Honors Grad Profiles

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.

Proudest Moment: When I received a 4.0 in an extremely mathematically challenging course on financial derivatives, even with my strong aversion to math.

I am passionate about cooking, reading, fitness, and music (both playing and listening to). I also love watching movies and am a total film snob.

Some things I've accomplished are: Attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, going on a month long solo backpacking trip to Mexico, and graduating (hopefully) from the UW with a business degree.

Proudest Moment: Receiving an internship with a PNW artist!

I will be graduating from UW as a first-generation college student with a BA in Art History & History. During my time at the UW I've worked as a manager for the Student Technology Loan Program, a Cataloguing Intern for a PNW artist, and as an undergraduate tutor.

I have also been a part of Alpha Phi sorority, where I've held several leadership positions to help further improve sisterhood and philanthropic influence. I was also a part of History Honors Society as the Treasurer and general member.

In my free time, I love exploring beautiful Seattle and taking occasional trips outside of the U.S. Most of my free time is committed to visit various art museums, eating my way through any city, running, and doing everything with of my friends!!

Proudest Moment: The feeling of relief & happiness from publishing two research reports within the span of three months!

Thesis: Victimization in Post-Conflict Recovery: The Effects of International Language, Media, and Social Identity on Persons with Disabilities in Sierra Leone

grace.stephenson@yahoo.com

These past four years have shaped both my personal and career goals - I have grown immensely and been able to explore and refine my interests in social justice, health, and human rights!

My passion for public health and justice strives from my belief that everyone deserves access to services and health. Yet so many people are systematically denied this right, particularly marginalized communities. I really hope that I can do my small part to push for equity in the US and abroad throughout my life.

Senior year, I was able to do research in two fields. Through the JSIS Honors program, I worked closely with professors and local organizations on research related to persons with disabilities in post-conflict recovery. Through Task Force, I was able to be a part of a lovely team that researched human rights abuses & ICE Air Operations in King County.

When I went to India for three months and worked at a few nonprofits my sophomore year, I knew that if I wanted to be useful I needed to learn Hindi. So I have been taking Hindi at the UW for the past two years. It's been really, really hard but rewarding! I hope to work on issues surrounding human rights in India one day, particularly around sexual and gender based violence.

Working with Its On Us, the campaign to stop sexual assault on college campuses, both nationally and at UW, I have been able to advocate for those affected and provide resources on campus. This continued as I did research on trauma-focused care on campuses with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Center! I have loved dedicating my time to something so important.

There are so many causes I want to work on - but when I'm not working I love to paint, travel, spend time outdoors, watch hysterically bad movies, and eat (a lot).

I am excited to start working in the field & hopefully traveling before grad school in a few years!

Proudest Moment: Completing my degree in three years and exactly 180 credits!

Thesis: Elements of Compromised Autobiographical Memory and PTSD

vanesl@uw.edu

I love music, good reads, and getting outside! It was a pride and joy to lead The Veritas Forum at UW for three years and I have a similar desire to be gracious and conversational with people who think differently than I do. I love themes of generativity and creativity out of trauma, and I hope to bring such components of healing into my work with trauma populations in the future.

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: 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: Completing my 9 month long capstone project and finding an amazing team of support throughout my journey at UW.

Thesis: Utilizing Technology for Interpretive Materials in Urban Parks (Friends of Discovery Park)

pakgina96@yahoo.com

I'm entirely grateful for my experience at the University of Washington. I have learned so much about how to think critically and work with different groups of people on a variety of projects, while also balancing work and a social life. I'm so passionate about the environment, sustainability and building community! I cannot wait to use these skills I have gained through my undergraduate experience to make an impact on the world, no matter how small or large!

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Majoring in English

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

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: The best moment was getting into my major, the Architecture school became a second home!

Thesis: Soak in the Rain: Designing for Our Climate by Engaging the Senses

Four years seemed to go by in four seconds. Over the past several years I have enjoyed staying involved at UW. I started my freshman and sophomore year in leadership for HFS, participating in Hall Council and eventually the Residential Programming Board. After getting into my major I participated in the student led groups, AIAS, The CBE Student Council, Happy Hour Committee, and ASUW Achitectural Commission Board. I met life long friends in my architecture studios and learned a lot within my design classes. In 2019 I was able to be apart of the Furniture Design studio and entered my finished piece in the Interior Designers of Idaho Chair Affair (a furniture competition for students and professionals in Boise) and won Best Functional Design. I also was able to do independent research throughout 2019 and presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. To finish off my time at UW I was recently awarded along with another classmate the "Faculty Award for Scholarship and Leadership". It was a long journey but I couldn't have done it without the support of friends, my professors and advisors, family, and coffee.

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: 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: Finishing the Russian language series

Thesis: Information Operations in Action: Russian Trolls and Black Lives Matter on Twitter

Coming from Texas, I had no idea what to expect from both UW and Seattle, but after four years I have found my academic passions and a great community! I learned Russian, studied abroad in Moldova and Greenland, and discovered my passion for both cybersecurity and climate change. Developing and writing my honors thesis on disinformation was perhaps one of the most intellectually challenging things I did during my time at UW, but it is something I'm incredibly proud of completing. During my time at UW, I researched for the UNFPA and Microsoft, worked as a writing tutor at the POL S/JSIS/LSJ writing center, and served as a mentor to international students. Even though studying at UW was often challenging, I am sad to be leaving the campus and incredibly glad I chose to make Seattle my home.

Proudest Moment: Completing my individual capstone research project!

sarah.kneadler@gmail.com

I will be graduating from UW spring of 2019 from the ESRM department with departmental honors. My interests include natural resource management, corporate social responsibility, sustainable business practices, and sales! I love everything the PNW has to offer, like gorgeous scenery and a yummy Top Pot donut from time to time.

Proudest Moment: On top of winning "Best Poster Presentation" at the Program on the Environment Spring 2019 Capstone Symposium for her internship project, the trail recommendations she produced from a nine week long camera trap study were accepted and included in the Conservation Plan of her organization, Bainbridge Island Land Trust. This showed that Ariana's work and studies were meaningful and impactful for positive environmental change!

