Honors Grad Profiles

Proudest Moment: Thus, after completing bachelor's degree at this amazing UW, I hope to pursue my dream of becoming medical doctor and the medical anthropologist and hope to serve as the stepping stone towards inclusive community-building with cultural humility here and in Myanmar.

Thesis: apartheid, the State of Exception, and Rohingya Women in Myanmar (Burma): An Auto-Ethnographic Intervention

trinity.ttmo@gmail.com

Hi there! My name is Thu Thu and I am originally from Myanmar (Burma). Studying at the UW has been a great privilege for me as I have got to meet so many passionate and amazing people who have now become my family. From cliff diving and dipping my feet in taro farms during the study abroad trip in Hawaii to excavating the role of my own in the society fueled by apartheid and health disparities, the UW has given me so many opportunities to challenge myself beyond my own fear and the limits! What's more, through writing poetry, auto-ethnography, and storytelling, I have become more mindful and aware of the racial disparities and injustice around us.

Proudest Moment: Designing an XBOX controller so that it doesn't require fine motor control to operate. The adapted controller has large buttons and joysticks, making it more accessible for people of all abillities. Seeing it in use was my proudest moment. This was possible thanks to a Bioengineering Honors team, and later the RSO HuskyADAPT.

Thesis: Design of a System to Study Endothelial Cell Adaptation in Response to Physiological Cues In Vitro (Bioengineering Capstone Final Report)

AlexanderNovok98@gmail.com

I am an engineer, a scientist, and an advocate. The University of Washington has given me a priceless opportunity to learn while solving real, tangible problems. In research in the Zheng Lab I designed a system to control pressure and flow across blood vessels "in a Petri dish". This work was recognized by the Levinson Emerging Scholars program and presented at the Mary Gates Research Symposium (see "Design and Engineering of Open Source Hardware for Pressure Regulation in the Study of Vascular Processes" and "Venous to Arterial Endothelial Adaptation in Response to Pressure and Flow in Vitro").

Through the Bioengineering Departmental Honors program and the RSO HuskyADAPT I was part of the team that organized the first Holiday Toy Hack (see here https://bioe.uw.edu/bioengineering-outreach-and-honors-team-adapts-toys-for-children-with-disabilities-at-holiday-toy-hack-event/ and here https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/toy-hackers-help-kids-with-disabilities/367898045). I went on to organize a new team, and we worked together to adapt an XBOX controller for the needs of a local family.

I have interned at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Fractal Therapeutics, exploring new approaches to cancer treatment through computational modeling.

Finally, I have had the honor to be elected as an ASUW student senator. In this role I advocated for ensuring that Early Entrance students like myself have equal access to research opportunities (https://depts.washington.edu/asuwsen/oro/#!LegislationView/id=183233) and for housing affordability in the City of Seattle (See here https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/could-apartments-soon-go-to-the-highest-bidder-in-seattle/281-523256324 and https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-may-ban-rent-bidding-websites/).

In all of these roles, I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful teams of students, instructors and stakeholders. Thank you to all the mentors, peers and advisors who have made this experience possible. The collaborative environment, and the opportunity to make a tangible impact that benefits others are my favorite things about the university.

I plan to continue my growth in medical research and development in biomedical industry, to discover cures and improve treatments.

Proudest Moment: Actually graduating

Thesis: Engaging transfer voices An analysis of communication and information exchange between transfer students and university program

davigator@comcast.net

David is a transfer student from Seattle Central Community College. He was a reading tutor for the Washington Reading Corps at Solid Ground and a Middle School English Teaching Instructor in Foshan, China before enrolling at UW in January 2014. At UW, he was involved with various activities including as a Resident Adviser, Husky Leadership Initiative peer advisor, Unite UW facilitator, Dream Project mentor, First-Year Programs transfer ambassador, Office of Minorities and Diversity Student Advisory Board member, and a research fellow for the Center of Communication, Difference, and Equity (CCDE). This summer, he will be participating in a Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) National Undergraduate Fellowship Program internship at the University of Missouri, before becoming Unite UW Early Fall Start Program Leader. He hopes to continue advocating and supporting students who transfer and identity as underrepresented as he eventually pursues a Ph.D. in education.

Proudest Moment: One of the proudest moments for me at UW were those time when my teams won several very competitive business case competitions.

