only
the lead representative
of Western's
accomplished faculty,
but she's also an
incredibly popular professor
that students love as well.
Please welcome, our
emcee for the evening,
professor of Western's Woodring
College of Education, Dr. Molly
Ware.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: I was
hoping he wasn't
going to leave that round globe
sitting right here to roll off.
And he didn't.
That's fortunate.
Really briefly before
we get started,
I just wanted to say one
quick thing which is, gosh,
when you listen to Chris talk
about all the incredible things
that the graduates
here have done,
and the amazing mentorship
of the faculty who are here
with our graduates,
it could also
feel like a lot of pressure,
this whole idea of, oh my gosh,
I've gotta go on and
change the world.
So I just say one little
thing to you today
which is, I hope
that today can be
an act in stepping
into inspiration
rather than comparison.
And a real commitment
to, I think,
the place where we make a
difference in the world often
doesn't come from our head, it
comes from where we completely
line up with our strengths
and find our place
to do that in the world.
And I hope that for
many of you that's
what you've begun to
find here at Western.
And so the whole sense of,
you know, oh my gosh, you
have to make a
difference in the world,
I think it's just gonna
happen because you're
doing what you love and
because you're doing it well.
So with that, a couple of rules
for our 41st Annual Outstanding
Graduate Awards Ceremony today.
In the front row
you will see a woman
named Sue who has a
sign that says, stop--
[LAUGHTER]
--and 30 seconds left.
The intention for today is that
we would like every graduate
to have our full presence
and energy with them,
and if we spend 5 minutes
on the first person,
and then we're gonna be
really tired by the end.
So every person
will have 2 minutes
to share some great
things about the graduate
that they're here with.
If you happen to
be two professors
and you have one graduate from--
uh oh, this is getting
confusing-- some people only
get 1 minute, I
think you probably
know who you are, do you?
Shake your head if yes.
OK, a couple of you
have one student
that you're speaking
to, and you'll
each get about a minute to do
that if it's the same student.
So one rule of engagement--
2 minutes, and the sign
will appear at 30 seconds.
And some music will
begin happening.
[LAUGHTER]
Just like the Oscars.
Also, for those of
you with a program.
We're primarily going to
go in order of the program,
however there are a couple
of special exceptions.
Folks who needed to leave
early for other events.
Rearranging that we
did to make it more
convenient for certain faculty.
And so I will
announce those changes
as we're bringing
folks up to the stage--
I'll announce the department.
So you might have to
flip to a different place
in your program.
But primarily after the first
few we will be in order--
so--
And one last thing is just
how we get to the stage.
So folks in the front
row you've got it easy.
Congrats.
You-- student and mentor--
you'll come up and just sit
back down once you're finished.
In the second and third row
we have an on deck space.
And Janine over there
is standing in it.
And there's also an on
deck space on this side.
And so what's
going to happen is,
for example, the folks
at the end would get up,
they would come--
and at the same time
the folks next to
them will get up
and wait in the on deck space.
When we have finished
the presentation of those
who were up here,
they will go back
and sit back down-- we'll add a
new pair to the on deck space.
So that will-- that
will mean we waste
less time on transitioning
and have more time for hearing
about the wonderful work
that you all have done.
So I think we're ready to roll.
OK.
So our first graduate--
Outstanding Graduate
for this year
comes from the
Department of Design.
And it is Stephen Ateser.
And the faculty host
is Brittany Schade.
If you could please
come to the front.
[APPLAUSE]
BRITTANY SCHADE: Thank you.
Hello.
So for the past
two years I've had
the pleasure of having
Stephen in my classes.
Witnessing his
talent and work ethic
elevate him as our top student.
As an underclassman it
was immediately apparent
that he had an insatiable
thirst for knowledge.
And throughout his
academic career
has demonstrated this
to his faculty and peers
by supplementing his
education with his own passion
to share wisdoms,
participate in dialogue,
and request feedback on all
matters of design [INAUDIBLE].
The proof is in the pudding.
And by my own
calculations Stephen
has spent an estimated
120 hours in my office
over the past two years.
[LAUGHTER]
It wouldn't surprise me that
many of you recognize Stephen.
Because at some point
everyone on this campus
has been influenced
indirectly by him
either through his advocacy for
design thinking, mentorship,
campus publications,
cross-disciplinary
collaborations,
or even tomorrow,
as he will be delivering
this year's CFPA commencement
speech.
[LAUGHTER]
His dedication,
visibility, and attitude
made him a vital
member of the Design
Department and an
exemplary Western student.
And we couldn't be more
proud of his achievements.
Stephen's graduation from
the BFA program tomorrow
is a significant milestone.
But his professional
career in product design
and human-computer interaction,
to me, began long ago.
Since a young age,
Stephen was always
interested in a broad
range of creative mediums.
He learned about
communication and storytelling
through photography.
A passion which is
evident as he typically
carries at least three
different cameras with him
wherever he goes.
And he's learned
the fundamentals
of human interaction
and material languages
through his background
in ceramics.
His personal philosophy is that
design isn't a job or service,
it's a lifestyle.
This strategic
thinking has allowed
him to leverage his
background and skills,
and look at challenges
through a macro lens.
Stephen's work
predominately focuses
on topics including social
commentary and shifting
cultural paradigms.
It has been a privilege
to mentor Stephen
in his academic years.
And I have no doubt
that he will one day
fulfill his role
of design visionary
and continue to
lead the industry
towards a bright
and exciting future.
Thank you, Stephen, for the
contributions you have made
and for what I know will
be a lifelong friendship.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next
Outstanding Graduate
is Josh Bryant from the
Psychology Department.
And here with Josh
is Stephanie Grimm.
[APPLAUSE]
STEPHANIE GRIMM:
It is a pleasure
to be here with all of you.
I feel especially honored
to be here with Josh.
Like others here, Josh is
an Outstanding Graduate.
His GPA is the highest amongst
this year's graduating--
or psychology graduat--
psychology students.
He writes beautifully and
he can speak before others
with thoughtfulness and skill.
I value these strengths in Josh,
however, more than anything,
I value Josh as a person.
He is caring, thoughtful, brave,
and a little on the quiet side.
His win is a victory for
all of us introverts.
[LAUGHTER]
Josh is a first generation
college graduate.
Graduating magna cum
laude in psychology
and-- with a minor
in art history.
During college breaks, Josh
worked as a supervised case
manager in a small
nonprofit mental health
clinic in Port Townsend.
Since graduation he has been
working there full-time doing
crisis response and
intervention, clinic efficacy,
and suicide prevention.
In August, Josh's
partner will move
to Chicago, a
wonderful town, where
Josh will begin studies in
the Masters of Social Work
Program in the Jane Addams
College of Social Work
at the University of
Illinois in Chicago.
The late Mr. Fred
Rogers had said
that when he would watch
the news and get scared
his mom would suggest for
him to look for the helpers.
You will always find
people who are helping.
Josh, I feel so very
comforted that you are one
of the-- one of the helpers.
Best wishes to you
and congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: From the
Recreation Department
our next Outstanding
Graduate is Megan Goudie
and her faculty mentor
is Randall Burtz.
[APPLAUSE]
MEGAN GOUDIE: I can give Randy
a bunch crap for not showing up.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Randall
Burtz, where are you?
[LAUGHTER]
I know.
Does anybody else know
our Outstanding Graduate?
Thank you so much, Megan.
All right.
Next we have Robert
Dowdle, from Accounting,
as our Outstanding Graduate
and his faculty mentor
is George Sanders.
[APPLAUSE]
GEORGE SANDERS: That's
going to be tough to follow.
[LAUGHTER]
At least for brevity.
So a lot of academic careers
tend to be kind of linear.
Others, not so much.
So Robert, our
Outstanding Graduate,
decided to interrupt
his career at age 17
by dropping out of high school.
And has been on his
own-- living on his own--
ever since.
At some point he
decided to come back.
Decided this is probably not
the best course of [? life, ?]
and he has been absolutely
brilliant ever since.
And in speaking to him about
his high school experience,
it was-- there was some--
awful lot [INAUDIBLE]
very challenging.
The word [INAUDIBLE] was
mentioned once or twice.
[LAUGHTER]
ROBERT DOWDLE: Maybe.
GEORGE SANDERS: But I'd
like to read some faculty
comments about Robert.
Remarkable ability to
look at disparate facts
and see the underlying pattern.
Brilliant and self-effacing.
His questions and
contributions would always
raise the level of
discussion in class.
Incredibly hard-working.
Generous, always willing
to help other students.
He has succeeded brilliantly
since he decided to step back
into an academic career.
He's got a near perfect GPA.
And, in fact, he did
so well in our program
that at the end
of his junior year
we invited him into
our graduate program,
and he started taking
graduate courses.
We're very fortunate
that he's going
to be with us another year.
And we are very fortunate,
to put it bluntly.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: From the
Anthropology Department,
our next Outstanding
Graduate is Erin Benson
and her faculty mentor
is Sarah Campbell.
[APPLAUSE]
SARAH CAMPBELL: There
was a young student
named Benson who aced all
her classes and then some.
She counted shells by the score,
then statistic'ed them more.
I'm grateful to have
worked with Miss Benson.
Erin Benson approached me
just before her first quarter
at Western and told me she had a
Presidential Scholar Work Study
Award and was looking
for a research project
to get involved in, either
in archeology or in geology.
I'm really grateful that I
was able to nab her first
and she ended up
being a mainstay
of the lab in my [? NSF ?]
project for four years.
She not only helped identify and
quantify hundreds of thousands
of shells-- and she
did it cheerfully--
she was invaluable in
database management.
She conducted a
research project--
an independent research
project-- on urchin remains.
Statistically identifying
two different species
through size measurement
of [? lantern ?] parts,
and looked at size
variation over time
for implications for
human harvesting pressure.
She received an Outstanding
Poster Award for this research
at the Sigma Xi Poster Com--
Competition.
And then she since
contributed to the project
greatly by measuring other
taxa and figuring out
statistical protocols for
assessing significance
in [? size transfer. ?]
She did end up pursuing
both of her interests.
And I have to share
some time with geology.
She graduated with a BS in
geology as well as her BA
in anthropology/ archeology.
She attended field
schools in both areas--
pursued research projects
in both disciplines.
We chose her as our
outstanding student
because she did well in a wide
range of classes of faculty
in diff-- very different
parts of anthropology.
But she's also
recognized by geology
with a scholarship and a
nomination for USGS internship.
And her honors thesis is in
geology, advised by Sue DeBari,
addressing measured
magma composition
changes through clinopyroxene
mineral chemistry.
And she got an
undergraduate research award
and another Outstanding Poster
Award for this research.
She's one of the most focused
and self-reliant undergraduates
I've ever met.
Her organizational
skills are impressive.
While taking a full load and
maintaining a GPA over 3.8,
she planned her study
and assignment time
so well she's completely
reliable in her lab hours.
Nobody ever does that.