Thesis: Barking Up the Wrong Trail: How Trail Users and their Dogs Impact Wildlife

arianamwinkler@gmail.com

Ariana Winkler is graduating with degrees in Environmental Science and Resource Management (BS, Honors) and Environmental Studies (BA, Honors) with minors in Quantitative Science and Restoration Ecology. With an interdisciplinary approach to academia, her interests include environmental justice, wildlife, camera traps, statistics and modeling, restoration ecology and climate change mitigation. She appreciates the use of statistics and environmental knowledge to solve socio-ecological problems. Over the four years at UW, she has gained experience in camera trapping, analytical science, ecological field research and the interdisciplinary studies of the environment.
Being out in nature is one of Ariana's favorite features of her studies. Her most treasured memories include fieldwork classes like the Friday Harbor Laboratory Marine Biology Quarter, ESRM 459 Wildlife Conservation in the Northwest, ESRM 304 Environmental Resource Assessment in Pack Forest, the entire Restoration Ecology Capstone series and a Costa Rica study abroad course, where she hiked up to three times a day. In partnership with Osa Conservation in Costa Rica, Ariana modeled occupancy for ocelots on the Osa Peninsula, integrating her passions for wildlife and statistics.
With two degrees, she participated in two amazing capstones. As part of a team of six students, Ariana planned and implemented the restoration of a degraded forest ecosystem located in North Rose Hill Woodlands Park. In her other capstone, she interned with Bainbridge Island Land Trust to design and deploy a nine week long camera trap study, producing over six thousand photos. She used this camera trap data to create ecologically sound trail recommendations based on wildlife and human disturbance.
In addition to her studies, Ariana worked part-time throughout college, using her analytical and scientific skills as a lab technician at a private environmental laboratory. Applying her interest of environmental justice and climate change mitigation, she was a Regional Organizer for the Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network and was heavily involved in DivestUW.
Ariana hopes to apply her skills in wildlife, land management and statistics to a job in the environmental sector. Nonetheless, Ariana knows learning never stops. After gaining some experience and getting a break from academia, she will look into pursuing a Master's degree in quantitative wildlife ecology.

Proudest Moment: Rushing the field after beating Stanford at Husky Stadium my sophomore year.

My interests are soccer, traveling, and going to new restaurants with my friends.

Proudest Moment: Completeing undergraduate research and presenting my capstone at the research syposium.

Thesis: Black Bear Occupancy Modeling in Washington State

When I'm not studying, I make time to read and run everyday. I race trail and ultramarathons competitively and make sure I always find time to prioritize my passions outside of school.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a Battelle Scholar through Washington State Opportunity Scholarship

Thesis: Preventing Guidewire Loss During Venous Catheterization

Becky is working with Renda Palo and anesthesiologists Dr. Amber Franz and Dr. Bukola Ojo of Seattle Children’s Hospital to optimize central venous catheterization through UW Engineering Innovation in Health. Outside of school, Becky matches people in mentorship pairings as BMES Crosslink chair, and she spends most of her free time dancing. She fell in love with dance at the age of 4 when she took her first ballet class and throughout her childhood she was classically trained in ballet while also practicing modern, jazz, and lyrical dance. After a few years away from dance, she reentered the scene by learning salsa and bachata as she began school at the University of Washington. She was a member of the UW salsa club and assisted Professor Juliet McMains teaching salsa levels 1 and 2. After graduation, she will spend the summer working at Glossier in the Seattle Pop-up, teaching salsa and bachata dance, as well as learning how to dance zouk. In the fall, she will begin her role as a Consulting Analyst at Accenture.

Proudest Moment: Acknowledging the Original Stewards of the Land when presenting my thesis at the Research Symposium

Thesis: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Environmental Engagement

alishia.orloff@yale.edu

Alishia Orloff is an undergraduate researcher currently in her last year obtaining a B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management. She has a strong interest in terrestrial and riparian ecology. Conducting ecological research across the nation, she has developed a greater appreciation for Traditional Ecological Knowledges as a lens for developing holistic land management. Alishia aspires to share her experience in holistic scientific methodology and ultimately challenge dominant narratives of western ways of knowing. Aside from her ambitions in her field, she also takes great efforts to engage communities on sustainability through education in the Pipeline Project, restoration in the Society of Ecological Restoration, and food sovereignty at the UW farm. Alishia enjoys playing piano and flute in local ensembles and symphonies as much as she does freelancing and busking. Over her years at University, she has picked up interest in Ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, lifting, yoga, and oil painting. Continuing her endeavors, she will continue to question frameworks and push boundaries at Yale University for graduate school.

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: Making the Dean's List with a 3.8 GPA while taking 19 credits.

Thesis: Black Student-Athletes' Experience at Predominantly White Institutes

I am a former full-scholarship Tight End for the UW football team. I struggled in school for my first 2.5 years of college because I didn't care about school and never believed I could succeed. I made a switch in my approach to school late in my sophomore year, in the midst of battling through multiple injuries.

I turned my entire academic experience around starting from ground zero. I didn't know how to study or what studying really looked like. After turning my grades around from 2.6s to now 3.7s+, I am now driven to set the example for other Black student-athletes and people of color in general. I will continue to break barriers that were set in front of Black students, in particular, Black student-athletes, of what we can and can't do.

My accomplishments are as follows:

1. Securing an internship with Amazon Web Services as a Product Marketing Intern

2. Student Athlete Leadership Forum, PAC 12 Representative:
Selected as one of two student athletes conference wide to represent the PAC 12 in Orlando, Florida

3. Sigma Leadership Conference, Motivational Keynote Speaker:
Spoke to a group of minorities, 9th-12th grade, about what it takes to be successful and excel not only in college but as a future business leader

4. Student Athlete Leadership Team, UW Athletics Representative:
Selected to represent UW athletics regarding athlete legislation at NCAA conference

5. UW Board of Regents Representative
Selected to represent all UW student-athletes to talk about the student-athlete experience in both academics and sports

6. Husky Leadership Academy - Executive Leadership Certificate recipient:
One-year designed to challenge UW student-athletes through coursework in leadership competencies and experiences. Provides participants with tools to effectively lead themselves and others, navigate challenging environments, and empower others to lead.

7. Washington Student Athlete Advisory Committee (WSAAC):
Gave input on NCAA legislation centered on Division I athletics; serves as the voice of the student-athlete at the University of Washington on how to improve our community

Proudest Moment: Cutting the ribbon on a project that our studio designed and built for Nathan Hale High School!

Thesis: No building is an island: the role of design in sustainability, stewardship, and culture

My Website

When I was accepted to UW, I wasn't sure which direction I was going to go - I decided to give architecture a shot as a compromise between science, art, research and action. Four years later, I have found a passion for built environments and their role in a rapidly-changing world. UW has given me the opportunity to hone an interest into a career path, while staying true to my values - balancing technical as well as theoretical aspects of scholarship and practice. I use the skills the Department of Architecture has given me every day, as I continue to negotiate between research and industry for sustainable future cities.