Thesis: ASC-606 Readiness and SAB 74 Disclosure Quality

kellylc31@icloud.com

I am an international student from China. I have had a challenging but wonderful 4-year experience here at UW Foster School of Business.

Foster has helped shape and define who I want to be in the future, and will continue to remind me of who I used to be, what I learned from my past and how I can take the lessons learned with me going forward.

As I am graduating, I am on the way to start my career at Deloitte Consulting NYC office. I hope Huskies can keep connected no matter where we go. Go purple, be gold!

Proudest Moment: My entire college career has been a moment of pride for me, my mother always dreamed of seeing me attending UW as a continuation of her legacy, but never got the chance. This was because she passed away my junior year of high school from cancer. I spent a great deal of time in mourning but once I saw a future at UW I knew I had to make her dream a reality. Now that it's 2018 and my graduation year, I truly feel like I’ve make her proud as well as myself.

Thesis: The Effects of Pond-Leveler Devices on Salmon Migration through Restored Riverine Beaver Pond Complexes

Born and raised on Lake Chelan, Washington, I followed in my mother’s footsteps and became a UW student, pursuing a degree in Natural and Environmental Resource Management. Since then I have accomplished a great deal, from my thesis looking at salmon migration sponsored by King County, to my role in refounding Acacia Fraternity, I have seen a lot of success at UW. This can be greatly attested to the brilliant staff here, along with the support of my friends and family over these 4 years. I plan to use my newfound understanding and knowledge to pursue a career in resource conservation, beginning with a seasonal job with the Forest Service this summer in the eastern Cascades and continuing with a trip to Bali, Indonesia to volunteer in turtle conservation. With the foundation UW has helped me lay I look forward to the rest of my life, continuing my education with my every pursuit.

Proudest Moment: Hosting Husky Hope & Help (H3) Walk

UW has helped me explore my passion for psychiatry and behavioral health nursing through various leadership and service opportunities. I got to conduct a research on the Forefront Cares program, a service provided by Forefront Suicide Prevention, through BSN Honors. I hope to discover ways to improve such community support for suicide loss survivors and to help them find appropriate resources. I am committed to reducing prejudice around mental health, encouraging people to seek help and promoting mental health in my communities.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at the UW was receiving the Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship through the Ellison Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies in 2018.

Thesis: "The Development of Question Particles in Estonian Polar Questions," "Far From Silent: The Emergence of Tintinabulli in the Film Music of Arvo Pärt"

Aside from my parents of course, I am most thankful to my many mentors and peers at the University of Washington, for asking me the right questions and giving me a model for how to live a good life.
"The student must remain true to himself. At the end of the day, everybody has to rescue himself by whatever means he can." - Arvo Pärt

Proudest Moment: When I presented at the undergraduate research symposium. That was the moment where I really felt like all the work I was doing for my thesis had really come together. I also had the opportunity to present in front of my friends and really feel proud of the work I had done.

Thesis: Under-representations of Climate Change in the Syrian Civil War

My Website anirudhruw@gmail.com

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I come from a family of Huskies. My sister graduated from the UW a few years before me and I already knew way before college applications had even started that I wanted to be a Husky too. I love spending time at the IMA, hanging out with friends at the HUB, and getting involved with RSOs like the Hiking Club or Indian Student Association. I am finishing up my degree in Geography, and I'm also studying design on the side. These past 4 years have been transformational and I can't wait for what the future has in store!

Proudest Moment: Getting accepted to the Architectural Design Major

My Website

Coming to UW has been an adventure, from finding community around the campus, to studying abroad in Italy, to late, late nights working on architecture assignments. I still remember one of my earliest days on campus walking through Gould Hall, looking at all the amazing projects in the Arch. Design program, and saying aloud "I want to go to this school, and I want to do this program!" Fast forward a few short years later and it's on to the next chapter already.

I'll never forget the memories from the program. Across all the studios I was a part of, I had the opportunity to design urban farms, schools, sculptures, private retreats, and community spaces that gave me a chance to engage with real people on real sites. Learning not just how to draw a space, but to make a meaningful connection between people and places in a design is something I will take with me for the rest of my life. Getting the chance to study abroad was also an experience that resonated deeply with everything I've learned and grown to love about Architecture, and I could not be more grateful for the time we had there.

In addition to the major, UW gave me a chance to continue working at a writing center. As a high school student, I did Running Start full-time and worked at the Highline Writing Center, which is how I learned of the Odegaard Writing and Research Center. Working one-on-one with students across all majors and fields of study was such a privilege, and helping them craft their research, personal statements, and stories was one of the most meaningful connections to the campus I've had during my stay here.