[LAUGHTER]
Erin shared her time
with other students
as an officer in the Anthro
Club and her skills as a peer
advisor at the Tutoring Center.
And I'm very grateful
to have had your help.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next
Outstanding Graduate
is Rebecca "Kate"
Sechrist and she
is from the Art and
Art History Department
with faculty mentor, Cara Jaye.
[APPLAUSE]
CARA JAYE: Thank you.
I'm really proud to be
presenting Rebecca "Kate"--
as we know her--
Sechrist as the Department of
Arts Outstanding Graduating
Senior.
Kate is a quiet tour de force.
Once you get to know Kate
her quiet disposition
is ensued by her dynamic
and powerful works of art.
She's created large-scale
drawings and mixed media
installations that make the
viewer stop and take notice.
She spends countless
hours on her works
creating rich
dynamic pieces that
take the viewer by surprise.
Kate is a strong
and visual thinker.
She's critical and
her works contain
a solid intellectual
grounding Kate's work
addresses issues
of queer identity
and issues of representation.
By using her experience
to make her work
she has been not only
brave, but refreshing.
She's been an incredible
student, a leader, and a role
model.
She's been an asset to
the Department of Art
in the Ceramic Search Committee.
And an advocate
for student con--
concerns throughout
her time at Western.
Kate's always available with
the greatest disposition.
She's incredibly
gracious and [INAUDIBLE].
She's been an honor
student every year
she's been at Western.
She's presented a large work,
a huge mural-sized drawing,
that combined diverse themes
as part of Fall Family Preview
in the Western Gallery.
She spent countless
hours representing
the Department of Arts students
as a student representative.
She donated her time to help a
class of first grade students
experience what working in
a university drawing studio
environment is like.
She's been a participant
in Scholars Week
for multiple years.
She's the multiple recipient
of many grants and awards
including the
Undergraduate Research
Award-- multiple years--,
a creative proposal award,
and a College of Fine and
Performing Arts Grant.
Finally, she's participated
in a collaborative project
between art and dance with the
local artist, Francie Allen.
And if you get a
chance I recommend
you go see her work
in the Western Gallery
with the other Department
of Art BFA students.
There will be a
reception tomorrow
afternoon, 5:00 to 7:00,
after the graduation ceremony.
Or until June 20--
June 12.
OK.
It's been a joy
to work with Kate.
I've had so much fun working
with her all the time
she's been here.
Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: From the Behavioral
Neuroscience Department
our next Outstanding Graduate is
Benjamin Ratcliff with faculty
mentor, Janet Finlay.
[APPLAUSE]
JANET FINLAY: I'm a little
bit of a party crasher.
I am here to honor Ben Ratcliff
as the Outstanding Graduate
in Behavioral Neuroscience.
But this opportunity
rightfully belongs
to Ben's academic
and research advisor
who is Dr. Kelly Jantzen
who, unfortunately,
isn't able to attend.
And I only had to tackle
three other people who
were in line for
this opportunity
when KJ made it available to us.
So good for me.
So on behalf of KJ and--
[LAUGHTER]
Yeah, a round of applause.
--and the other members of the
Behavioral Neuroscience Program
I want to just
tell you why we've
selected Ben for this honor.
So academics, of course,
Ben is graduating cum laude
with a Bachelor of Science
in Behavioral Neuroscience,
and also a minor in
Communication Studies.
And that, of course,
is commendable
in and of its own right,
but in addition to this,
Ben has maintained an
exceptional research
and community service
while he's been
part of the academic program.
As a researcher
Ben's been working
with Dr. Jantzen's Human
Cognition and Neural Dynamics
Lab.
He's been studying how
the brain processes
infant versus adult phases.
And as a result of that
work he's earned himself
co-authorship on
a paper entitled,
Spatio-Temporal Neural Dynamics
of Infant Face Processing.
My understand is that
paper's currently in press?
BENJAMIN RATCLIFF:
Uh, it's under review.
JANET FINLAY: Under review.
He's also working
on a second paper
investigating how the brain
coordinates our actions
with the environment.
The other really
outstanding aspect of Ben
is his level of
community service.
So he's been an active
resident advisor on campus.
He's also been an
extremely valued advocate
for Western and for the
Behavioral Neuroscience
Program.
I know every time I call
on him to participate
in public events
for our students,
families, visiting scientists,
and even politicians
he's always one of the first
students to come forward.
And last year Ben spent a month
studying rural health care
delivery in India and Nepal.
So for his future
plans Ben intends
to serve Teach for America.
And he actually leaves
tomorrow, or the next day,
for Miami to do that.
And then he's going
to continue on
with graduate studies
in Neuropsychology.
So on behalf of the Behavioral
Neuroscience Program--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Thank you, Ben.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Now the Oscars
have officially begun.
[LAUGHTER]
All right.
Our next Outstanding Graduate
is from the Biology Department.
And this is Anthony Valente
with faculty mentor, Joann Otto.
[APPLAUSE]
JOANN OTTO: I'm
also an imposter.
Anthony's research
mentor is actually
Dr. Lynn Pillitteri who is on
professional leave in Ireland
at this time.
So Anthony is an
outstanding student--
as all the students here are.
He is majoring in Biology--
he majored in Biology--
he graduated in fall
with a minor in Math.
He's very quantitative,
incredibly--
incredibly thoughtful,
and loves to do research.
He came to Western
so that he could
do undergraduate research.
In Lynn's lab, he's tackled
a very difficult problem
of analyzing particular
structures in leaves
and how they develop.
He's used a molecular
and genetic approach
in these studies.
He works incredibly hard.
Lynn pointed out,
in her nomination,
that he actually figured
out a particular--
how a particular mutation
occurred in the plant that he
was working--
was working with that the
geneticists in the department
had not been able to figure out.
That takes a lot of analytical
ability quantitative skills.
Anthony has a great
future ahead of him
in the field of Genome Sciences.
He's going to enter the
PhD program at University
of Washington, which is one of
the most competitive programs
in the United States.
He'll enter that
program this fall.
We are incredibly
proud of Anthony.
He's also a great
departmental [? citizen. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: In case
you're wondering,
I know this is going happen,
we were short two awards
and so a couple of folks will
be receiving them in the mail.
[MURMURS]
So he has graciously
volunteered to be one of them.
All right.
Our next Outstanding Graduate
from the Canadian-American
Studies Program is Colin Carter
with his faculty mentor, David
Rossiter.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID ROSSITER: It's a
great pleasure and an honor
to introduce Colin
Carter who is majoring
not only in
Canadian-American Studies,
but also Political Science
and minoring in English.
So he's spreading himself
all over the university.
And in doing so he's
had a whole number
of professors who he's impressed
over the last four years
in their classes.
I'm not one of them.
He's never been in
one of my classes.
So what the heck
am I doing up here?
Well, there's a
reason that I'm here.
I recently took over the
directorship of the Center
for Canadian-American
Studies and in doing
so I got to know our majors
and what they were up to.
And I did a little
investigating on Colin
and he fits all the-- the
bill for being here in terms
GPA and successful courses.
Although very back
farther in first quarter
you probably should have
taken Geography with me.
But beyond that, Colin has
demonstrated a go-gettedness
and entrepreneurship that every
student we wish would have.
When I came to the lead
of the Center last year
I was concerned with grants
and budgets and staffing
and a whole series of things.
And we have an academic program.
And we have students in
that academic program
that had kinda gone quiet
in the last several years.
And the student club
that had gone quiet.
And without me asking,
Colin went and got
that club reinvigorated, made it
to an [? AS ?] club once again,
and upped its membership to
healthy and valuable levels.
Created programming--
held movie nights,
other cultural programming--
without any faculty progr--
prompting or ask.
Then this fall we
had an election,
and we were preparing kind of
a round table-- academic talk--
on the election.
And I turned to
our program manager
and I said, Chuck, we probably
should have a student event
where they watch the election.
Nah, [INAUDIBLE], don't worry.
Colin already has it set.
He's ordered the food.
He's gotten the AV set up.
So not only a brilliant
student, majoring
in a whole series of
disciplines across the campus,
but someone who makes the
student life, and therefore
the faculty and staff life
of our Center, vibrant.
And we couldn't do it
without the students.
And this is the Prime
Minister-- the Prime Minister
of Club Canada.
Maybe even better looking and
more famous than the guy who's
been on Vogue magazine and
over for dinner with Ivanka.
So congrats, man.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So we're
gonna skip over Chemistry
and come back to
it a little later.
It will make more sense for
the faculty member doing this.
And that means
our next recipient
is from the Chinese Language
and Culture Program,
as well as the Japanese Program.
And the recipient is Mika Jones
with faculty mentor, Michiko
Yusa.
[APPLAUSE]
MICHIKO YUSA: I wanted
to be at two ceremonies
because this happens only once
in a [INAUDIBLE] student's
life.
And I'm really happy
to attend graduations.
So I will read the
congratulations
from Janet Xing
who is [INAUDIBLE],
a Chinese Language professor.
So-- as an instructor who has
been [INAUDIBLE] for a while,
it often takes me a couple
of weeks to remember
students' names every quarter.
However, this is not the
case with Mika Jones.
She stood out as a sincere,
courteous, curious, diligent,
intellectual, and
outstanding student
from the first day of the class
she took with me in Fall 2011.
And more impressively she
has maintained that status
to this quarter where she
took an hour seminar with me
on Chinese [INAUDIBLE].
Every professor in
the Chinese Program
who has had her in their
class remembers her
for the meticulous and
flawless coursework,
and her ability of
mastering linguistic skills
and cultural consonance.
In the last couple of
years, Mika and outstanding
have become synonymous
in the Chinese Program
here at Western.
With a perfect GPA--
4.0, study abroad
experience, and interest
in pursuit of a
career related to
her multilingual and
multicultural knowledge
and skills, she's the
most deserving student
for the award of
Outstanding Graduate Senior
that I have ever
mentored at Western.
We want Mika to know that
her Chinese professors will
be rooting for her as she takes
her knowledge and potential
to face the exciting career
before her after graduation
from Western.
Congratulations
Mika and good luck.
This is from the
Chinese [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Janet Xing would be wearing
another hat, or cap,
but I have only one.
So I'm going to read a
letter from Mr. [INAUDIBLE].
[INAUDIBLE]
When I heard there were
only 2 minutes I said,
brevity is the soul of wit!
And when I was asked
by Mika to accompany
her I said, what can I say?
Unless I had something
worthwhile to say
I was going to decline it, and
then here speaks Confucius.
[INAUDIBLE]
So I said, OK, I
guess [? I can. ?]
[INAUDIBLE] Japanese.
Chinese, Mika can do better.
Japanese, I can
be [INAUDIBLE] OK.
[SPEAKING CHINESE]
And this is very
interesting because the idea
is that if you lift one
corner, and then students
should come back
with three corners.
And then I teach [INAUDIBLE]
steps as Confucius.
And if you print that in
the student [INAUDIBLE]
these days I don't think
you can maintain your tenure
at Western.
So--
[LAUGHTER]
I think just wanted
to say one more thing.