It takes a village - polishing my passion for architecture would not have been possible without my mentors and colleagues, who challenged me to think farther, broader, and deeper in every studio. I am extremely grateful to Kate SImonen, Gundula Proksch, Rob Peña, Jen Dee and Kristian Næsby for their guidance, patience and optimism - and to my classmates and friends for always lending their ears, advice, kindness and various drafting/modeling supplies that I forgot to bring.

Proudest Moment: Completing my Honors Thesis

Thesis: The Road to the Ballot Box: A discussion of how quality of infrastructure effects elections

bkrben@gmail.com

I'm a jazz bassist. I have substantially lost 70+ pounds since the end of my freshmen year. I love public transportation. I currently am heading towards a career in public policy: I'm an admitted student to the Evans School of Public Policy and I work for the Ruckelshaus Center for Public Policy.

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 able to graduate with honors

Thesis: Resting-State EEG predicts learning rates in different languages

Majored in Early Childhood and Family Studies and Psychology, I am satisfied with my journey of learning at UW. Last year, I was able to study at University of British Columbia as an exchange student for an entire year. It was probably one of my best memories at UW. I am so glad I made the choice to study abroad to experience different cultures and to expand on my horizon. The guidance offered by my thesis mentor has greatly helped me to finish my project. I am deeply appreciative of her help. My mentor at the Husky Leadership Program is very supportive of me. I have learned a lot from her. After graduating from UW, I will pursue a graduate degree in education at Teachers College in New York this fall.

Interests: foodie, finding good bubble teas, playing educational games, ice-skating, watching classic/old movies

Proudest Moment: Hosting an charity event with my club (Beta Alpha Psi) that raised over 15,000 for Seattle Children's Hospital and brought the Seattle business community together for a great cause.

jtp.1122@gmail.com

I just graduated from the Foster School of Business in Accounting and am returning next year to complete a Masters of Science in Taxation. I am interning in tax services at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) this summer in Seattle and am looking forward to progressing in a tax career.

My interests include:
1. Fitness: Weight-Lifting, Running, and Playing Basketball.
2. Watching Basketball, Football, and Baseball. 3.
Playing Fantasy Sports.
4. TV shows: Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and Billions are among my all-time favorites.

Proudest Moment: Getting accepted to my dream summer research program and then an amazing Ph.D. program!

Thesis: The spectrum of the adjacency operator on graphs

I am so honored and happy to be graduating from a university with such great traditions and history as the University of Washington! This fall, I begin a Ph.D. program in applied and computational math, for which UW has excellently prepared me. During my time here, I have had the opportunity to get involved in undergraduate research, obtained a life-changing summer research position, graded coursework in the math department, and met so many brilliant and inspiring mathematicians. Uncountable thanks to all of my mentors – I couldn't have done this without you!

Proudest Moment: Attending the capstone symposium and presenting my lightning talk

Thesis: Making Your Spring Break Sustainable: Can Tourism Be A Driver for Positive Environmental Change?

kort89@uw.edu

I am recent honors graduate from the University of Washington's Program on the Environment. I completed my undergraduate research in Mexico, where I studied sustainability in the heritage and tourism fields. My main interests are in creating better management techniques so that the travel industry can be more socially and ecologically responsible; and doing interdisciplinary research and applying systems thinking approaches to different problems. I have had the opportunity to develop many of my skills through study abroads in China and in Mexico. I am currently working with a Cultural Heritage Management non-profit in Mexico where I am attending and planning conferences for people in the travel, tourism, and heritage fields and I hope to start a podcast that addresses sustainability in travel.

Proudest Moment: I am proud to have served as the ASUW Pacific Islander Student Commission Director from 2016-2017 and to have been named a Husky 100.

Thesis: Precarious Histories: Legacy Workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

I am the child of Filipino migrant contract workers to the CNMI and embody the culmination of my parents' sacrifices. My Husky Experience gave me a platform to find empowerment in my identity as a queer Filipinx born in the Northern Mariana Islands through opportunities that enabled me to apply my own story and my family's story in leadership and academia. My goal is to serve as an attorney for the people of the Marianas, especially migrant workers and Pacific Islanders marginalized by U.S. federal law and policies.

Proudest Moment: Gaining so many great mentors in various aspects whether its professionally, academically, or life in general.

Thesis: Assessing reliance on Pacific salmon as a food source for brown bears (Ursus arctos)

hyejooro97@gmail.com

I am really grateful to have various research experiences through my time at UW. I was able to help with a variety of different grad student projects, and work on my own research as well. Because of research, I've spent a lot of hours in a lab or in front of a computer screen, but what I love most about aquatic sciences are the times spent out in the field.
After spending a good chunk of my life dedicated to school, I am looking forward to seeing what's next in this upcoming chapter of life, and I hope it includes time to travel/explore.

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: When our team's work got accepted into ACL

Thesis: A Knowledge Incorporation Framework for Medical Natural Language Inference

During my four years at UW, I found my interests in computer science and linguistics, two seemingly irrelevant fields that are actually connected in many ways. I eventually ended up doing research at their intersection, natural language processing (NLP). I've been fortunate to have had amazing research experiences at Prof. Fei Xia's lab as well as in the industry, and the classes that I've taken at UW have excellently prepared me for these opportunities.

I will be returning to UW for my Master's degree to continue my learning!

Proudest Moment: Working together with 4 fellow Chemical Engineering undergraduates and 1 MBA student to win the Social Impact Prize at the 2019 Dempsey Startup Competition

My experience as a Husky is defined by so much more than just working through challenging engineering problems. It was a time where I really got to explore my true passion, potential and purpose.

In my time here, I have been fortunate to have my family, mentors and friends support me in all of my personal and academic endeavors. For all that I have been able to achieve during my time here, I owe it all to them.

Proudest Moment: Completing my honors thesis and making it to NCAAs my sophomore year

Thesis: Diffusion of Agricultural Innovation: A case study of the use of biosolids in the state of Washington

Annamaxwell@Comcast.net

I had the honor of running on the UW Track and Field and Cross Country team for the past five years while completing a BS in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource management and a BA in Political Science. I love hiking, biking, trail running, birding, photography, and anything to do with rivers. I hope to run the Boston Marathon next year while I study for the LSAT.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was when I submitted my thesis after a year and a half of research and writing in both the Dominican Republic and New York.