I am both sad to reach the end of this chapter and eager to start the next one. Most of all though, I am grateful for the community and memories I've made at the UW.

Proudest Moment: Receiving the Mary Gates Research Scholarship.

After transferring from UCLA in my freshman year, I have never once regretted my choice to return to my hometown and to UW. I have been very fortunate to have been afforded a number of monumental opportunities during my time as a student; I became a Mary Gates scholar in spring 2017, I studied abroad in San Sebastián, Spain in summer 2017 to complete my Spanish minor, and I have worked for two years at the Kevin King Lab in the UW Psychology Department. Through this lab, I developed and completed my departmental honors project, entitled “Impulsive Behavior as a Strategic Coping Response to Stress and Negative Mood”. These accomplishments did not come without sacrifice; I worked three jobs to support myself through my classwork and my various interests. These collective experiences motivated me to finish classes two quarters ahead of my planned graduation and move on to work full time at Northwest Neuropsychology Learning and Behavior Services, where I hold the title of Psychometrist and Behavioral/Educational Consultant. This fall, I look forward to continuing with this clinical position as well as beginning coursework for my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Seattle University. I would like to extend my deep gratitude to my mentors, including Dr. Kevin King and Madison Feil, as well as to my friends and family for supporting me throughout my undergraduate career.

Proudest Moment: Bipolar, anxiety, and substance use disorders nearly killed me, but I didn't let them.

Thesis: Understanding Geographies of Fear and Safety in Urban Transit Space

adriennehub@gmail.com

My parents met when my mom was a TA for a class my dad took during his undergrad; attending UW has always been my goal and dream. I feel immensely proud to be a third generation UW graduate. The last two years here have been challenging, transformative, and more meaningful than I know how to articulate right now. After receiving my associate degree through Running Start at Bellevue College, I immersed myself within the Geography department at UW and found my place within academia. Geography is a field wide enough to encompass all my interests; cartography, emotional geographies, public transportation, urbanism, feminist and gender studies. I love collecting maps and riding trains and talking to people about the emotions they experience in the cities they love. I am forever grateful to the UW geography community for teaching me how to experience and think critically about place and belonging. Being a part of the Geography department honors program allowed me to write the thesis I have felt compelled to write, a project that emerged from my own lived experience. I don't know exactly where I'm going next; maybe urban planning, or teaching social studies to high school kids, or working for a non-profit. Grad school is on the horizon, somewhere and at some point in time. I'll spend this summer riding trains across the country and catching up on all the reading I have been meaning to do, and then I'll find a place where I can help create some tangible change in this world (or at least in this city). I'm about to turn twenty years old and I know that my most important accomplishments are yet to come.

Proudest Moment: Presented at UW Research Symposium & Undergraduate research presentation at Stanford University

Thesis: Gender Effect on Defined Contribution Pension Plans : Evidence from SIPP Synthetic Beta

judyz1995@gmail.com

Greetings everyone!

I am very honored to part of this community! I am interested in health policy evaluations and especially those concerning the marginalized population. I wanted to bring voices to the youth, elderly and diverse ethnic groups concerning health issues. Research has given me the opportunity to explore these questions. I love to learn about the global aspect of health policy and the interdisciplinary aspects of the field ( such as behavioral studies, sociology, law etc.) I will continue pursuing this passion of mine during graduate school at Johns Hopkins University.
Storytelling has been a huge part of my experiences at University of Washington, I am proud to be part of a leadership cohort where I've learnt so much from one another, I am very grateful to all my friends ,mentors, and my family who encouraged me to take initiative and step outside my comfort zone. It has been an amazing journey! I love how photography can tell stories and I have made portfolios focused on urban life of Seattle, I will continue on my hobby in photography, creating more portfolios and keep on being adventurous! I also have a strong interest in poetry and I was super excited to get a published book along with my classmates.

Proudest Moment: Completing a research project and writing it up into a scientific paper!

Thesis: Differential Longitudinal Posterior Cingulate Cortex Connectivity Trajectories in Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's disease

s-brlee@comcast.net

Apart from research, I enjoy long distance running and writing.

Proudest Moment: Majoring in English

Phi Beta Kappa, English departmental Honors, OWRC tutor, Engl 281 TA,

Proudest Moment: Being selected as a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship.