What does this say?
Because if you
[INAUDIBLE] it back,
if the students are not excited
in getting to learn something
new I will not teach.
And if they're not anxious
to say what they want to say,
I will not really give any hint.
And Mika from the day
one was the spirit
of anxious and willingness.
And I say to all
of you [INAUDIBLE]
passion for learning.
[INAUDIBLE] Mika.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next recipient
of the Outstanding Graduate
Award is from the
Communications Department.
This is Kana Sorimachi with her
faculty advisor, Ee Lin Lee.
[APPLAUSE]
LAURA CARNEY: My
name's Laura Carney
and I'm presenting this
award on behalf of Dr. Ee Lin
Lee, associate professor in the
Department of Communications,
who worked with Kana
in two classes, three
independent studies,
and an honors thesis
during her time at Western.
Here's what Dr. Lee, who
unfortunately couldn't be here
with us today, had
to say about Kana.
So now I'm Dr. Lee.
Kana Sorimachi has an
exceptional high achievement
in scholarship.
I applaud her commitment
and work ethics
in raising the profile
of research in education,
and international and
cross-cultural communication.
Contributing to a vibrant
globalized higher education
here at Western.
In addition to
maintaining a 3.89 GPA,
as an international
student, Miss Sorimachi's
academic achievements
exceptionally
surpassed many of
the local students.
Her classroom
contributions were stellar.
And I only wish I could have
had many more students like her.
Outside of the
classroom, Miss Sorimachi
was an active participant
in JSA, ISSS, and AUAP.
And here's where I come in.
So now I'm me.
Kana has dedicated her time to
volunteering in AUAP classes,
and she has--
these are students who've
come from Japan to study--
and she has also worked
as an International Peer
Advisor, or IPA.
One of our rules for our IPAs
is that they're to speak English
only with the students.
For five months
her students we're
trying to get her to
speak Japanese with them.
But she told them they will
have to wait until the last day
and she pushed them.
Well, evidently, on
the last day they
were lined up outside her
door so they could talk to her
and she was a wonderful
role model for our students.
Kana tells me that
in the future she
hopes to work in an
international office
in a Japanese
university and encourage
students to come study abroad.
On behalf of Dr. Lee and the
faculty of the Communication
Studies, and the AUAP, and
fellow students and staff,
and her parents
who are from Japan,
and all the rest
of us who want say
we're so, so, so
proud of you, Kana.
And thank you for
your contribution
here to Western
multiculturalism.
And the best for the future.
Would you join me
in congratulating.
[APPLAUSE]
In addition to all of our
faculty's other gifts,
they are also shape-shifters who
can take on multiple identities
at once.
It's quite amazing.
Thanks.
Our next recipient is from
Communication Sciences
and Disorders.
And the Outstanding Graduate
from that department
is Taylor Guenther with faculty
mentor, Kimberly Peters.
[APPLAUSE]
KIMBERLY PETERS:
It's my pleasure
to serve as the faculty
mentor for Taylor
Guenther, the
Outstanding Graduate
for the Department of
Communication Sciences
and Disorders.
And for those of you who
don't know who we are
that's Speech and Audiology.
The department choose Taylor
because she is hardworking,
bright, enthusiastic,
optimistic, and a really,
really fast runner.
Taylor has maintained a
high cumulative and major
GPA at Western while serving
as the captain of Western's
cross-country and
track and field teams.
Under Taylor's leadership the
Western cross-country team
qualified for the national
cross-country meet this year,
finishing sixth overall.
This is the highest
Western has ever placed.
Despite the fact that
many of the team's stars
graduated last year,
Taylor referred to this
as the Ragtag Team.
Taylor describes this as
one of her proudest moments
at Western.
She herself finished in
26th place for cross-country
in the US.
Achieving All-American
status while somehow managing
to complete about a dozen
graduate school applications,
take her GREs, and
ace all of her exams.
In addition to being
a scholar-athlete,
Taylor is committed to
community engagement.
When she's not on the trails,
and she's on the trails
frequently, --I see her run
by my house pretty much every
day--
she spends her days at
the Max Higbee Center
leading recreational activities
with developmentally delayed
adults, or at the Whatcom Center
for Early Learning supporting
children and families in
the Birth to Three Program.
She has also served as a
coach and mentor for Girls
on the Run, a program
that supports young girls
in developing positive
interpersonal skills
and a healthy self-concept
through running.
Because she wanted to
get a taste of what
research is like in
the social sciences,
and she seemingly
wasn't busy enough,
Taylor completed an
independent research study
on the psychosocial effects of
dyslexia on college students.
She did so with minimal support
and with a smile on her face.
Perhaps the thing I
enjoy most about Taylor
is her attitude as a
student and as a person.
She sees the positive
side of everything.
She never assumes that
things will be handed to her.
We feel so fortunate
that Taylor accepted
a spot in our graduate
program for next year.
We had 225 applicants and Taylor
was our top pick for 20 spots.
We look forward to mentoring
Taylor and learning from her
as she continues her
professional journey
of becoming a
speech-language pathologist.
Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: From the
Community Health Department
our Outstanding
Graduate this year
is Emma Hefton with
faculty mentor, Ying Li.
[APPLAUSE]
SENNA TOWNER: I'm actually
Senna Towner, and Dr. Ying Li
and myself are both
Emma's mentors.
And I am representing us both.
Thank you very much.
This has been a pleasure
to hear about so
many wonderful students.
Emma is also committed
to community knowledge,
and she's committed to
her community with a focus
on improving health.
While working nearly full-time
as a caregiver at Catholic
Community Services, during
Emma's undergraduate career
she has also pursued various
impressive community health
volunteer opportunities.
She has been a Peer Health
Educator for alcohol and other
drug prevention for Western.
In addition she's volunteered
in other community engagement
centers across Bellingham.
She already plays an
important role in Bellingham
and Western's community health.
At the same time she
has dedicated long hours
to community outside
the classroom.
She has produced academic work
that is intelligent, critically
thought-out, and
demonstrated her commitment
to continued learning.
Her work more than met Community
Health faculty's expectations.
That said, when her
work needed attention
and further development she
graciously accepted feedback.
In fact one of the
attributes that
impresses me most about Emma
is her grateful and courteous
nature no matter the
feedback she receives.
Nothing we do as
Community Health faculty
seems to go by without
grateful recognition,
in written and verbal
communication, from Emma.
In addition, while Emma
has committed herself
to the Community Health major
and her community service work,
she has also pursued,
successfully,
a minor in Spanish.
She smartly [? used ?]
Community Health and Spanish
as complementary degrees.
She understands that to more
deeply understand and explore
socio-ecological determinants
of health and health disparities
is to more deeply
understand and explore
other cultures and,
thus, languages.
By understanding
and speaking Spanish
she will be confident
at contributing
to a variety of community
health programs.
In the fall, Emma is--
30 seconds-- in the fall,
Emma is, and has already been,
admitted to Bastyr's
MPH Program.
This is an excellent
fit for Emma,
and Bastyr's just
started the MPH Program
which will give Emma an
opportunity to contribute
to the development.
I'm so very proud of Emma,
and I wanted to be here.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next
Outstanding Graduate
is Grace Ermi from the
Computer Science Department
and here with her, I
think, is Perry Fizzano.
Next!
[APPLAUSE]
PERRY FIZZANO: I first
met Grace when she
was a senior in high school.
We were recruiting her to take
part in a National Science
Foundation funded program
aimed at increasing
the representation of women
in computer science and math.
To select students
for this program
we combed through
hundreds of applications
and we end up with a dozen
or so students to interview.
In my notes from
interviewing Grace that day--
said, she had great
leadership potential,
she had an open mind
to learning new things,
and she had a genuine
concern for others.
Every interaction I've had
with Grace over the years,
and there has been many,
have only reinforced
my first impressions.
She's demonstrated
her academic ability
by earning high
grades in her classes.
She's opened her mind
and challenged herself
by engaging in
research projects.
She's served as a role
model to younger students
through Creators and Innovators
Club and Girls on the Run.
And the list goes
on and on and on.
Grace has been so
steady and so strong,
[INAUDIBLE], so
humble along the way.
Last week at our annual end
of year computer science
picnic we presented Grace with
the Outstanding Graduate Award
in front of her peers.
I planned to make a speech,
but I started to cry.
[LAUGHTER]
We joked afterward that we
need a bunch of tissues today,
but I'm kinda trying
to hold it together.
And I think the only reason
I'm not really sobbing
is because I know
Grace is going to be
around next year finishing
her master's degree
in Computer Science,
which she started
this year as an undergraduate.
Gracie, the entire
department faculty
selected you as our
Outstanding Graduate,
but it's me that is
honored today to stand here
and praise your accomplishments.
You made a lasting
impression on Western
and we're better here
because of your presence.
You know I think
the world of you
and I look forward to seeing
you [INAUDIBLE] tomorrow
and wish you the best.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So
our next recipient
is Nolan Hoppe-Leonard
and he's not here today
because he actually
is attending Skidmore
College throughout the
summer and they have begun.
So he's there on
full scholarship.
And, as a result, we're
gonna move on to our Decision
Sciences awardee.
The Outstanding Graduate
is Joseph Eason and Craig
[? Tyson ?] is the faculty
member here representing him,
I believe.
[APPLAUSE]
KRAIG PENCIL: It's my
pleasure to introduce Joe
as the outstanding student
for the Department of Decision
Sciences.
Joe graduated in
winter quarter, and he
majored in the area of
Management Information Systems
and also majored in Accounting.
He's really
distinguished himself
with regard to his
academic performance
and his leadership in the
service to our college.
We [? referred ?]
to the academics.
Joe is just simply outstanding.
He has-- had the GPA of 3.97.
He got a B+ in Marketing.
I still don't understand
how that happened.
[LAUGHTER]
Both of his major
areas are really
rigorous so to get that
type of academic performance
is really, really great.
But when myself and faculty
members think of Joe, you know,
it isn't just a GPA,
it's really the way
he was in the classroom.
He's just an honorable presence,
always a great contributor,
and he was somebody we always
were very pleased to have
in our classroom.
At Western there's a lot of
ways the students give call
to leadership and service.
And Joe has really been quite
a giver to our programs.
He was a member of our
student information technology
leadership team and also
executive vice-president
for [INAUDIBLE] Alpha
Psi Accounting Society.
And both of those
organizations do
a lot of activities
for our students
and support professional
career development.
And it takes just a
lot of time to organize
those types of activities
and Joe is just a real leader
for both of those efforts.
Joe also served as
an accounting leader
for our program and our college.
And he was a student
representative
for our Leadership
Lunch Program.
He capped off his Western
experience in March
by being our
commencement speaker.
It was really a terrific honor.
On a professional level,
Joe was also really busy
so he got the great GPA--
did all the service,
but he also was doing an
internship throughout the time
he was taking classes.
And I was [INAUDIBLE] there.
Joe's last internship was with
Smith Financial in Bellevue.
And he now is working
full-time for Symetra.