Thesis: Motivations Driving the Differentiated Electoral Behavior of the Dominican Diaspora in New York during the 2012 and 2016 Dominican Presidential Elections

marielletrumbauer@gmail.com

My college career has defined and sparked in my a passion for activism. I spent my freshman year in Ireland at Trinity College Dublin before transferring to UW. During my time at UW, I worked on a Presidential campaign in Florida, a Senatorial campaign in Louisiana, and a Congressional campaign in Georgia. I also interned with the State Department in the Dominican Republic and the House of Representatives.

I began my college career as a business major, but later found my passion for politics and international relations. Applying to the Jackson School of International Studies was one of the best decisions that I made during my time at UW. I was able to serve as the President of the Jackson School Student Association (JSSA) and partake in the Departmental Honors Program. I joined my fellow honors classmate in her research in rural India, conducted research in the Dominican Republic, and did interviews all throughout New York City to compile an 84-page thesis that proved factors of corruption as motivators behind differentiated voting patterns in the diaspora.

My experience during the past three years at UW has inspired me to work in politics and stand up for marginalized populations. I plan to attend law school in the next three years and move to Washington D.C. with the goal of working for a Congressional Office.

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: My proudest moment at UW is graduating as a first generation college student!

It has been really awesome to be a UW student. I've really found my passion here, in art no less (every mother's worst nightmare!) But UW has shaped me to be who I am today and has set me on a life path where I can actually be happy.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a Bonderman Fellow

Thesis: Diet Composition of Carnivores in the Western United States Over the Last Century

thadeus@uw.edu

From a very young age, I have had a love for the outdoors and studying animals. Both of my parents have jobs in the environmental field, leading me to aspire to be like them when I came of age. They have been my biggest supporters and I cannot thank them enough for encouraging me while I pursue my dreams. I am currently an undergraduate student in my last year at the University of Washington. I am obtaining a B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management with a focus in Wildlife Conservation. I am also minoring in Quantitative Science. Before attending the UW, I transferred universities twice while balancing financial hardships with my scholarly career. I am extremely proud to be graduating alongside my peers, having finished my bachelor's in only four years. My time here at the University of Washington has provided me with many resources and truly set me up for the future. While at the UW, I have worked in both the Predator Ecology lab and the Disturbance Ecology lab in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Both experiences have prepared me for a career in the realm of ecology and inspired me to continue my education in a graduate program. Before starting graduate school, I have accepted a wildlife technician position with the University of Illinois - Springfield where I will be reintroducing and monitoring state endangered Osprey. Following this summer, I have the privilege of travelling the world as part of the Bonderman Travel Fellowship. My long-term career aspirations are to work for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or United States Fish and Wildlife Service managing wildlife populations, specifically focusing on predators.

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: As a state need grant recipient myself, I am most proud of the passing of HB 2158, which secures funding to exempt students with families that make under 50K from paying tuition in any higher education institution in the state. It is the first successful free college tuition program of its kind and it makes me proud of the collective work we did to make this happen as Higher Ed advocates!!

Thesis: Neoliberalism: An ineffective Shorthand

The relationships CHID (Comparative History of Ideas) allowed me to develop abroad while researching in Argentina and Sardinia launched me into the organizing work I have been involved in while at the UW. During college I could be found in every corner of campus as a Resident Advisor, tutoring for the Economics Board, meeting with the Dean on a college council, leading a CHID focus group, mentoring students in UWL, and organizing lobbying related activities to advocate for student issues at the State Legislature. Outside of campus, I sought to apply the perspective I'd gained from economics and critical theory from the social justice lens of CHID into my professional development, the most formative of which was organizing an international conference for a nonprofit focused on bilateral trade between Africa and the Pacific Northwest. The relationships I formed at this nonprofit, and with the African immigrant community more broadly in Seattle, led me to help execute a new leadership conference called Africa Now that has since been a large annual event on the UW's campus. Originally inspired by womxn of color visionary and speculative fiction authors, I have sought to create the world I want on my small scale as I know that it will reflect on the larger world and its functioning. From this, I know that the work the world needs to be able to respond to today's global challenges would be severely limited without visionary work and relationship building across difference.

Proudest Moment: Each years' Apple Cup -- go Dawgs!

Thesis: Neuromodulation Effects of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) on Zebra Finch Premotor Nucleus

I participate in neuroscience research on campus and completed a research fellowship at Swedish Epilepsy Center last summer. Additionally, I volunteer as a mentor for disabled students with DO-IT Access STEM, and at an organization near campus that serves those facing homelessness. In my downtime, I enjoy dancing, being outdoors, and exploring Seattle. I’m looking forward to continuing my studies next fall at NYU School of Medicine!

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: One of my proudest moments at UW was receiving the Mary Gates Research Scholarship!

Thesis: Child-Nature Interaction in a Hong Kong Nature Preschool Program: An Interaction Pattern Approach

lingwaiamberlam@gmail.com

I've always been passionate about child development and education.

Throughout my time at UW, I was a researcher at the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological System Lab (the HINTS lab) and completed my thesis under Dr. Kahn's supervision. I was also an intern at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in the Psychiatry and Developmental Assessment Center. In addition, I also served as an infant-toddler teacher assistant at the Haring Center - Experimental Education Unit (EEU) at UW, which promotes inclusive education and facilitates understanding between children with and without disabilities.

I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey here at UW!

Proudest Moment: Volunteering as a lead at UW Nurse Camp and seeing my campers/future nurses graduate!

Thesis: Improving Pediatric Asthma Shared Management: Development of the Symptom Monitoring and Response Module for the Child Asthma Management Program (CHAMP)

tkolstad@uw.edu

I have a previous degree in biology from the University of Washington and worked as a research scientist at Seattle Children's for four years. I came back to school to pursue nursing because my experiences at Seattle Children's showed me that what is really important to me in healthcare are relationships with people, and no one has more intimate relationships with patients than nurses. In whatever work I am doing, my purpose is always to help children lead the healthiest, most fulfilling lives possible.

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: Performing in the Faculty Dance Concert in the Fall and the MFA Dance Concert in the Spring

Thesis: Two Left Feet Studios - A Dance Fitness Studio, all ages, all abilities and all styles welcome!