Thesis: Associations between depression, traumatic brain injury, and cognitively-defined late-onset Alzheimer clinical syndrome subgroups

I intend to pursue a career in research and medicine. Following graduation, I am moving to Boston to work as a research associate at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, where I will study functional cancer genomics.
Outside of school/work, my favorite hobbies are running, reading, and playing the piano.

Proudest Moment: Finding my best friends at Rainy Dawg, completing my thesis, and graduating Magna Cum Laude!

Thesis: "We Gon' See the Future First": Subjection, Melancholy, and Queer Utopian Aesthetics in Frank Ocean's Blonde

My Website samwooley@comcast.net

Originally from Edmonds, Washington, I transferred to the UW my sophomore year after a short stint at Occidental College in Los Angeles. I quickly declared my English major after taking Jessica Burstein's captivating course on Modern and Postmodern Literature, where I fell in love with Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf. In my senior year, I completed the English Honors program, which allowed me to more closely explore my interest in popular media and its relation to temporality and identity. Specifically, I explored Frank Ocean's recent album Blonde and the future-oriented queer utopian aesthetic I understood it to be articulating. Outside of school, I have been involved with Rainy Dawg Radio since my first quarter on campus. That Fall, I applied to be a volunteer DJ at the student-run radio station. I ended up DJing there for two years, and this most recent year, I was able to serve as the station's Music Director. Rainy Dawg was a wonderful experience for me, allowing me to ground myself in a community within this massive campus. My future plans are currently undecided: in the next year, I hope to travel, write, and keep making rent, and in the long-term future I aim to pursue a career in either academia, high school education, literary publishing, or public radio, or perhaps some combination of these.

Proudest Moment: Co-author an academic paper that will publish soon.

chengz96@uw.edu

Glad that I spent the most memorable four years as a husky. I was lucky to get involved in multiple life-changing research projects, preparing myself for the coming Ph.D. studies. The experience, and the connections with faculties and friends are the treasures for the rest of my life, and I believe everybody feels this way.

Congratulations to all the graduates!
Go Dawgs! Go Huskies!

Proudest Moment: That day I was called on in class and had the right answer (at least I think that happend at least once)

If I wasn't a nurse I would probably bake cakes. Since baking cakes = eating cakes, I'm glad I chose the healthier route of nursing. The path to my BSN was not quick. It took about 10 years, taking 1 nursing pre-req at a time while developing my career in healthcare leadership. While the journey took longer than expected I'm glad I have context and direction in who I want to be as a nurse. I believe nurses are uniquely equipped to change healthcare for the better and I want to be a part of that. I didn't expect nursing school to change me but it has. I have been surrounded by compassionate and inspiring faculty, patients, and colleagues. They've made me a great nurse and an even better human. I am grateful to walk away changed.

Proudest Moment: Going to Russia for a conference on arctic relations.

Thesis: The Development of an Assay for the Large-Scale Measurement of the Gaseous Biomarker Hydrogen Sulfide in Blood

ddrruss@uw.edu

Hello, I started college in 2013 here at the University of Washington. I will graduate with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Medical Anthropology. Departmental Honors was a good choice, it kept me on top of my grades and it made me feel like my research was noteworthy. I am glad that I attended a school with so many research opportunities and such a multitude of classes to choose from; I was able to take everything from a class on CAD design to 2.5 years of Russian language. The research opportunities at this university were the big pull for me to attend and they did not disappoint. Conducting undergraduate research was such a good experience for me, that I realized research is what I wanted to do full time. I developed a passion for analytical chemistry and I am now coming back to UW this fall to begin a PhD program in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. I am quite excited for what the future will bring.

Proudest Moment: For as long as my passion for pediatrics has existed, I had an extraordinarily ironic fear of working with premature infants. My senior capstone clinical at the UWMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has allowed me to overcome my fear in providing care for the smallest humans and become a confident caregiver to children of all ages and sizes.

Thesis: The Doorway Cafe: Addressing Youth Homelessness with a Cafe Model

As my undergraduate career comes to a close, I reflect on all that I have accomplished in the last five years at UW and all the personal and societal values that hold more closely as a direct result of my public health and nursing education. I believe that my two deepest personal values, family and good health, are consistent with the values of most people. My future career as a pediatric nurse and practitioner not only upholds these two values, but gives me the unparalleled fulfillment of helping youth to live healthy lives so they too can become the nurses, doctors, engineers, teachers, and philanthropists of the coming generation.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at UW will be coming up soon, when I submit my full-length thesis for the English Honors program!