And I can imagine they're
just as pleased to have Joe
as we were.
He tells us he
really enjoys his job
and he managed to
get a window seat
on the ninth floor with views
of Lake Washington and Seattle.
So it was really,
really wonderful.
We're very proud
of Joe and I'd just
like to thank Joe's parents
for doing such a good job.
[INAUDIBLE] Joe's
life for sharing
and for the last
few years with us.
And Joe just congratulations.
It's an honor [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right, Row
Two we're ready for you.
Are you understanding the
more advanced lineup sequence
we've got going on now?
So on deck folks.
Beautiful.
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
is from East Asian Studies,
Adiara Diabate and Diane Majors
is the faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
DIANE MAJORS: It's my pleasure
to introduce Adiara Diabate, or
[? Mady, ?] as we call her.
But I had her as my student
last fall in our TESOL,
that's the Teaching English
to Speakers of Other Languages
program.
I recognized her academic
excellence and commitment
to learning at that time.
She always lit up the classroom
with her smile and eager
curiosity.
She comes today as the
outstanding student
in East Asian Studies,
which is her major,
but I also want to recognize
her as an outstanding student
in TESOL, and an
outstanding person.
Originally from the
Ivory Coast, West Africa,
[? Mady ?] grew up with
French as her first language,
but she's been in the United
States for about 11 years
and she knows
firsthand what it's
like to be an English learner.
As far as languages go, in her
major, she focused on Korean.
And during her time
here at Western
she was able to spend an
academic year in Korea
learning the language
and taking classes there.
In addition to French,
English, and Korean
she has been studying Mandarin
Chinese and Mongolian.
She says her language
learning experiences
allow her to be more
understanding and patient
with the English learners
that she works with.
It also motivates her
to think of and employ
effective teaching
methods for her learners
based on her experiences.
I asked her practicum teacher
and her supervisor how they
would describe [? Mady. ?] Her
mentor teacher said [? Mady ?]
is very humble-- that she isn't
even aware how good a teacher
she is.
In her words, [? "Mady ?]
is a natural."
Her supervisor noted
that [? Mady ?]
gave an excellent
lesson on global issues
relating the topic to both
her own and her students'
countries.
She said [? Mady ?] is already
a strong and passionate teacher
who will build on these skills
as she pursues this calling.
[? Mady ?] has
experienced many cultures
and she says she
realizes the importance
of respecting her students,
their backgrounds,
and their work.
We wish you the
best, [? Mady, ?]
as you pursue graduate work
in teaching English to others.
You are truly outstanding.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our
next recipient is
from the Economics Department.
The Outstanding Graduate
is Meghan Demeter
and Diane Brearley, I believe,
is the faculty member.
[APPLAUSE]
SHARON SHEWMAKE: Hi, I'm
actually Sharon Shewmake.
I'm the faculty member.
I'm not trying to
be Diane Brearley.
Often in Economics we
don't see our best students
in office hours.
The students that come to office
hours [INAUDIBLE] need help.
And it's a tragedy
that we don't always
see the ones that are
excelling in our class
and Meghan was one
of those students.
She took my Environmental
Economics class
and she did really well,
but I didn't actually
get to know her until later when
she was in the Women in Energy
Mentoring Network.
The Women in Energy
Mentoring Network
involves women from positions
in the community and positions
in the energy industry,
a typically very
male-dominated industry,
and 7:00 AM meetings.
So it's networking
and 7:00 AM, two
things that, you know,
almost make me anxious.
Meghan made it worthwhile.
She conducted the meetings
with poise and charm,
and a great sense
of professionality.
She finished, of course,
with an outstanding GPA
in Environmental Economics, and
a double major in Environmental
Economics and French, and
a minor in Energy Policy.
And if you look
at her resume you
see that she truly made the most
of her time here at Western.
I'm not going to go
over the entire thing.
We recently had our
departmental barbecue
and our department chair
went over the entire thing
and embarrassed Meghan so
I'm not going [INAUDIBLE].
I'll find new ways
of embarrassing you.
But if you look at it you'll
see a very varied resume
with all sorts of interesting
activities including
working with the
tutoring center,
writing a paper that can
potentially be published
[COUGH] on carbon financing,
and almost becoming,
as I just learned, a certified
kickboxing instructor.
She's going on to great things.
Her next movement is to get
her master's degree at George
Washington University in DC.
And I'm really
looking forward to her
being a great representative
of all that Western stands for
and what our students
can accomplish.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So faculty
when you come up
we're going to ask that you
really intentionally speak
into the microphone because it's
a little hard for some folks
in the back to hear.
So if you could that that
would be greatly appreciated.
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
comes from Electrical
Engineering.
Victor Perez is the
recipient and he is here
with faculty
mentor, Todd Morton.
[APPLAUSE]
TODD MORTON: It's my
pleasure to introduce
our first Outstanding Graduate
in the Electrical Engineering
Program, Victor Perez.
He is also minoring in
Math and in Spanish.
Math is [INAUDIBLE]
that he's done.
Besides being the best GPA, he's
a member of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu
Honor Society.
He was our chair of our
student chapter in IEEE.
He's been a research
assistant, lab assistant,
and he's a member of the
Society of Women Engineers.
I just found out today
from Grandma and Grandpa,
he's the King of Good Behavior.
[LAUGHTER]
Most of all, Victor is just
a joy to have in the lab.
And he's going to be moving
on here soon in a couple weeks
to the Paccar Technical Center.
And I know that in their
labs and their offices
the decibel level just went up.
And it's gonna be
a pleasure for them
to be working with Victor
as it has been for us.
So thank you, Victor
for choosing us.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next--
the next Outstanding
Graduate is Madelynn Libolt.
She's from the Department
of Elementary Education
and she's here with Joanne
Carney, her faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
JOANNE CARNEY: It's
all well and good
to say we should speak
into the microphone,
but it wasn't set
up for short people.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY WARE: You can take it out.
I think it comes out.
JOANNE CARNEY: I
think it'll be OK.
MOLLY WARE: OK.
JOANNE CARNEY: And I have
a question, to begin.
How many of you can of a special
elementary or middle school
teacher who really had a
positive impact on your life?
Look at that.
Nearly every hand in
this audience went up.
Madelynn Libolt, our
Outstanding Graduate,
will be that kind of teacher.
And so, you know
what a difference
it makes to be a good
elementary teacher.
Madelynn is graduating
with certification
as a elementary teacher
and a special endorsement
as a highly qualified
science educator.
Just what we need--
more students who
are well-prepared
in elementary and middle
school for STEM areas.
And that's Madelynn's forte.
Madelynn has done exemplary
work throughout our program
and demonstrated the
highest standards
of professional practice.
She did her 3/4 internship
and entire academic year
at Roosevelt Elementary
School in Bellingham,
which is a school with a high
number of English language
learners and high
poverty measures.
She did exemplary teaching
there at the school
and engaged sensitively
with parents.
Her colleagues have commended
her-- by her colleagues,
I mean, the teachers and
administrators at Roosevelt--
have commended her for
all the contributions
she has made to their
collaborative professional
learning as well.
I'd like to read
some of the things
that those educators at
Roosevelt said about Madelynn.
The principal, Tom Gresham,
"Madelynn's greatest strengths
are her quality of
instruction, ability
to implement and analyze
a variety of assessments,
and her reflective nature.
In her instruction
Madelynn employs
a highly organized structure
with clear learning goals
and expectations.
She has already proven to
be a very professional,
dedicated, and skilled educator.
Would be an asset
to any school."
Stop?
Oh, my goodness, how
could that happen?
[LAUGHTER]
Madelynn, we are proud of
you and proud of the work
that you will do in
working with children.
You benefit our entire society.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: OK, so Joanne
was a very good model
of what to do with
the microphone,
but I think I figured out one
more trick that will help us.
Outstanding Graduate if
you stand a little forward
instead of back, then
the faculty mentors
don't have to look
backwards to look
at you which they want to do.
So our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
is from Engineering and Design.
That is Jolee Nerbert and Jason
Morris is the faculty member.
[APPLAUSE]
JASON MORRIS: It's my honor to
present to you Jolee Nerbert.
She's the Outstanding Graduate
for the Industrial Design
Program.
And she has grown from
being an excellent student
and is becoming an
amazing professional.
She was raising the
bar for her classmates
during her sophomore
and junior years
exhibiting academic
excellence in other ways.
Then she was selected for an
internship at GE Appliances
where she worked full-time
as part of the design team,
designing two projects that
have come to the market since.
Then she designed a beautiful
microkitchen for a competition.
And among 80
international entries
she won Grand Prize and $2500.
Then the same design was given
the grand prize for innovation
in a small space living in New
York City Big Apps competition
where she was awarded round
trip expenses to New York City
to present her work and was
featured in the Seattle and New
York Times.
And after her time at GE
she went to Austin, Texas--
worked on a creative
team at Argo
to explore the role
of future technologies
in a office environment.
So that lead to being
approached by a French startup
company, Adok, to work
on industrial design,
visual product identity,
and user experience
design for their new
augmented reality product.
After graduation
she heads to Paris
to complete her work with Adok.
Truly outstanding, Jolee.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next
Outstanding Graduate
is Kyle White from
Manufacturing Engineering.
He's here with faculty
mentor, Derek Yip-Hoi.
[APPLAUSE]
DEREK YIP-HOI: It's
a real pleasure
to be here with Kyle as
our Outstanding Senior
in Manufacturing Engineering.
I'd like to point out that Kyle
is not just the best in class,
he's also the first
in what we hope
will be an illustrious lineage
for outstanding graduates
in our Manufacturing
Engineering Program.
This is our first senior
class that we're graduating.
Kyle's accomplishments in the
classroom are exceptional.
To place this in
the proper context
I point out that we
are privileged to have
a really outstanding group of
students for our first class,
and Kyle's academic
performance placed him
among the top of students.
My first impressions
of him, as a teacher,
were of a strongly motivated
student with a great eagerness
and capacity to learn.
I also quickly discovered
that in the truest traditions
of our department he had the
ability to take his knowledge
and apply it within
a practical setting.
One example of
this is involvement
with Western's Formula
SAE Racing Team.
This team has a proud
tradition of competing
at a high level of excellence
in the annual Formula SAE
Competition.
Many of the components
of the racing car
are fabricated in-house
by our students.
And Kyle with his
manufacturing experience
took the lead in
designing and machining
many of these complex components
directly using the knowledge
that he had acquired
from his classes.
Beyond just academic
and technical abilities
Kyle has demonstrated
the ability
to lead and be a
key player on teams.
He's not the most
outspoken student,
but his opinions are
highly sought by his peers.
The respect that
they have for him
means that he's often the
go-to person when the class is
stuck on something.
Not a bad reputation
for an engineer.
Over the past year
he's been completing--
while he's been
completing his studies,
Kyle has also found,
somehow, the time
to be an intern at Hexcel
Corporation in Burlington.
They're a leading manufacturer
of aerospace components
in the region.