I took a winding path to get to where I am. I have been dancing my whole life and experienced some major set backs. I over came all of that and realized my dream. I wanted to teach. I knocked on doors until someone gave me a chance to teach. That led to more opportunities and more love for my art. It was after a few years I realized I wanted to combine my natural Business abilities with my love to teach. I wanted to open my own studio. I went back to school as a non-traditional student at my local community college. While working up to six jobs while going to school, I finished with my Business Administration degree and a Small Business Management Certificate. I then transferred to the UW to get my BA in Dance. While here I moved into a place and left my husband, son and dogs back in Vancouver, WA. I went to school, worked two jobs and tried to immerse myself in as many opportunities as I could. I started teaching Dance classes at the IMA on campus and made some wonderful friends. I also received a scholarship from the dance department to attend the Rhythm World 28 Dance Intensive in Chicago to receive a teaching certification in Tap Dancing. The program was taught by world renown tappers and it was a wonderful class of teachers. I got the honor of being in a dance piece for Kawasaki Guest Artist Etienne Cakpo in the Faculty Dance Concert as well as a dancer in MFA Brian Evan's piece for the MFA Dance Concert. I joined the National Society of Leadership and Success and am a proud graduate of the Dance program with honors. I will go back home to Vancouver, to reunite with family and begin the process to open up Two Left Feet Studios. I am so proud of my accomplishments and the road I have taken. It may be different, but it has been rich and full of life.

Proudest Moment: I believe it will be the moment of hold in my hands the declaration of my completion of achieving my bachelor's degree !

Thesis: Bursting the Bubble: Transforming White Identities

My Website

I returned to college after a 31 year hiatus of raising a family four in 2013. I was at point in my life where I wanted to grow in ways that would challenge me in every sense of my being. It has been an incredible learning experience and I have been enriched in the academic soil of coursework that has literally transformed my life. Having the opportunity to experience Dr. Rachel Chapman's Alter/Native Anthropology course ushered in a profound intersection in my life where the exposure of my own "White Fragility" (DiAngelo, 56). in response to uncomfortable conversations around racial topics and privilege plowed into my identity as a white woman. It was the beginning of a deeper education of my ignorance and a revelation of the isolated reality my Whiteness had afforded me. My conscientious determination to push past fear and move deeper into vulnerable relationships with students of color allowed me to stay connected and do the work that was necessary to create new forms of engagement. The willingness on the part of people of color in my life at the time to move in relationship with me through the difficulty of sharing their stories allowed me to see outside of my own experiences and gain a new kind of knowing. What emerged relationally was profound; students worked through their own positionality within identified constructs of people groups and where together we examined intersections of power and oppression in our own lives through a lens of indigenous scholarship within the discipline of anthropology.
I wanted to understand how whiteness was affecting communities of color in my predominately white community of Bainbridge Island. This led me to purse the opportunity to apply to the departmental honors program in which I was able to continue to pursue an auto-ethnographic collaborative research project in my community in which I ask the questions “Can, and if so, where, when and how are white identities transformed from positions of White Fragility and White Supremacy into identities and relationships with People of Color of solidarity, allyship, accompliceship and race-traitorship in denouncing white privilege in order to create a culture that is equitable and inclusive for all people? ” My research has allowed me to examine how radical social justice education and cross-racial relationship building impacts individual and community identity transformation in respect to racial equity. I am committed to following this work in my community and am inspired by the faith that I see in other community members who are dedicated to the heartwork that is necessary to forge a culture that is more loving and just for all.

Robin Di Angelo, “White Fragility” International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, vol. 3. no. 3. 2011, catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/file/download/7efed96ce7ca56e0747e7fffd69e8465f6d5a5451eb4b0ff3be81dabe33f1a34?inline=. (Accessed Nov. 14, 2017) 56.

Proudest Moment: Overcoming my struggle with higher level math and acing it!

Thesis: Biosolids and Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forest Plantations

I am passionate about helping create and promote alternatives to pollutants and make environmentally healthy living practices common. Here at UW I have had the opportunity to take a diverse range of classes that has developed my interests and skills. I have also had the opportunity to learn about industrial pollution control and regulation through my internship at King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks with the Industrial Waste Team at the Wastewater Treatment Division. After this, I was able to do research on the carbon sequestration potential of biosolids, a product of wastewater treatment in King County. I hope to pursue a Master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology and Public Health/Administration.

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: graduation

Thesis: Relating Individual Differences in Culturally Unfamiliar Music Comprehension to Neurocognitive Aspects of Second Language Aptitude

My name is Jiafei Li. I majored in Psychology and minored in Informatics. I love music and literature, and have always been interested in their impact on us human. Therefore, under the mentorship of Dr. Prat, I conducted the research of music comprehension, as well as its relation to language learning. I hope to continue to "be boundless", to keep exploring various fields of knowledge and extending my limit.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment would be when I was given the opportunity to present my research and findings to my peers at the Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Symposium. Not only was it great to be able to share my work with others, but it was amazing to hear about all the other incredible work my peers have been doing.

Thesis: Using Resting-State Functional Connectivity to Detect Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in U.S. Military Populations

I'd like to thank UW, Dr. Tara Madhyastha, Dr. Christine Mac Donal, Dr. Chantel Prat, and many others for everything they have done to help me along my journey here at the university. I look forward to applying everything I've learned in psychology, statistics, and computer science in industry.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was finishing my 30-minute documentary that shared the voices and stories of the indigenous people on the Olympic Coast.

Thesis: Ocean Acidification and Native Tribes: Sharing Stories from the Olympic Coast

Throughout my time at UW, I've had so many great experiences. As a two-year member of the SURE-EH (Student Undergraduate Research Experience in Environmental Health) program, I have completed two year-long independent research projects under the guidance of my faculty mentor Dr. Tania Busch Isaksen. Last year, my project focused on improving food waste sorting and recycling at Kirkland Middle School in Washington. During this project, I had the opportunity to first design my own methodology to conduct a waste audit at the school and then was able to instruct and work alongside students to help complete the audit. After analyzing the data with the specific goal of identifying barriers to proper food waste disposal, I created a poster to be displayed in the school’s hallway and collaborated with the school's Green Team to guide future targeted recycling improvement efforts. Continuing with the topic of food waste but at a larger scale, my project with SURE-EH this year involved improving the food waste management system of local food trucks. The City of Bellevue, a community with a robust food truck culture, was looking to revise its current food truck permitting process and was interested in incorporating a sustainable waste management component. In collaboration with two graduate students, I performed a policy analysis to identify the best practices of successful existing sustainable food truck operations around the country. From there, my team and I created qualitative interview questions and surveys and conducted interviews with key stakeholders in Bellevue such as food truck operators, waste management contractors, food donation organizations, and customers. My findings from this research will then be used to inform key recommendations to the City of Bellevue in launching their new sustainable food truck permitting program. Outside of SURE-EH, I also performed research as part of my senior capstone project. I interned with Washington Sea Grant on a project that involved partnering with indigenous coastal communities to examine how ocean acidification is affecting key marine resources as well as overall tribal well-being on the Olympic Coast of Washington. Within the project, my primary role involved conducting and recording in-person interviews with key partners involved in the project such as scientists, oceanographers and tribal leaders which I then edited into a short documentary highlighting the voice of native tribes and the effect these climate-related ocean changes have on their well-being. From there, I then conducted my own research on the vulnerabilities of Olympic Coast’s native peoples to ocean acidification from a food security, economic, and cultural perspective. Besides research, I'm is also currently working with King County DNRP Solid Waste Division as a Recycling and Environmental Services intern. For the past year, I have collaborated and assisted on a multitude of different projects ranging from the Green Schools program, transfer station recycling, the Threadcycle campaign, and many more. In this position, I have completed tasks such as updating public webpages with climate change information, designing infographics and displays to be distributed to schools, analyzing landfill waste tonnage data for potential recycling opportunities, and produced a video demonstrating ways to reduce food waste. Lastly, I've been a member and officer with UW's LUX Film Production club for the past three years. With this club, I've had the fun experience of working with other student filmmakers to write, create, and edit short films each quarter. As one of the club's many screenwriters, I'm so grateful to have had the chance to write dozens of screenplays and improve my writing ability. UW and the range of experiences it has to offer has allowed me to explore my interests and have worthwhile experiences that have lead me to be both prepared and excited for my journey after graduation.