My Website

After starting at UW as an intended biology major, my plan was to become a physical therapist for dancers. By my junior year, I discovered that while I found my science courses to be fascinating, my true passions were in the disciplines of English, communication and dance. Working closely with outstanding faculty in the English Honors program this year has been an incredible experience for me. I have grown immensely as both a reader and a writer as a result of this program. In the future, I hope to continue developing my strengths as a reader, writer and storyteller, in the hope of sharing those passions with others.

Proudest Moment: Conducting research on a topic I was so passionate about!

Thesis: Photovoice: Illuminating the Impacts of Inclusive Education Services in United States Public Schools

My Website daniellebenedict7@gmail.com

Dani is graduating from the University of Washington with honors and a BA in Social Welfare. Throughout her journey through the School of Social Work Honors Program, she has used the opportunity to critically reflect on the current state of inclusion and special education services in our public schools using a Community-Based Participatory Approach to allow students with disabilities to advocate and be the primary voices for special education reform. While at UW Dani has filled the roles of Vice President for the Mortar Board Tolo Chapter National College Honor Society, Community Service Co-Chair for the Organization of Student Social Workers, acted as a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) Leader, Dawg Daze Leader, and former UW Dream Project mentor and High School Lead. In her future Dani will be continuing her academic career by pursuing a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families. In her future Dani looks forward to supporting people with disabilities in attaining inclusion through meaningful employment in the community and having equitable access to education.

Proudest Moment: Speaking to students in Dr. Jessica Beyer's Cybersecurity class about my summer research experiences at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It was a great opportunity to encourage social science students to get involved with technology research!

Thesis: Solving the Cyber Cooperation Conundrum: Lessons from Land, Sea, and War

My Website eleanormount1@gmail.com

I'm passionate about using technology to improve institutional inefficiencies and making complicated subjects simple. I've applied my interests and skills in a number of settings, including my Honors thesis with the Department of Political Science, a National Laboratory in a cybersecurity internship program, and most recently, my new job at a Healthcare tech company!

Proudest Moment: My honors thesis on #MeToo, my EDUC 401 program, where I mentored three individuals for three separate quarters, and winning second place at the Deloitte Case Competition for consulting.

Thesis: #MeToo: To what extent does hashtag activism around #MeToo spur cultural and institutional changes?

My Website pdoowa@uw.edu

I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand and I moved to Seattle for my undergraduate studies at the University of Washington. I am graduating with a Journalism degree with minors in Nutritional Sciences and Writing. During my time at the UW, I have received two scholarships, the Max & Monica Journalism Scholarship and the Marjorie Kaczor Alhadeff Endowed Scholarship for Journalism. I am interested in pursuing a career in consulting and marketing post-graduation but I have a passion for travelling so I'll be doing that during the summer!

Proudest Moment: Presenting research at the 21st UW Undergraduate Symposium with my lab partner, Hannah.

I entered the University of Washington knowing that I wanted to study Philosophy. At the time, I was unsure of how I could use Philosophy to impact the world beyond academia, but I was driven by my curiosity to study it nonetheless. I wanted to understand the world and to me, studying Philosophy was the best way to do this. Through my classes, I was able to engage in discussions concerning identity, quality of life, and what it means to be an epistemic agent in the world. I was given the opportunity to connect these discussions outside the college classroom by working with the Philosophy for Children Center, which focuses on empowering k-12 students through providing them the space to explore their own ideas. By working with k-12 students, I found that the students were asking the same questions, trying to understand the world similarly as me. I also found that many students were unable to fully engage with these questions because of overarching issues. Being a first-generation student myself, I understood the difficulties of focusing on school when other issues are prevalent. It made me passionate to learn about and address these issues through classes and research. I began dedicating myself to learning about ways to address inequities in education, focusing primarily on accessibility issues. As I leave UW, I hope to continue to learn and implement ways to make education accessible to all because a good education leads to more opportunities to live the life one wants, which in many cases increases the quality.

Proudest Moment: Playing for the University of Washington ice hockey team for 4 years

Thesis: Survival Under Foreign Pressure: How Authoritarian Regimes React To International Sanctions

sm@simonmachalek.com

What an interesting journey it has been. As an international student, I came to University of Washington by myself across half of the world in order to pursue my dreams and advance in my career. Now that I am done with my studies here, I cannot describe how interesting and how beneficial was my time in Seattle.