And his supervisor there
has the highest regard
for his abilities.
He talks of his great enthusiasm
for challenging projects
that involve critical thinking
and creative [INAUDIBLE],
and also his eagerness to learn.
So it's my great pleasure
to acknowledge Kyle
as really the creme-- creme of
our new engineering program.
And on behalf of the
faculty [INAUDIBLE]
you as our Outstanding Graduate.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next Outstanding Graduate
is from the English Department,
Rine Raye And she's here with
faculty mentor, Chris Loar.
[APPLAUSE]
CHRIS LOAR: This way.
All right.
Speak into the microphone.
It's a pleasure to be here
today and a great honor
to introduce Rine Raye,
English Department's
Outstanding Graduate.
I think the most important
thing that you all
should know about
Rine-- and for Rine,
for you to know as well-- is
that she changes the people who
come into contact with her.
I was talking with my
colleagues the other day
in the way you talk
about your best students
with your colleagues.
And she-- and asked her-- we
were just discussing her--
and she said, you know,
[INAUDIBLE] Rine's gifts makes
a mark on everyone she
comes into contact with.
And I thought this was
really profoundly true
so I decided to steal it.
And it's not just--
this is not just
because of Rine's scholarship.
The first time I met her
was in a class for a seminar
she took from me years ago.
I was teaching the
class for the first time
and developed this
replacement for my category
of participation,
which I had decided I
didn't like that term anymore.
So I [INAUDIBLE]
intellectual community,
which I was very proud of--
that I could just sort of
mention it and gloss over it.
But Rine had a lot of
questions about this term.
And actually lead us in a
really interesting, productive,
20-30 minute conversation
about what it means to have
an intellectual community, what
it means to be in a community
with other people,
what it means to do
intellectual work together.
And really transformed
for me the experience
of what a first day
of class can do.
So she also grilled me pretty
hard along the way which
is also something I've gotten
used to in having her in class.
So this is habit
that Rine has in
asking questions
and improving is
part of what makes her
really distinctive and it's
part of changes people who
come into contact with her.
She's always forcing us to
rethink our assumptions--
oh, I only have 30
seconds left, OK.
OK.
So I got to know Rine-- as I
got to know Rine over the last
couple of years I got to
know a sharp, fearless,
and passionate student
who challenges us--
challenges the people that
come into contact with her,
as I said.
Challenged me to
think in new ways
about the philosophical
[INAUDIBLE] question
she was raising
related to animals.
Her academic passion also
got me thinking about ways
that passion and scholarship
and an active spirit
can come together.
So congratulations,
Rine, for everything
you've accomplished here.
You're one of the
most gifted students
to come through our
department in recent memory.
And you won't be
quickly forgotten.
You've touched all of
your instructors here.
And remember that
wherever you end up--
graduate school or
someplace else--
your gifts are going to move and
change the people around you.
So keep on changing us-- keep
pushing us in new directions.
The world is gonna be
a better place for it.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next Outstanding
Graduate is Chris Trinies
and he is from the Environmental
Science Department.
Andy Bunn is here with
him as his faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
ANDY BUNN: So thank
you all very much.
Before I introduce
Chris I would like
to introduce how I met Chris
which was through his kids.
Kids, Diego and
brothers all stand up.
Stand up, guys.
[APPLAUSE]
I met Chris because I
met these guys first.
I was their chess coach.
And I was coaching
them them chess
and then this very serious
guy would come and pick them
up from chess.
He would sign them out
and then he would go away.
And I didn't know him.
And then a year later he
showed up in my classroom
and I got to meet
their dad, Chris.
So Chris is an Environmental
Science student.
He's graduated with 4.0.
He has been driving
a FedEx truck,
raising three kids, while his
wife-- who is also incredibly
supportive-- is
working full-time
and going through
all the pre-reqs
to get a nursing degree.
Chris is the kinda
guy that makes you
feel like you should
probably budget your time
a little better.
[LAUGHTER]
He's an absolutely amazing guy.
He's the student that
will sit in class.
And after he took one of my
classes I realized I no longer
had to write the answer key for
the exams because I [INAUDIBLE]
Chris' [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
He never got anything wrong.
Incredibly wonderful
guy to have in class.
And I've been able to
talk him into staying.
He's going to be staying
next year in graduate school
and work in my lab.
He's working in the
Forest Service now
and he's going to go on
to a wonderful career.
And he's done it through
hard work and perseverance
and with the support of
his fantastic family.
You guys should be
very proud of the dad.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Patrick Hutchins
is the Outstanding Graduate
from Environmental Studies.
He's here with Nick
Stanger, his faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
NICK STANGER: So
it's a total honor
to stand with you here, Patrick.
And Patrick just is graduating
his master's-- or his
undergradian major in
Environmental Education.
And [INAUDIBLE] standing here
with two other hats as well.
And those hats are actually
the other professors
who are in the
Environmental Education
Program within Huxley College
of Environmental Studies.
And that's Gene Myers
and Wendy Walker.
And we're all here to
congratulate you in a way.
But I've also noticed you've
been spreading your wings.
Trying on other courses
within Environmental Studies.
And I was in the
hall the other day
and I was talking to
one of my colleagues
who happens to be teaching
Patrick right now.
And, do you have
Patrick in your class?
Yeah.
Cool.
[LAUGHTER]
But I was honest with him.
Because Patrick has this
crazy voracious appetite
for learning.
And he also has this incredible
marine ecology background.
And he actually
left a job that was
likely to launch into a
career at the Seattle Aquarium
to come back and
finish his undergrad.
And I think that alone
speaks to the volumes
in his voracious aptitude
really in learning and teaching.
And Patrick, you're
really great as a teacher.
And it comes across when your
excitement and understanding
and knowledge about
ecology translates
these super complex
things to something that's
edible and able to be
taken by young and old
and all sorts of people.
So I really congratulate
you on this award
and all of us in the department
are really excited about it.
So well done.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
comes from Finance
and Marketing.
This is Jake Englebert and Nick
Wonder is his faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
NICK WONDER: Jake Englebert
will graduate tomorrow
with a concentration in Finance
and a minor in Economics.
I'll start with the raw data.
Jake has a 3.96 overall GPA
in the program that is sparing
with the A's.
He took a course
from me last spring
and accumulated 14% more
points than the second highest
student in the class of 20,
which doesn't happen often.
So he was strong
across the board.
In quantitative skills, Excel,
grasping theoretical concepts,
communicating in
writing, and contributing
to class discussions.
He's well-liked by his peers,
plays well with others.
[LAUGHTER]
Outside the class, Jake has
produced an awesome website
for the student finance group.
He's interned as a commercial
development financial analyst.
And more recently
he's been working
on the demanding ARGUS--
ARGUS real estate software
certification program.
He's obtained his Washington
State Commercial Appraiser
Training License and secured a
job as a commercial real estate
appraiser trainee in Bellevue.
And we're sure that
his future is bright.
And hope that he comes
back to visit often.
Thank you, Jake.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next recipient
of the Outstanding Graduate
Award is Maya Price and this is
for both the French Department
and the Management Business
Administration Department.
And we'll have two faculty--
oh, yes-- joining us, Edward
Ousselin and Tom Roehl.
And you get two minutes total.
Maya told me earlier she
was nervous about people
talking about her.
So you don't get
two minutes each.
Two minutes total.
EDWARD OUSSELIN:
Two minutes total?
That's not fair.
We should have four.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY WARE: Well.
EDWARD OUSSELIN: Yes,
there are two of us
here because Maya Price is
the Outstanding Graduate
in both French and
International Business.
So this is something
exceptional,
but I'll mention in
passing that Meghan
Demeter who was in graduate--
Outstanding Graduate
in Economics and also
a French major.
So we have an abundance of great
students in French and French
is the way to go.
[LAUGHTER]
I think the reason that Maya
Price has been so successful
in her studies is not
just because she's
smart and hard-working.
Not just because she did a
French study abroad for a year.
Not just because she
went to Togo for a month.
But because she has this sort
of intellectual curiosity
that allows her to link
different research areas.
For example when I was
teaching 18th century French
Enlightenment authors
she asked questions
about the British author, Adam
Smith and his famous Wealth
of Nations published--
oops, stop.
OK.
How quick!
One minute.
OK.
Well, she's a great student
and we're glad to have her.
And she might be doing a
stint in the Peace Corps
and later on in a
international MBA.
But my esteemed
colleague, Tom Roehl,
will have more to
say about that.
[APPLAUSE]
TOM ROEHL: I want to talk about
integration and adventure.
Two things that West-- really
good Western students do.
And that's-- I'm going to give
Maya as a brilliant example
of someone who does that.
At the end of her
study year in France
she took the adventure
of an internship
at the register of her
neighborhood bakery.
She persuaded all the demanding
clientele-- and her boss,
by the way-- that she could
describe all the varieties
of French bread and pastries.
Also adventure was in effect--
her senior capstone
project with Darigold
was idea of integration.
And even to take a look at
a really difficult project
that Darigold was facing
of trying to figure out
what to do with a variety of new
challenges for the EU in dairy.
At the same time the
Russians have stopped us
from selling any products
into the country.
Now this is an
impossible project.
Nobody would ever take this on.
But Maya [INAUDIBLE] Maya.
This is the perfect way for
Maya to finish off her--
her year.
There were no simple
answers, but this is the way
that she took it out.
They did all the data
analysis, of course,
all the business
school side of things,
but they also did regulatory
issue, political science,
[INAUDIBLE].
They even had to
figure out whether they
going to do [? bursts ?]
of dairy products
and call it biology, maybe?
Anyway through all the
challenges and frustrations
with this project Maya
came to a sense of humor.
After an especially contentious
meeting she said, thanks,
[? I'll mentor you, Tom. ?] So I
can't resist trying to get back
and play off of that because
I have a present for her.
[INAUDIBLE]
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
comes from the
Geology Department.
We have Michael Reynolds
and with him is his faculty
mentor, Melissa Rice.
[APPLAUSE]
MELISSA RICE: Michael approached
me last year with an interest
in doing research in
Planetary Science.
And so he started doing
a research project
with the NASA Mars rover Spirit
looking at imaging data of Mars
that nobody else
had studied before.
He picked up the necessary
programming skills
in the language IDL almost
entirely on his own.
And I know that he's
come into the lab
several times at
weird hours just
to help other students
with their IDL scripts.
He submitted a two-page abstract
to the Lunar and Planetary
Science Conference.
He was the first Western student
to present at this conference.
And when he was there
presenting his posters
several of my colleagues assumed
that was my graduate student.
And they were very
impressed to hear that this
was his first conference.
Hopefully the first of many.
Michael's done his
senior thesis with me
and decided to do his
final presentation
in the planetarium.
Also the first Western
student to present a research
talk in the planetarium.
So in addition to his
Mars science research
he's been learning the
planetarium's Digistar
scripting language and creating
a fully immersive presentation
about albedo variations on Mars.
Michael will continue working
with me over the summer
so that he can turn his
thesis work into a publication
that we'll submit to the
Journal of Geophysical Research.