Proudest Moment: Receiving the email announcing that I'd been granted the Mary Gates Research Scholarship!

Thesis: 'Can I Count on You?' Infants' Expectations of Prosocial Behavior Across Contexts

My Website aarti.bodas@gmail.com

Four years ago as a freshman, I could have never imagined how fulfilling my experience at the UW would be. I never would have guessed that I'd get to do Developmental Psychology research involving infants, that I'd win a research scholarship or that I'd end up getting a full ride to grad school! And above all else, I never imagined having as strong of a support network as I do, because of which I was able to accomplish so many things. The most important lesson that I learned during my time at the UW was to make the most of every experience, and in doing so to be persistent and ambitious, and that is what I carry with me moving forward.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at UW was probably when I got published in two different UW publications: The UW Journal of Anthropology and Voyage Magazine.

Thesis: The Handcraft Movement: Analyzing of the Subjectivity of Value

My Website

Hi! My name is Olivia and I am graduating UW with college and interdisciplinary honors. Being from out of state, finding a fit in Washington was challenging at first but UW gave me so many opportunities to better discover myself and what I love to do. My time at UW has pushed me as a writer, connected me with individuals who have inspired my artistic pursuits, and has given me a family away from home. Looking into the future, I am excited for all the opportunities ahead of me and I know the skills I have learned during my past 4 years here will set me up for success.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW would probably be getting the position on my first field crew. There was so much to learn and such a huge adventure ahead of me; all of my hard work had paid off.

Thesis: Impacts of Burn Severity on Soil Hydrophobicity in the Pacific Northwest

My Website

Throughout my time at UW I have had the opportunity to work two post-wildfire field seasons throughout Washington, Montana, and Oregon. My passion for field work, environmental science, and soil ecology has now led me to continue at UW for my masters of science focused on post-wildfire soil ecology.

Proudest Moment: Finishing my thesis! I've grown so much as a writer in the past three years, so finishing a project on that scale was very gratifying.

Thesis: Really Really Real: Reality in Performance and the Hyperreal in the Plays of Annie Baker

In addition to the English department, I've been heavily involved with the School of Drama as well as the Department of Dance, taking many classes in those departments. I've also participated in eight productions (plays and musicals) during my time at UW, primarily as an actor but also as a director and crew member. This year in the English Honors sequence I've had the opportunity to focus on Drama and write a thesis about one of my favorite contemporary playwrights, Annie Baker. I've also had the opportunity to blend my interests in English and Drama by working as a Literary Intern at ACT Theatre.

This August I will be moving to New York City to attend a two-and-a-half year acting conservatory program at the Atlantic Acting School.

Proudest Moment: Making my parents proud has always been one of my life goals. And I am glad that I made it today!

Thesis: Understanding the Long-term Tidal Modulation on Methane Bubble Emission at Southern Hydrate Ridge using Acoustics

As a first-generation Malaysian student, I consider myself a privileged one to be given the opportunity to come this far to pursue my bachelor's degree. My UW experience was an adventure, from performing on stage as an actor and dancer, to co-leading FIUTS CulturalFest, the largest cultural event on campus, to field experiences in the mountains and the ocean, and finally indulging in mentoring and doing research. These community building, leadership, field and research experiences have made me who I am today. I have forged so many international friendships and learned so much from stories coming from different parts of the world. Looking forward, I will further pursue my passion for marine geology, specifically in the energy field. I will also continue to challenge myself with new perspectives and keep growing with the hope to contribute to the world one day.

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: Finishing my Spanish honors thesis and Informatics Capstone - both of these projects felt like a great way to round out my time in these majors

Thesis: Transgender Identity in Spain: From the Second Republic, to Dictatorship, and Democracy

lyonsp@uw.edu

I am excited by the intersection of social justice and technology, and while defining what this means exactly is an ongoing process, the past five years at UW have helped that significantly.

As a Data Management Fellow at the Latino Community Fund, I have had the opportunity to combine my Spanish and Informatics majors and also work in a non-profit, which is something I have loved. Being welcomed into and supported by the LCF family has been one of the best experiences over the past two years and has helped me better understand how I want to contribute to communities throughout my life.

Another defining experience has been my work in residential life. I started as an Office Assistant during my freshman year, worked as an RA for two years, and am finishing my time in res life as an ARD for Lander Hall. I have made some of my best friends from these experiences and have built upon my professional identity. These roles have challenged me in ways I never expected and I will take these experiences with me wherever I go. It will be strange to not live in a res hall next year (and have to pay rent...)!

I was very excited when I found out that UW has an Equestrian Club so I could continue competing in the sport that I have done for most of my life. The club quickly became a key part of my time at UW, providing one of my first opportunities for leadership. I held three exec positions in the club, including President last year, and had the chance to compete twice at Zones. It's hard to find people to talk to about horses, but this little group offered that much needed space and community.

There are obviously many other experiences that have led me to this point, including being an Info 200 TA, a Dream Project mentor, meeting amazing friends, working with awesome professors, a lot of fun experiences and also hard days. I am excited to take these experiences and relationships with me as I move on to whatever is next.