All 4 years shaped who I am today, but the most defining experience was definitely the Honors program, through which I had the time and opportunity to work with amazing people and really focus on what interests me the most. The resulting thesis, which examines how authoritarians react to international sanctions and how they cope with the effects, has revealed to me what are my true passions and what I want to focus on in the future. To me, this is priceless and I am grateful for the opportunity I was given.

Although it feels unreal, it's time to leave Seattle and move on to the next chapter. In Fall I will begin studies at the Georgetown University, where I will pursue a master's degree in Security Studies. I cannot wait to continue in my path forward.

Proudest Moment: Being able to pull my grades and requirements together in 2 years to graduate with UW honors

I started my college education in Oregon where I first discovered traditional philosophy and political philosophy-- immediately falling in love. As I progressed in my studies, I felt unfulfilled, as philosophy often makes one feel. So I packed up my life and left to study in the heart of it all; Rome. While learning amongst some of the oldest structures of "modern" government, I was also able to travel around Europe visiting historical landmarks such as the Acropolis, Sachsenhausen, and the Sagrada Família. I visited 7 countries and saw everything Italy had to offer from the Northern mountains to the bright blue coast, and the rolling hills of Tuscany. Here, I decided I needed to be at a university that had like-minded people willing to seriously question the condition of the world my generation is inheriting. I found these people in my philosophy classes at the University of Washington. Being able to be surrounded by an environment where being a "nerd" is the status quo, I felt I didn't have to hide how much I cared about my studies anymore. Thus, over my short two years here I have been challenged and grown so much. After Trump was elected, I started an internship at Senator Patty Murray's office through UW which taught me the value of individual citizen's voices, local government, and grassroots organizations. In my academics at UW, I have learned so much from my peers and my professors as well as from myself. UW truly has fostered the academic environment I needed in my undergraduate career in order to introspectively reflect on how I want to be as a person.

Proudest Moment: I have always dreamed of going to veterinary school, and I knew that with enough hard work I’d make it there. What I did not yet know was the amazing community of people I would surround myself with in my time at UW who helped me reach my goals and celebrated my success by my side.

The opportunities I’ve been given as a UW student have shaped me into the person I am today, and continue to push me forward toward achieving my goals. Through my sorority, I have discovered my strengths as a leader and the power of teamwork. Through the UW Pre-Vet Society, I built connections that helped me gain first vet assistant job, guided me through the vet school application process, and brought me new friends. Academically, several professors on this campus pushed my thinking and challenged me in ways I didn’t expect, and I am better for it. I am fortunate enough to have received several scholarships that made it possible for me to attend UW while saving for veterinary school which I’ll be starting this fall.

Proudest Moment: Graduating and earning my Baccalaureate degree from the University of Washington with Departmental Honors has been my proudest moment here. It demonstrates my discipline into being a critical thinker and continuously learning. It is more than just a piece of paper earned, it is a journey in which I committed my blood, sweat, and tears to.

Thesis: “Maybe I Shouldn’t Buy a Coffee so I can Pay Off my Student Loans”: Racial Differences in the Moralization of Student Debt

yanac@uw.edu

This is me. A self portrait drawn in graphite. This portrait captures much more of who I am than a photo ever will because I created this representational image of myself, who I am, and what I see. I love drawing, painting, and sketching but I also am a child and first time University graduate of immigrant parents. I have seen and experienced many cultures and ways of life and gone through life's journey leading me here to the University of Washington. During my time here I have gained experience and educated myself in as many disciplines as possible such as art, technology, computer programming, and Sociology. All of these may seem unrelated on the surface but really they all have a connection in the way we learn as people, how we as a society and culture interact with each other, and how we as people develop our identity and sense of self. For four years at the University of Washington I explored the nuances of life, learned about various disciplines in many different fields of knowledge, which all gave greater meaning to my life and my journey for the future. Especially, as an Honors Sociology student and researcher I delved into the studies of society, culture, and people and why we create the lives that we do. Getting down and dirty into the field of social science research taught me a lot about the tendencies of society and the conceptualizations of morality. However, as I learned about other people I also learned about myself which is the greatest gift that this educational journey has given me.
Looking back on my past four years here at the University of Washington and my life I have also taken part in so many amazing positions and opportunities from working with Senator Maria Cantwell to the Seattle City Prosecutors office in the Criminal division to computer software and programming to the Honors Sociology program during my last year here. I am grateful for every single one of these experiences as they have taught me about myself and what my true passions are in life. No matter what I choose to do with my future each opportunity taught me valuable knowledge and skills that are irreplaceable.
For my future I want to incorporate all of my passions and all of these experiences together because no career, job, or area of life is isolated. Science and technology require art just like art requires ideas of science, technology, and innovation. I am excited for what is to come and everything that I will succeed in.