He'll be applying for
graduate schools in the fall
and I have no doubts that he
will succeed in a top program.
Michael, you stand here
with the unanimous support
of the Geology
Department and so I
want to share some of their
words with you as well.
Michael is an utter gem.
He positively radiates joy
about geophysics and planetary
science.
Michael is a good team player.
He works well with others
and is generous in sharing
his ideas and his time.
If character is an important
part of this evaluation,
then Michael definitely
rises to the top.
Witnessing Michael's
interactions
with other students I think
he is an absolutely first-rate
colleague and would
be deeply valued
by such by any group of people.
Michael, congratulations
and on behalf of the Geology
Department we wish
you the best wherever
you end up in the solar system.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Did
anybody else notice
that the Geology Department
described him as a gem?
[LAUGHTER]
OK.
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
is Danil Vishniakov.
And Danil is from the
German Department.
With him is Petra Fiero,
his faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
PETRA FIERO: In a class
of mine the students
have to talk about a
skill they possess.
Danil told us about an episode
that took our breath away.
It happened when he was a
member of the ballet troupe.
In one performance, during the
solo, he leaped high in the air
and when he landed
he broke his foot.
But the adrenalin rush was so
great that he kept dancing.
He did not let this
blow, however, deter him
from pursuing other
athletic activities today.
This story illustrates Danil's
tenacity, his strong-will,
and his determination
to reach his goals.
He's disciplined,
self-motivated,
and mature beyond his years.
And this might be
something to do
with his immigrant background.
Danil is at home in three
cultures and languages,
Russian, American, and German.
When he was nine
years old his parents
sought political
asylum in the US
after the situation in
their native Kyrgyzstan
got a little bit out of hand.
While still in high
school Danil applied
for the prestigious
Congress-Bundestag Youth
Exchange Program and
spent a whole year
in Bavaria coming
back with a treasure
trove of very funny expressions
in the local dialect.
[LAUGHTER]
It's my dialect too.
[LAUGHTER]
For his [? student ?]
year abroad
he returned to Bavaria honing
his already tremendous language
skills at the
university in Munich.
So you see German
is the way to go.
[LAUGHTER]
After watching
the refugee crisis
unfold Danil got inspired to
pursue a law degree in Detroit
with an emphasis on
immigration policies.
This, coupled with
his background
in political science,
will equip him
not only with the tools
necessary to find solutions
for displaced
people, but bring him
one step closer to his
ultimate goal of becoming
a foreign affairs analyst.
We're so very proud
of you, Danil,
and wish you the very
best for your future.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next recipient is from
the History Department
and she's not here today.
Her name is Kaitlin
Dempsey and she
is with her brother at his
high school graduation.
So we're going to move on
to our Outstanding Graduate
from the Human
Services Department.
That is Laura Daley
and here with her
is Jackie Baker-Sennet.
[APPLAUSE]
JACQUELYNN BAKER-SENNET:
Laura, you're here.
It is quite a milestone.
And after 150
students in our major
it's Laura who was selected
as the outstanding student.
Laura has come from
Bremerton, Washington.
She's in our distance
learning student program.
Possibly the first distance
learning program student ever
to have received this award.
And she has the
quietest son who's
ever graced this auditorium.
Felix, her 3-year-old, who we
haven't heard a peep from--
It's his nighttime.
So he has been a
tremendous support.
Laura is truly one of a kind.
She's here to serve her beloved
community of Kitsap County.
Everything she does
is for that community.
She's worked with
Kitsap Mental Health.
She's worked with
Housing Kitsap.
And she started a
program that's gained
some national traction,
Sober Night Out,
through the library system.
She's an incredible person.
I just-- one of her-- one of the
anecdotes that I want to tell
you is a group of students
that she works with at Housing
Kitsap who--
where they're helping
them with hip-hop poetry,
they've produced
a [INAUDIBLE] CD.
And one day I was in the
office in the fall quarter--
now Laura's never
on campus, right,
because she's in Bremerton-- and
I hear all these girls laughing
in the hallway.
And I turn around and it's all
the girls from Housing Kitsap.
And Laura comes
in and she says, I
want you to meet my professor.
And I want you to
know that you can
have meaningful relationships
with professors when
you're in college
here at Western,
or where ever you choose to go.
And so Laura's always paying
it forward, always thinking
about the next generation,
and having a real impact,
even though those of you
who are campus may not--
probably haven't met her
because she's been learning
through distance education.
So one thing I want
to leave you with
is a letter that Laura
wrote to us, the faculty,
when we nominated her
for outstanding student.
And it's just a little end
piece from that letter.
Quote, "We are all so
infinitely capable.
I look forward to using
my skills and education
to promote positive change,
provide resources for growth,
and work towards social
justice for all."
This is really meaningful
because Laura--
this is Laura's second time
around at Western, as well as
the Accounting student there.
The first time through was an
ordinary experience at Western.
She decided to take time off.
And she's been
truly extraordinary.
So congratulations, Laura.
[APPLAUSE]
All right.
Our next recipient from
Industrial Technology
and Vehicle Design
is Jacob Blagg,
the Outstanding Graduate.
Here with him is Eric
Leonhardt and someone else.
[APPLAUSE]
Just kidding.
ERIC LEONHARDT: Thank you
very much for this opportunity
to acknowledge Jacob Blagg.
He's been our-- he's
our outstanding senior
for this year.
And I'm pleased to tell you
that he got here because
of his excellent work ethic.
Regularly logging more than
70 hours per week in our labs.
His ability to mentor other
students for several years now.
His ability to support
his fellow classmates
in Industrial Design and
Electrical Engineering
and other programs in the
department as he's helped them
weld and fabricate
their senior projects.
And he's also very well
respected by his employer
over the last couple years in
the motor sports profession.
He's already developed a
reputation in that marketplace.
And so we're-- he's
very much hoping that--
his employers are very much
hoping to come back and join
him here soon as possible.
[INAUDIBLE] will acknowledge his
efforts and his capabilities.
This past couple of weeks ago we
competed with 95 other schools
from around the world
in the Baja Competition
to build a small vehicle that
races in off-road conditions.
At the top of the [INAUDIBLE]
about 4,000 feet elevation.
I was thrilled to see
that out of the four hour
competition in the first hour we
moved up through 23rd position
to seventh position
and I was very excited.
Unfortunately contact
with another vehicle,
an errant rock perhaps, took out
one of our suspension members
and the car became
fatally wounded.
However, the team brought
the car back to the pits.
And then I was a bit concerned,
as the faculty advisor,
to be-- realize that we had
two spares for the part that
was failed.
Unfortunately they were for
the wrong side of the car.
So I watched as Jacob carefully
and efficiently swapped
and re-welded the components.
Kept them-- the whole team--
supplying parts and working
on the car and we were able
to get the vehicle back out
on track and finish the event.
And not only that, instead
of going to the track
and then watching the vehicle,
Jacob stayed behind in the pits
and worked to repair
another spare so
that it used in place--
in case another part
of the car failed.
So this kind of shows his
expertise and his capability.
Thank you very much.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Our next recipient
of the Outstanding Graduate
Award is from the Journalism
Department, Libby Keller.
And with her is her faculty
mentor, John Harris.
[APPLAUSE]
JOHN HARRIS: I had the
pleasure of having Libby
in two classes including
a feature writing class.
And in that class the students
have to write a personal essay.
And it has to be
something they're
willing to have
published and they also
have to read it a loud in class.
And this is the beginning
of Libby's personal essay,
Til I met Adam I'd never
felt bad about purging.
Til I met Adam throwing up
three or four times a day
was no big deal.
Til I met Adam I didn't realize
how painful bulimia was.
My stomach would cramp and
my digestion was messed up.
My esophagus would be
sore for hours or days.
But even when the skin
on the back my throat
started to thin and
tear I didn't stop.
Even when I started seeing
blood in my vomit I kept going.
She started choking up as
she is now and I asked her--
I asked her, I said, do you
want me to finish reading this?
She's like, no, no,
I'm gonna finish it.
And she went on and
detailed in her essay--
which you can read on
Western's website actually--
her and her struggle with
eating disorders in high school
all the way up until the--
the previous quarter.
And when she finished everybody
just sat there in kinda
stunned silence.
And finally one
woman said, you know,
I was working with you on
the Western front every day
that quarter and I had no idea.
And Libby kinda smiled
knowingly, yeah.
And another woman thanked
her and said, you know,
I was struggling with eating
disorders as well and I just--
to hear your story it's really
helped me and it's-- you know,
I just really, really
appreciate you doing that.
So, you know, Libby was
an excellent student.
She was a leader on the
publications-- clearly
a great writer,
but what really set
her apart was her
depth of character
and her absolute bravery.
And it was a privilege
to teach her.
And congratulations
and thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: She's also
getting her award in the mail.
Don't worry.
[LAUGHTER]
Our next recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Award
is from Kinesiology,
Kasey Cottrill.
And her faculty mentor
is David Suprak.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID SUPRAK: Can we get it
short enough to come to me?
So it's my great pleasure to
honor Kasey Cottrill today.
I've known Kasey for maybe,
what, three years now?
And I've had her in
a couple classes.
She's helped me out teaching.
She's worked as a
peer mentor for me
in one of my classes--
a Biomechanics class.
And she's also worked as a
peer mentor for another class--
Functional Anatomy in
our Kinesiology program.
And in both of
those instances she
got nothing in return, really.
She got no credit-- she's
supposed to, but she didn't.
And she just did it
because she loved--
she loved helping out.
Also as many of
these other students,
we've talked about their
academic performance,
Kasey has done an
amazing job academically.
She had a cumulative
GPA of 3.95.
And I'm glad my parents
aren't here today
because they'd be really
disappointed in me.
[LAUGHTER]
So that's pretty
impressive because we
have a really challenging
coursework in Kinesiology
and she was always one of the
top performances in the class
that I taught for her.
Kasey not only works diligently
and really impressively
in the classroom, but also she
did a lot in the community.
In the dance community in
Bellingham and surrounding
areas.
And through that had a lot
of opportunities to help out.
She began working at Harper&I
Dance Center in 2013.
And she taught ballet and tap
to 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds,
and 4-year-olds.
Can't imagine being
able to do that.
[LAUGHTER]
As the class sizes grew
so did the opportunities
to help in the community
as an instructor.
And this comes from one
of the many other awards
that she was nominated for.
Is it already two minutes now?
OK.
So I'll just skip down to
the important thing here.
She is-- her next
step is in the process
to go into a doctoral of
Physical Therapy program
and be applying for programs
in the fall and in the summer.
I'm just really excited to see
where Kasey goes and see where
she's able to influence
not only in our field,
but in the world around her.
And the last thing I want to
say is maybe most important.
Kasey is awesome to talk to.
Her-- her pleasant demeanor,
her great sense of humor,
and just the way
she always smiles.
It's impossible not to smile
when you're talking to Kasey.