Proudest Moment: Conducting an original research project and writing a thesis for the Sociology Honors Program

Thesis: Race and Emerging Adulthood: Looking at Mental Health and Racial Identity Within a College Context

stephanievanha@gmail.com

As a Sociology major, not only did I learn important theories and social issues that pertain to all of us as human beings, but I understood the notion of simply being a human. I learned that in a capitalistic world in which we are all pressured to create, produce, and be hurried along, that it is important to empathize, care, and be still in the midst of all that occurs around us. Through my time at UW, I have grown deeply as a human and a scholar. I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the 2018-2019 Sociology Honors Cohort, conduct an original research project that focuses on my academic interests, and present my research at multiple symposiums and conferences. I was a part of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center's CourtWatch program, which focuses on helping victims of sexual violence obtain access to justice within court systems. Finally, I made incredible lifelong connections with classmates, faculty members, and many other individuals through my UW experience. I look forward to implementing my passion for research and social science through further education and career opportunities and do all that I can to positively contribute to the world that we live in.

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: My proudest moment was when I got to present my research at an international conference in Vancouver! Later that year, I also got to publish my research in an academic peer-reviewed journal, which was very rewarding.

Thesis: Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Zebrafish Cone Photoreceptors

Daniel Brock is a graduating senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. Daniel works in the Brockerhoff lab studying circadian rhythm and stress responses in the mitochondria of cone cells in the zebrafish retina. After graduation, Daniel is going to spend 2 years at the NIH in the lab of Dr. Rosandra Kaplan, researching genetically engineered myeloid cells to make the immune system better at fighting metastatic cancer. Eventually, Daniel plans on becoming a physician scientist. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys photography, video games, and watching movies.

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: 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: Strangely enough, getting a 4.0 in a computer science class that I took to fill a general education requirement only because absolutely no other STEM classes worked with my schedule. I was terrified the entire quarter because it's so completely out of my comfort zone, but it all worked out!

Thesis: READING PREGNANCY AS LIMINALITY IN MODERNIST BRITISH FICTION

My Website tamarleveson@gmail.com

I was born and raised in Silicon Valley, and while the four years I've spent at UW have been a bit rainy, I wouldn't change it for anything. In addition to my studies, I have served for three years as a committee leader for UW Hillel, hosted a weekly radio show on Rainy Dawg with my friend Mary every week since winter quarter of freshman year, and interned at a local design magazine called GRAY. I hope to continue my studies in English literature in a master's program in the UK in the near future.

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: I survived four years of college with five hours of sleep per day on average.

I am a hardcore undergraduate researcher interested in interbacterial and host-microbiome interactions. After I finish my B.S. in both Microbiology and Biology, I will attend the Ph.D. program in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University in Fall, 2019.

Proudest Moment: I have been able to meet many amazing people, especially through OMAD, that inspired me.

Thesis: Analysis of B cell gene expression during HSV-2 reactivation

During my years at UW, I have opportunities to be a part of many different associations, such as OMAD, TriO McNair, Research Labs... Through there I have learned to become a better version of myself. I am proud to have met all of the amazing people that I met. They were the source of inspiration, and also the reason how I found my passion. I would love to continue pursuing my passion in immunology in the future. In my free time, I love listening to music, eating food and watching cute videos.

Proudest Moment: Being selected to represent the UW at the Emory Global Health Case Competition in Atlanta, GA

maxrumaner@gmail.com

Born in San Francisco, raised in Portland, OR, and now living in Seattle, I am currently attending the University of Washington, set to graduate with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. I am passionate about engineering and design with the goal to enter the biotech industry as a product development engineer. My research and work experiences have given me the incredible opportunity to see two sides of product development and develop extensive skills and knowledge of both. I am eager to use my abilities to make an impact on an engineering team and improve lives around the world.

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: Presenting my Honors Senior project, potential water reclamation from the campus utility tunnels, to the CEE faculty and staff.

a.ratcliff529@gmail.com

As an undergraduate, I have been able to work on several projects to improve campus sustainability. I have been a project manager for UW-Solar since I was a freshman. Through the group, I have been instrumental in the installation of solar arrays on rooftops of three residence halls and the Life Sciences Building as well as supported solar system deployments in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. Additionally, I contributed to the installation of a lab water reclamation system for the Life Sciences Building, jointly completed a feasibility study for greywater reclamation systems on campus, and am completing a master study on reclaiming steam condensate and groundwater from the underground campus utility tunnels.

Upon graduation, I will be working as a mechanical engineer for PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc. I will continue to impact campus sustainability in my professional role; I will be working on the MEP design of several UW buildings that PAE is contracted to work on, such as the Population Health Facility, the UW Health Sciences Education Building, the Kincaid Hall renovation, and the UW Foster building.

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: 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: Landing a summer internship with the NBA and graduating with baccalaureate honors

jamie.koffman@gmail.com

Throughout college I became interested in wanting to pursue a career working in sports marketing. As UW didn't have a sports marketing undergrad program or any formal sports-centered education, I took it upon myself to use the honors program as the avenue through which I could conduct my own research on prevalent topics in the sports industry and supplement my formal business education with outside sports internships. Throughout my time in college I worked for the UW Athletic Department for three years, the Seattle Storm for two seasons, worked for Russell Wilson's management team (West2East Empire) for two years, and even interned for the NBA at league headquarters for a summer! After graduation I am moving to Chicago, Illinois in early July to begin a 6 month post-grad internship at a sports agency called Independent Sports & Entertainment. I am so excited to be on a path to pursuing my dream career in athlete representation!

Proudest Moment: Getting accepted in the Columbus School of Law with a full scholarship

Thesis: Dysfunction: A Terminal Family Illness

I hail from Virginia and have lived there my entire life. However, for college I knew that I wanted to get off of the East Coast. After visiting UW, I fell in love with it and was determined to attend, and now I find myself about to graduate with a degree from an incredible university. The UW has been great to me. I have found the facility and people on campus incredible. Originally a chemistry major, a mishap in Calc 124 lead me to rethink my decision. I took a single english class the spring of my freshman year. It was American Lit 250 with John Griffith, and from there I was hooked! I changed majors and became an English major. I instantly fell in love with the program and the department. The professors were incredible! At UW, I have had plenty of Professors I did not like. But in the English department, I loved all of my professors! They are all great! And my fellow students were also great! Very friendly and intelligent. I decided in the spring of 2018 to apply to the English Honors Program and I am so glad I did because my experience in the program has been great! It takes the best parts of the English program and makes them even better! Overall, I am incredibly happy that I became an English Major and that I took the honors track.

Proudest Moment: The moment I finally turned in my English thesis!