Proudest Moment: Graduating with departmental honors

Thesis: The Power of Microcelebrities: Difference in Perceived Credibility Between Male and Female Microcelebrities and Traditional Celebrities

brianchan28ph@gmail.com

If someone were to ask me in 2016 where I would be in 2018, the answer would probably be an underwhelming “school I guess”.
Fast forward two years, and I’m delighted to say I'm graduating from one of the best public universities in the nation with honors one year ahead of schedule, headed to graduate school for a master's degree in communication.
An immigrant from Hong Kong, I moved to Washington state at age 15. My broken English back then meant I could barely speak for myself, and with a transferred GPA of 1.4, my grades did not speak highly of me either. After a few years of adapting to a vastly different culture and environment, I was miraculously admitted to the University of Washington.
Regardless of how reassuring the admission sounded, hurdles were still present as I fought through dyslexia. Through my endeavor to excel in school, help from a number of marvelous professors, and an urge to do research, I was introduced to the Department of Communication's honors program. For the first time, I acquired a multitude of research methods, and was exposed to literature of various disciplines and the depth and breadth of knowledge research brings to the world.
Unlike most other jobs, doing research means every bit of your time committed is a learning opportunity. Whether it be reviewing literature or analyzing data, there is is something valuable in every step of the way, and by becoming a researcher anyone can discover or reveal a piece of knowledge no one has ever figured out before.
Being in the Department of Communication’s honors program is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life thus far, hence I encourage everyone to join one at the University of Washington if possible. It has changed my life forever and I regret nothing. The future is brighter than ever because of research.

Proudest Moment: My experience as a Sociology Honors student and working closely with my mentor Professor Edgar Kiser and Professor Sarah Quinn, the director of Sociology honors program, surely prepared me for the rigors of the Ph.D. program.

Thesis: Making and Transcending Boundaries: The Effect of Rituals on Interethnic Relations

raminj@uw.edu

I am Azerbaijani, a divided nation by geopolitical borders and denied contact during the Soviet era. As a member of an ethnic minority in Iran, I have experienced multiple forms of inequality and oppression. While banning our mother language, the state deemed the Persian language and culture alone as authentically Iranian. I witnessed my relatives in Iran forced to emigrate from Azerbaijani populated provinces to find construction work in Persian areas. I eventually learned that Iran’s highest rate of emigration occurs in Azerbaijani-populated provinces. These and other social and institutionalized injustices led me to join the Azerbaijani anti-racist movement in order to advocate Azerbaijani cultural rights and oppose discriminatory economic and environmental policies of the state.
My personal history, though unique in many respects, unfolded in the context of social, economic, and political conditions that exist in many societies. I come from an ethnic minority in Iran humiliated for their accent when speaking Persian and subjected to multiple forms of discrimination designed to silence them. It has meant everything to me to pursue my studies in this country, unfettered by discrimination and persecution for my ideas or my refugee status. Coming to the US allows me to pursue an academic career, but I also see it as an opportunity to enrich our understanding of and give voice to various minority groups (e.g., ethnic, gender, racial) that have also been silenced. Motivated by the goal of achieving a just and inclusive society, I studied in the Department of Sociology.
Within two months of arriving in the United States, I attended Green River College and learned especially from my mentors Professor Carlos Adams and Professor Brad Johnson. My experience as a Sociology Honors student and working closely with my mentor Professor Edgar Kiser and Professor Sarah Quinn, the director of Sociology honors program, surely prepared me for the rigors of the Ph.D. program. This fall, I am coming back to UW as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology. I am deeply indebted to my mentors in both schools, my family, and my friends for their support along the way.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest memories is working with high school students on college admission through the Pipeline Project.

I recently graduated from the University of Washington magna cum laude with a degree in English. I'm currently pursuing a Masters in Teaching at the UW with a Secondary English Language Arts Endorsement, and I hope to become a high school English teacher in the Seattle area.