So I really appreciate
everything I know about Kasey.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So in the program
it says Liberal Studies is next,
but they're not going to
be able to be here today.
So we're going to move ahead
to the Outstanding Graduate
from the Linguistics Department.
That is Neal Digre.
And with Neal today
is his faculty mentor,
Jordan Sandoval.
[APPLAUSE]
JORDAN SANDOVAL: I'm honored
to have the opportunity
to brag about the Outstanding
Graduate in Linguistics, Neal
Digre.
I also thought it was Digrey.
MOLLY WARE: Thank you.
JORDAN SANDOVAL: The cool
thing is, linguistics.
I said to him, you
know, I've never
had the opportunity
to ask your--
how you pronounce
your last name.
Can you send it to me in IPA?
Perfect.
In fact, Neal is not just an
amazing linguistics student.
He's also graduating a Computer
Science major and a Math minor.
In his undergraduate
career here he's
presented twice
at Scholars Week.
Once in Linguistics and
once in Computer Science.
And he served our department
as a linguistics club officer
these past three years.
The last two as club president.
And as if that weren't enough,
Neal is also an honor student.
Whose finest project this
year was editing a novel
he wrote his sophomore year.
[LAUGHTER]
Neal's next steps
after graduation
take him to Edinburgh,
Scotland where
he is going to be starting
a one year master's
program in Informatics.
And even with the
skills and interests
he's developed
here at Western he
plans to focus on
the intersections
between human language
and computer function.
If you're wondering how
it's possible for such
a significant accomplishment
in such a short time here I'll
let you in on Neal's secret--
he just never sleeps.
[LAUGHTER]
I would wake up early
to find [INAUDIBLE]
only to see him two hours
later smiling and leading
class discussions.
Every class with
Neal was more fun.
Neal has truly been a
leader in our program--
leading by example.
In fact his work
ethic and output
have become a standard that
his peers aim to reach.
One particular
memorable [INAUDIBLE]
came at the end of
the quarter when
a classmate, very proud of his
performance on a final paper,
said to me with a
knowing smile, I
think I almost did as
well as Neal on this one.
[LAUGHTER]
And [INAUDIBLE]
Neal [INAUDIBLE] I
speak for all the
faculty when I say,
we are proud to be
a line on your CV.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Our next Outstanding
Graduate, Mikylah Hunsaker
is from the
Mathematics Department.
With her today is Millie
Johnson, her faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
MILLIE JOHNSON:
I'm really honored
to talk to you about
Mikylah Hunsaker today.
So I'm going to talk about her.
I first met Mikylah at
Summer Start four years ago.
She was extremely
shy and unassuming.
And her-- she came from an arts
magnet school, and her goal
in life is to be a teacher.
And then I had Mikylah in Honors
Calculus the first quarter
she was here.
And I was afraid to even look in
her direction to ask a question
because she would
turn completely red.
I thought she would faint.
So I really tried hard
not to look at her.
[LAUGHTER]
And then she changed, somehow,
in the next three years.
She started working in a project
with Professor Jerry Benson,
and worked with sixth graders.
And then she became a
Mathematics Scholar,
which is one of the highest
honors in the Mathematics
Department.
And the one-on-one work that she
did with the children and with
other students--
she just blossomed.
And then she became a
Bachelor of Science major
in Mathematics.
And then after six
classes with me,
and then becoming my
grader, she just kept going.
So four years later
I'm going to try
to sing some of her praises.
Besides becoming a
Mathematics Fellow,
she passed the math
comprehensive exam,
which is the equivalent of
our graduate school qualifying
exam.
It's very rare for
an undergraduate
to pass this exam.
She was awarded the Math
Memorial Scholarship
for the past two years in a row.
She won't remember
that I put this down,
but she captained the
first place WWU Student
Team in Western's
[INAUDIBLE] this year.
She is fluent in
French and Spanish.
And she spent a year
abroad in France--
a summer abroad.
Sorry, a summer abroad.
She's an active Girl
Scout and she was awarded,
I think it's called
the Gold Award,
the social equivalent to the
Eagles Award in Boy Scouts.
She loves to hike,
camp, and cook.
But remember that shy young
person that came in to school?
She has a black belt
in, I don't know
how to say this, [INAUDIBLE],
I think, it's a martial art.
And she's very active
in Western's club,
that's Cuong Nhu, a
Vietnamese-style martial art.
So this shy student who
wanted to be a teacher,
she's been accepted
into the MIT Program.
I just want to say all these
students have something
in common-- they've all made
us better for their presence.
And we thank you, parents, for
having them come to Western.
Thank you so much.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Math and music, they
always seem like they
go together and
are complementary
even though they're opposite.
So our next graduate
is from Music.
And the Outstanding
Graduate is Daniel Chong.
And with him is faculty
mentor, Jeffrey Gilliam.
[APPLAUSE]
JEFFREY GILLIAM: It's an honor
to speak about Danny Chong.
And it's-- it's also an
honor-- this is our stage.
We are used to having a piano
in front of us, and so--
Maybe you've-- I hope you've
had a chance to hear Danny.
Maybe you've heard him--
since being at Western,
at Benaroya Hall after winning
a competition in Seattle.
Or if you go to the
President's Christmas parties.
Who was the phenomenal
jazz pianist
sitting in the entryway
night after night?
That was-- that was Danny.
And that kinda sums
up the versatility
and interrelatedness
of his talents
as a prize-winning
classical concert pianist,
a phenomenal jazz
musician and improviser,
and a tireless search to
create a synthesis of all
these talents.
I want to give you
a little story.
He's going to go on--
his concerts in the United
States and Korea after he
graduates.
And, I think, he's looking
for that next step and his--
he's-- his inner rudder
is his intuition.
So he gave a senior
recital last month
and he thought that
he's done with classical
for a while-- he
can move on to band.
And then a few days later, or
five days later or something,
there was a professional
pianist who was supposed to play
a morning recital here in
Bellingham for 200 music fans,
and the person
cancelled that morning.
And they called me at 8:00
in the morning saying,
do you have somebody who
could play it memorized?
You know, hour minute
piano recital [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
We found Danny back in his room.
He was in his Nike shoes
and, no time to think,
I brought a jacket [INAUDIBLE].
He blew the place
away, by storm.
He had to play another
recital the next night.
Danny, I hope this is
the future of your life.
I'm gonna leave
classical-- no, you're not.
[INAUDIBLE]
[LAUGHTER]
[INAUDIBLE]
And one last, take a bow.
[INAUDIBLE]
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
Myla Becker is our next
Outstanding Graduate.
And Myla is here with us
from the Nursing Department.
Also with her is faculty
mentor, Christine Espina.
[APPLAUSE]
CHRISTINE ESPINA:
Good afternoon.
I'm excited to introduce
to you, Myla Becker.
Myla will be graduating
in summer quarter.
Myla is-- this is not her
first go around at Western.
She initially earned
her BA at Western
in Human Services in 2002.
And after that she managed a
nonprofit family support center
in downtown Seattle serving
low-income and homeless
families from 2002-2009.
She then earned her Associates
of Science in Nursing
and successfully completed
a nurse residency program
for critical care at Swedish
Medical Center where she served
as a staff nurse,
[INAUDIBLE], and was promoted
to permanent charge nurse.
In her role as
charge nurse Myla is
part of the team that develops
the Rapid Response [INAUDIBLE].
She also mentored
new graduate nurses
and managed a high-volume unit
within the Swedish system.
Myla is- in addition to being a
full-licensed RN in Washington
State, she's also certified
in progressive critical care
nursing highlighting
her experience
and skills in hospital care.
Myla now works full-time at
a critical access hospital
on Whidbey Island in
the emergency room.
So if there's an emergency,
then you want Myla here.
She knows what she's doing.
So I've had the opportunity
to work with Myla
over the past academic year.
And she's just impressed
me with her skills
to be able to bring
real-lived patient
stories and clinical
scenarios into the classroom.
Being able to connect nursing
theories and practice.
She is well-respected among
her peers and her cohorts.
When Myla speaks up
everyone listens.
She has natural leadership
skills and abilities.
And just brings a
presence to the cohort,
a professionalism, and an
uncanny ability, again,
to connect nursing
theory and practice.
Myla has expressed interest
in disaster-preparedness,
and also pursuing
her master's degree
in Nursing after she finishes
with her BSN with us.
She combined her past
educational work experience
to bring a fresh
innovative lens to nursing.
And embodies the power of what
a liberal arts education can
contribute to the science and
art of the nursing practice.
Congratulations, Myla.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: With us next
is faculty mentor Janelle
Leger and our
Outstanding Graduate,
Rachel Owen who is from
the Physics and Astronomy
Department.
[APPLAUSE]
JANELLE LEGER: Hi,
it's my pleasure
to introduce Rachel Owen as
this year's Outstanding Graduate
in Physics and Astronomy.
Rachel's one of the most
accomplished students
that we've had in the program
since I've been there.
She has the highest GPA in
the graduating class which
is impressive given that she has
been a double major in Physics
and Mathematics.
She's been an outstanding
teaching assistant
in the lower division
laboratories in physics
for the last couple of years.
And she's been heavily
involved in the scholarship.
She [INAUDIBLE] to others
before joining my lab
about a year and a half ago.
In my lab she's been fantastic
and she's made contributions
to my research program that will
far at last the time that she's
spent here.
She also-- her project has
been phenomenal and successful.
And we just submitted a paper
for publication last week.
And when that paper
is published it
will be the paper that I'm
most proud of in my career.
So I'm incredibly
grateful to Rachel
for having been
involved that project.
Her research has
lead to a number
of things which I tried reading
out loud before I came home.
It took longer than two minutes.
So I'm going to try to
just hit the highlights.
She gave a talk at the
American Physical Society
which is the largest student
[? offering ?] in the world
actually.
She [INAUDIBLE] award in
scholarship this year.
She's written a couple
grants that she's received.
And she's also this year's
Presidential Scholar
from the College of
Science and Engineering.
But one of the things
that I appreciate
the most about Rachel is that--
that she's someone who's
interested in improving
the climate for non-traditional
[INAUDIBLE] students in STEM.
And she's not only
interested in it,
but has really walked the walk
and done a huge amount of work
in that direction.
Including being
instrumental in starting
a couple of important clubs,
Women in Physics and Out
in Science.
So she's really helped our
department move forward
in that way.
And for that, the faculty
are incredibly grateful.
And I'm grateful for the chance
to have worked with Rachel.
So I'm proud of her.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So we're
going to rewind
a teeny bit in the program.
We're going to go back to
our Chemistry recipient.
And the Outstanding
Graduate recipient
from the Chemistry Department
is Natasha Siepser Here
with her is David Rider.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID RIDER: It
really is a pleasure
to stand here and introduce
Natasha Siepser to everyone.
Natasha you're the
Department of Chemistry's
Outstanding Graduate
in Chemistry.
Congratulations.
Natasha comes to us from
Kentridge High School.
And she's not only at
the top of her graduating
class in Chemistry,
but she also is
graduating with a minor
in Material Science.