Thesis: Imaginary Equality, Romance, and Sex: Teenage Girls and Boys’ Love Literature in China

shirley.b.ouyang@gmail.com

I am an international student from Changsha, China. I triple majored in English, Math, and Philosophy. UW not only offers a great environment for learning and research but also many many many other opportunities. I love to see the world and understand the world from different perspectives, so I am very grateful for the wonderful study abroad opportunities at UW, allowing me to study abroad four times--to England, Italy, Spain, and Ecuador. In the future, I will continue to get to know and to embrace the diversities and differences that make our world complex and colorful.

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: 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: Turning in my thesis and graduating cum laude!

Thesis: Stolen Autonomy and Futile Rebellion: Deriving Power from the Oppression of Women Under the Declining British Empire

cantor.leah4@gmail.com

I am so grateful for the experiences I have had as a student at UW. I got to spend two quarters in London and Rome studying abroad, and hope to continue traveling after I graduate. Next year, I will be working at a health technology startup in Seattle, and am looking forward to applying my degrees in a professional environment!

Proudest Moment: When I stopped taking the math and science classes I hated and started embracing my passion for education. My educational experience at UW finally started to feel like I was doing everything right for myself.

Thesis: Japanese Incarceration: Intergenerational Communication of Trauma and Cross-Generational Effects of Incarceration on Sansei Generation as Seen Through Densho Interviews

I am passionate about educational equity, race relations, and actively engaging with social justice issues. I am grateful for the opportunity to write this honors thesis that not only illuminated how identity, trauma, and reclamation were interwoven, but also aided in deeply transforming my sense of self in relation to identity and research. I feel honored to have accepted an award for this thesis in the Communication department at UW during Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month and Mental Health Awareness month. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without the support of my adviser and all the other professors who guided me through the process and gave me abundant advice. I wish to continue actively serving the communities I come from through educational or community organizations, or working within schools. Outside of school, I love to binge crime procedural dramas, catch up on anime, discover new happy hours, and plan my next travel destination.

Proudest Moment: Completing my thesis and graduating with honors

Thesis: An Evaluation of an Automatically Generated Grammar of Ik

I am most interested in studying computational linguistics and historical linguistics. I found linguistics accidentally when I decided to take an intro course as an elective in my freshman year. I realized I liked it so much that I switched majors the next quarter. I am also interested in history, astronomy, evolution and computer science. I got to study abroad in Rome this past year and it was one of my favorite experiences at UW. After graduation, I am looking forward to returning to UW for a master's program in computational linguistics.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments while at UW was being accepted into the School of Nursing.

Thesis: Sleep in Hospitalized Patients (SHOP): Bedtime Routine in the Psychiatric and Behavioral Medicine Unit at Seattle Children's Hospital

In my time at UW, I was involved in Dance Marathon at the University of Washington. This on campus organization raises money for the Uncompensated Care Fund at Seattle Children's Hospital. This year we raised over $70,000! I also volunteered at UWMC for three years. In addition, I worked at UWMC as a Nursing Technician on the Medical/Oncology ICU. All of this experience tied into my passion for research and the design of my project!

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: 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: Getting invited to join Foster's Honors Program

My entire life I traveled the world with my circus family, and only in the last five years have I settled down. In this time, I have managed to participate in the Running Start program, thereby saving two years worth of time and tuition, and complete Foster's Honor's Program! Although prioritizing my studies has been well worth it, I think I'm ready to return to my roots and rejoin the artistic community. Except now I have the ability to both be on stage as well as run the business.

Proudest Moment: Making the Dean's List over half of my quarters here.

Despite the struggles I've faced, the UW has been a wonderful place for me to learn and increase in intelligence, wisdom, and faith. The decision to change majors rather than schools, although a hard choice to make, was definitely the right one for me, as staying here allowed me to continue on the path I had already set out for myself and grow as a person, not only as a student. Although I am not sure what lies ahead, I know that what lies behind has prepared me for it, and now I only have to follow God's guidance.

Proudest Moment: Implementing a composting program in the Alpha chapter of Chi Omega!

kgibian@uw.edu

I will be graduating from UW this spring through the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences with honors in wildlife conservation. I am passionate about predator-prey ecology and conservation education with the goal to enter the wildlife field as a wildlife technician. My interests include large carnivores, travel, and superheroes!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was submitting my two theses!

Thesis: "Engineering Reversibility within a Novel Hepatitis C Virus NS3a-Based Chemically-Inducible Dimerization System" (Biochemistry); "Sampling from Conditional Distributions Using Groebner Basis Theory" (Mathematics)

I participated chemical biology research with the Maly lab, and completed summer research fellowships at the University of Virginia and the University of California, Los Angeles. Additionally, I spent three years working as a peer tutor at the Instructional Center. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, exploring the city and listening to live music. I'm excited to be continuing my studies as a PhD candidate at Harvard University.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at UW was back to my freshmen year when I took the public speaking class and did my final speech at the red square. Finding my voice as an international student in a big American college made me reflect on how much I seek for a platform to speak on topics that stand out to me and advocate for the community I care about.

Thesis: Exploring the role of peer mentorship in acculturation among international stduents

My Website

Jenel Li was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Beiijng, China. Growing up, Jenel had learned and spoke three distinct languages by experiencing three different education systems. Being a global news anchor was her childhood dream.

Jenel graduated from the University of Washington in 2019 with a Bachelor degree in communication. With her passion in interpersonal communication, cultural exchange, and social justice, she competed her departmental honors by doing her research on the role of peer mentorship in acculturation among international students. Jenel is pursuing her master degree in social work and business administration at the Columbia University. She is driven to grow as a communication professional who is capable of utilizing languages effectively to present herself, as well as being the voice of others, for a variety of purposes.

Jenel is passionate about leadership development and storytelling. Jenel is a hiring chair at the Associated Student of University of Washington as well as the vice president of the International Student Mentorship Program. She is dedicated to serving the communities in which she lives and works.

Proudest Moment: Completing my internship with Books to Prisoners.

Thesis: From Buyer Beware to Ending Exploitation Collaborative: The Nordic Model and Human Rights of Sex Workers in King County

I graduated in December of 2018 with a Bachelors' of Arts in Law, Societies and Justice. I focused my honors research on the violations of human rights perpetrated by the local government and prosecutors in Seattle and King County against women working in the sex trade, particularly through the use of pseudo-legalization. Since then, I've been working on preparing my thesis for publication and have been working as a residential rehabilitative counselor at an in-custody competency restoration center for those found incompetent to stand trial with Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

I will be moving to Dallas this summer to begin attending Southern Methodist University School of Law. I will be working towards my juris doctor for the next three years and hope to work in civil liberties law in Texas after graduation and after taking the bar exam.