Proudest Moment: Presenting my research on drug policy at the ACLU of Washington

Thesis: Framing "Safe" Drug Use: King County's Debate Over Supervised Consumption Sites

raman.medha@gmail.com

I've always been passionate about social justice. Growing up in an immigrant family centered in patriarchal norms and values, I first grew interested in the world of social justice as an advocate for women's rights. Since then, my interests have broadened to encompass a variety of social justice issues from criminal justice reform to educational inequality.

I've focused my work at UW on these issues, both inside the classroom and outside. Through my courses, I've learned about institutional racism, the prison-industrial complex, sexual assault and the law, and immigration policy and reform. I've taken this knowledge and applied it to my work outside UW, interning with the US Department of Labor Women's Bureau, the ACLU of Washington, and Pramila for Congress. I've also worked as a teaching assistant and mentor for low-income and first generation high school students in South King County with UW Dream Project, a volunteer at the Washington Corrections Center for Women with the Incarcerated Mothers Advocacy Project, and a Resident Adviser on campus.

After graduation, I plan to continue my work promoting social justice as a Program Coordinator for the UW School of Social Work.

Proudest Moment: when my department annonced my name as a honor student

i1980198@uw.edu

I am UW student in Seattle campus, and I studied double major. I am immigrant from Iraq, I came in June 2012. I am mother for three kids. I lived hard life with more war, stresses, and lots of responsibilities, but all of that give me motivation to continue seeking better life and achieving my goals. I started to study at as soon as I came to the US. I am working in integrative brain research at Seattle Children Hospital Research institute to find a cure for diseases that associated with the motion deficit. This is just part of my journey, my goal is to study medical school and be a neurosurgeon and researcher at the same time to involve in treatment of untreated diseases, such as Parkinson's diseases and multiple sclerosis. Even though, I had hard life and lots of responsibilities, I still go forward to achieve my goals and serve the community, to prove to people who surrounded me that being mother is not a barrier to achieve your dream and living hard life should not stress you but it can be good motivation to push you forward and be what you like to be.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa as a junior.

Thesis: Differential Development of Myelin in the Zebra Finch Song System Corresponds to Faster Song Tempo

One of my most significant experiences has been undergraduate research in Dr. David Perkel’s lab studying the neural mechanisms of learning, memory, and vocalization that allow singing in songbirds like zebra finches. I discovered how much I enjoy the challenges of research and understanding how research can translate into clinical medicine and patient care.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my coursework to earn degrees in Neurobiology and Psychology. I love studying everything and anything about the nervous system, from molecular mechanisms to anatomy, from neuropharmacology to the neural basis of human behavior.

During my Husky years, I discovered my passion for helping others. I now know that I want to help people improve their health and I plan to attend medical school. I am very grateful for love and support from my family, friends, and mentors. I am also proud to earn Departmental Honors in Neurobiology and be a part of the UW Honors Family.

Proudest Moment: Being a member of the Washington Hyperloop team

sev.sando@gmail.com

When I moved to Seattle from Canada in my senior year of high school, I didn't know what an SAT was, I didn't know which universities were good, and I was desperate to develop a new social group and learn how to navigate this new country of mine. All I did know was that I wanted to learn about airplanes.

I'll be honest, after four years of engineering school I am STILL blown away by airplanes. HOW DO THESE THINGS EVEN FLY?! I joined this department to uncover the mystery of flight and I am coming out even more intrigued, and even more enthused. I have worked in the Quantitative Flow Visualization lab for two years, run wind tunnel tests, built a rocket for the Hyperloop team, and studied aviation in France one summer. I think I like planes more than the average bear...

Technical stuff aside, one of the things I have enjoyed most about my time at UW has been sharing my experiences with younger students. I have been a College of Engineering Peer Mentor, and I have organized and participated in countless elementary school science fairs as the Outreach Coordinator for UW's chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This major and this department are rooted in passion, and I found profound satisfaction in sharing that passion with the next generation of engineers.

While I have experienced some incredible things in my four years here, the most valuable things I gained were the outstanding friends I met. I learned a deep appreciation for putting myself in a positive and supportive environment, and these lifelong friends I met who create that for me are worth more than any degree.

I grew and learned immeasurably at UW, and I am incredibly appreciative for my time here. It has prepared me for an exciting future and I can't wait for what is to come.