She's a highly
accomplished student
who's been awarded many
scholarships [INAUDIBLE].
You were General Chemistry
student here in 2014.
You were the Analytical
Chemistry student
in your next--
2015.
And then you received a summer
research stipend to do research
in my lab in 2015.
Along with that
pathway you've offered
to [? bring up ?] the
grants applications
to fund that research.
So that's a testament to
your passion about conducting
and communicating research.
Even, I think, less than
an hour before the ceremony
you emailed me a draft
of your paper which
is sitting on my desk.
Special note here, that's the
first paper that is only her
as the co-author [INAUDIBLE].
I've never had [INAUDIBLE]
anywhere at Western.
A testament to her
dedication [INAUDIBLE].
Just a note on her research.
She's investigating
new reactions
to catalytic activity at gold
nanoparticles [INAUDIBLE]
polymer [INAUDIBLE].
Everything she touches
turns to gold not only
because [? you're in gold, ?]
but [INAUDIBLE].
Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: The faculty mentor
David is staying with us.
And we have another
student to be recognized.
This Outstanding Graduate,
Andrew Hollcraft,
is from Plastics and
Composites Engineering.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID RIDER: This is a
good way to save time.
Just having one person.
MOLLY WARE: Definitely.
DAVID RIDER: OK.
I'm happy to introduce Andrew,
the Plastics and Composites
Engineering Outstanding
Graduate of the year.
You're the first of its kind.
You're graduating not only from
the program with a master's
in Plastics and
Composites Engineering,
but also with a BA in Chemistry.
And I understand you
got a minor in Business,
as well as another
minor in Geoscience.
And I think you
told us that you had
to complete the
minor in Business
so that you wouldn't lose the
financial backing that you got.
So that's a testament
to your hard work.
Andrew's one of the most
inquisitive and hard-working
students I've known.
He's been very
self-motivated and he
has innate curiosity in
conduct-- conducting research.
He's the type of
student who likes
to only run one test
once and then extract
every bit of knowledge
out of that task
to try to forecast
conclusions for the system
and the projects.
I think that's because
he has that curiosity
and not because he doesn't
want to do anymore tests.
He received numerous
scholarships.
So many to list.
What's commendable there is
you received scholarships
from a few different
departments.
Both from the Chemistry
Department and the Engineering
Department.
So again a testament to
your being a good citizen
in both departments there.
So he's been a published author.
He's recently helped me
publish a first project
on some industry-sponsored
projects.
And that went out
earlier this year.
Something that
couldn't have happened
without Andrew's support.
You're famous not only to your
colleagues in the department,
but also to friends
in the industry who
draw on your troubleshooting.
And, I think, you've
even been, sort of,
pulled away from what you've
been doing to help out
in industry-related problems.
Andrew's a problem-solver
extraordinaire.
And I see good
things for Andrew.
Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: So from the
Political Science Department,
Heather Heffelmire
can't be with us today.
She is the Outstanding
Graduate recipient.
She is going to Baltimore
to Teach for America.
And she would like to thank
her fellow black students
and their support of her
throughout her time at Western.
[APPLAUSE]
Present with us today,
we have Danara King
from the Sociology Department
as an Outstanding Graduate.
And with her is Glenn
Tsunokai, faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
GLENN TSUNOKAI: So
Danara King is definitely
the type of student that we
wish the Department [INAUDIBLE]
that we could keep
you for [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
My colleagues would agree
that she has an insatiable
case of thirst for learning
and this high standard
for academic excellence.
She graduated last fall
majoring in Sociology
and minoring in Psychology.
With a cumulative
GPA of 3.88 she
has earned her cum laude honors.
She was on the President's
List six times in a row.
This time last year
she was inducted
into Alpha Kappa Delta, which
is the International Sociology
Honor Society.
She also received the
Ingeborg Paulus Scholarship
for academic excellence.
When she was in
our department she
served as a teaching assistant
for one of our most challenging
courses, Statistics.
Or known among
our students, they
call it, affectionately,
Sadistics.
[LAUGHTER]
[INAUDIBLE] where I was
very impressed [INAUDIBLE]
were in the process
of collecting
[INAUDIBLE] intersection
between [INAUDIBLE],
sexual orientation,
and willingness
to date outside their race.
She has demonstrated herself to
be an outstanding independent
scholar as well.
She analyzed over
1,500 Match.com ads
where she was looking
at whether or not
educational achievement impacts
one's willingness to date
outside their race.
Like a seasoned scholar
she presented her results
at the annual Sociological
Association meeting
in Oakland, California.
She secured a travel
grant to fund the trip.
But also the faculty
really believes
she epitomizes Western's motto,
Active Minds, Changing Lives.
When she was a student
she worked two years
at Value Village and she
quickly came to realize she
and her co-workers were,
kind of, being exploited.
Rather than sitting
on the sidelines,
she took her knowledge
about social movements.
Organized her co-workers so they
would have a collective voice
to express their concern.
Where your
[? administrator ?] probably
thought you a
troublemaker, we like
to think that you're an
instigator for positive change.
Danara would like to attend
graduate school where
she will pursue a
PhD in Sociology
perhaps as soon as fall 2017.
So on behalf of the
Sociology Department
we are very happy
about your successes
and we look forward
[? to seeing you ?]
in the future.
Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
BRIDGET KELLEY:
[INAUDIBLE] She was
chosen from her strong
academic skills,
her exceptional
collaboration skills,
and her interpersonal skills.
She has a really high
GPA like the rest of you,
and she got that one A-minus.
Which is a bummer.
And he, of course, isn't here.
[LAUGHTER]
I said, who'd you get
that A-minus from?
And she told me
and I said, ah, OK.
The one thing I noticed about
Elizabeth she wasn't one
of those students that was
really eager to get an A.
She wanted to know what she
could do to positively impact
students' learning.
So when she's out teaching
she wants to know what can
she do to improve their
learning and then consequently
the lives of her students.
And so I always appreciated
that about Elizabeth.
She's in an internship-- just
finished an internship now.
She has three more days.
And I got some comments
from those teachers.
And one thing about Elizabeth
is with her infectious smile
she can [INAUDIBLE]
in the classroom.
And she builds strong
rapport with the students.
All the students.
Even that naughty
student in the corner.
They all [INAUDIBLE].
She's very enthusiastic.
And in summary-- I
have 30 seconds--
she's a thoughtful
planner who is
skilled at crafting
instruction in a way that
helps all students learn.
She's our outstanding graduate.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Next from
the Theatre Department,
the Outstanding Graduate from
this year is Anna Wulfekuhle.
And with her is faculty
mentor, Jim Lortz.
[APPLAUSE]
JIM LORTZ: Anna is
about lightning.
She's about energy.
She's about setting
the world on fire.
She plays characters and
just possesses character.
She's honest, fair, dependable,
a role leader-- role model--
one of the finest human
beings I've ever come to know.
She's also a consummate
professional.
Her story's about the act
of the show must go on.
Last summer she was in a
production of "Urinetown."
Two nights before
they opened, at work,
she slipped on some hot oil.
Spilled on her inside of a
big [? puddle of ?] hot oil.
She said, I'm not going
to give up this role.
So she came the next
day to rehearsals,
She made it through
the first act,
and she started to
ooze, as she told me.
This is the second day.
Third day she went through the
first act before they opened,
but she had to go to
the plastic surgeon.
She did manage to open
the show successfully.
She wasn't going to
give that role up.
I went with Anna a couple
years ago to Cleveland
and we stopped in New York.
[INAUDIBLE] the picture
I took her standing
in Grand Central Station.
To me I'll always remember
her as this person.
In New York, not in awe
because it's New York,
but in awe because
she knows she's
part of the fabric of
this city and she's
going to figure out
how to live in it.
Thank you for setting
the world on fire
and thank you for making
me a better teacher.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: All right.
We're near the end.
And last, but not
least, at all, we
have with us the
Honors recipient
of Outstanding
Graduate, Maia Hanson.
With her today is Scott
Linneman, her faculty mentor.
[APPLAUSE]
SCOTT LINNEMAN: Thanks
for sticking around.
It's my pleasure to
introduce Maia Hanson to you.
We brought our own
in case you ran out.
So I need to say a few words.
So the Honors Program
here at Western
is a pretty special place.
And what you heard some
special clapping today
because these students are
clapping for each other.
So about a dozen of the
Outstanding Graduates today
are also honors students.
And we're very proud
of what they've
been able to accomplish.
And, I think, as been said
before, they really are the--
the changemakers in Washington
and the changemakers in the US.
And Maia Hanson is
another example of that.
So a few things about her.
She's a graduate with a BS
in the Biology/Mathematics
Program.
This is an extremely
rigorous combined major
that requires upper division
coursework in biology,
mathematics, chemistry,
and computer science.
And while doing that she
was able to still finish
with a 3.99 GPA.
Maia was-- has managed to study
abroad not once, but twice
in India and in Thailand.
She was chosen in a nationally
competitive scholars
program run by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Holling-- she was an
Hollings Scholar--
you can put that down.
I'm the last one.
I can say [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
For the Hollings
Scholar she worked
at Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute
studying micro-invertebrates
from hydrothermal vents.
She also did a research
experience for undergraduates
at Mississippi State University
studying rattlesnakes.
Let's see, she has been a
member of the Western's choir.
If that's not enough,
she's tutored at the Math
Center for two and half years.
She's been a Girl Scout
leader for three years
and organized the first
Western STEM Girl Scout Day.
And she is happy
to say that she's
heading to Alaska for
the summer to tromp
through mosquito infested woods
and work for their Wetlands--
MAIA HANSON: Wetlands
Statesmanship.
SCOTT LINNEMAN:
Wetlands Statesmanship.
So with that, I
congratulate Maia Hanson
as the Western Honors
Program grad of the year.
[APPLAUSE]
MOLLY WARE: Wow.
So I guess I'm leaving
this presentation
of the incredible work
here today with a couple
of final comments.
One is I love that idea
that mentorship is really
about seeing others into being.
And I really feel like
what's happened today
is each of you faculty who have
worked with these students,
have seen their
potential, and provided
the conditions that
allow them to step into
that even more fully.
So thank you all
mentors and faculty.
And then for the
student recipients.
I just think about what a
dynamic, changing, adaptable
moment this is and how
excited I am for our future.
The interconnections that
you're making in the work
that you're doing, the
risks that you're taking,
the ways in which
you are performing,
achieving, sometimes, assuming,
messing up in the process
as well.
It's really-- we need you.
We need you to envision and
create the future with us.
And, I think, it was
really inspiring to hear
the ways in which you and
faculty are doing that today--
both leaving transformed.
So thank you all.
It was a real honor to
get to witness this.
And I hope you have a
wonderful dinner this evening.
And if Anthony is still here--
Anthony Valente
and Libby Keller.
Please come down
and see me because I
see two additional awards.
We might be able to
get those to you today.
So thanks so much.
One more round of
applause for everyone.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you and
enjoy your evening.
