Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of The Honors College First Graduating Class – Dee Marie Teodoro
brenda.onofre
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of The Honors College First Graduating Class – Dee Marie Teodoro
By Gary Hyatt, WSU Honors College, gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu
Name: Dee Marie Teodoro (maiden name Manning)
Hometown: Soap Lake, WA
Where you live now: Renton, WA
History
Dee Marie Manning’s upbringing was shaped by her father’s career as a salesman, leading to a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. The family’s frequent moves across the Northwest, in search of better opportunities, instilled in Dee a spirit of adventure and adaptability. As she approached high school graduation in Moses Lake, Washington, one school stood out as the clear choice: the State College of Washington, which had recently been renamed Washington State University. In 1960, the same year Dee, a first-generation college student, arrived on campus, WSU introduced an innovative new program called ‘Honors.’
When given the opportunity to join the Honors program, Dee thought, “I was a good student in high school, why wouldn’t I be here?” As an English major, she admits, however, that the Honors math and physics classes tested her abilities and made her realize that “C’s are okay too.”
One of Dee’s most memorable experiences occurred during her first semester on campus. Dr. Hacker, the inaugural director of the Honors program, held a gathering for the first cohort where he explained some of the core tenets of the new program. To complement his vision of encouraging greater thought and inspiring intellectual growth, he invited a political science colleague who had spent the summer working on John F. Kennedy’s campaign. The professor spoke passionately to the students about his experiences and the importance of active participation in the democratic process. Dee was deeply inspired by his speech, which helped shape her views on service, hope, and decisions she made later in her life. It also cemented her desire to one day join the Peace Corps.
Sadly, Dee also vividly remembers the day a classmate broke the tragic news of President Kennedy’s assassination, just as class was about to begin. The class was canceled, and she spent the rest of that day in her room, feeling numb and disheartened. This experience, she said, “changed my perception of the country we live in.”
After graduation, Dee joined the Peace Corps as an ESL educator in the Philippines. From there, she held various occupations before discovering her true passion for technical writing. She worked for companies like Boeing, Starbucks, and Microsoft, where she observed firsthand how these companies transformed and developed their unique cultures.
Reflecting on her Honors experience, Dee appreciated being in classes with so many talented students from different disciplines. She particularly enjoyed how the faculty challenged her to think critically and analyze problems to generate sound solutions. Along with honors, Dee is forever grateful for the Henry George and Sons scholarship she received at WSU. “I had fallen ill and was unable to work, putting my ability to continue attending school in question. Receiving that scholarship allowed me to stay in school.” Today, Dee continues to give back, hoping that her support will help other students in need.
I hope you enjoy reading more about Dee and how Honors has played a significant role in her life.
1. What was your main occupation?
I have had a “checkered career.” I taught English as a Second Language along-side Filipino co-teachers during my two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. After returning from the Peace Corps, I held some training jobs—at New York Telephone Company and in the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (OTB). At OTB, through the Management Development Team, I began working in Procedures Analysis and Documentation. That became my real love. I was eventually the Associate Director of the Corporate Systems Analysis Policies, Procedures group.
After moving back to Washington State, I took a brief hiatus from work to take care of my growing family, and then worked for the Kent Schools as a theme reader for a few years. After renewing my teaching credentials, I worked for the Kent and Renton School Districts as a substitute teacher for another few years.
Eventually, I decided to go back to my first love—documentation. I went to Bellevue Community College to earn a degree in Computer Information Systems because I wanted to do technical writing and editing in the tech industry. After working contract technical writing jobs at Boeing, Puget Power, and InControl, I became the lead technical writer at Starbucks Corporation and, later, a lead technical editor at Microsoft.
2. Why did you choose to enroll in The Honors Program at WSU?
I received a letter inviting me to join the Honors Program (it wasn’t a college at that time). I thought about it, attended a meeting for potential enrollees, liked what I heard, and decided to join. I had had a wonderful and challenging honors English class in high school and hoped that the Honors Program would offer similar challenge and stimulation. I was not disappointed.
3. What were your initial impressions of The Honors Program when you first started?
As I started in Honors classes, I realized what an exciting group of students I would be involved with and I was also greatly impressed by the wonderful professors who taught those classes. My non-Honors friends were often in large classes taught by grad students or less experienced professors. I realized how lucky I was. My honors classes were invariably challenging and usually exciting, too. I did struggle with Honors Math and Honors Physics—I barely skated through those classes—but I loved the literature, history, political science, and humanities classes.
4. Can you describe a memorable class or project from your time in The Honors Program? Two classes stand out—Western Civilization and Domain of the Arts. The first was taught, in seminar fashion, by two professors—Henry Grosshans and Samuel Kinser. Each professor taught the class for half the semester and then the other one taught it during the other half. Each approached the class entirely differently. Mr. Grosshans gave us a broad brush of Western Civilization and dwelt particularly on what led to and grew from the Nazification of Germany. Dr. Kinser explored the notion of humanism for the entire time we were with him. We spent our class time discussing the meaning of humanism and assessing how important figures in history were or were not humanists. Our term papers required us to choose a historical figure from Western civilization and assess whether or not he/she was a humanist.
Domain of the Arts stood out to me, too, because we focused on all arts and even examined non-traditional areas as art. One classmate, for example, gave a compelling argument that mathematics is an art. The professor began our classes, more than once, by playing the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, challenging us to examine its artistry and significance. Although I had always loved literature and theatre, I developed a new appreciation of serious music and visual arts. For the rest of my life, I have been a regular attendee at theatre, opera, and the symphony and have belonged to art museums wherever I have lived.
5. Who were some of the most influential professors or mentors during your time at WSU?
Dr. Bhatia of the Honors Program, Dr. Bruce Anawalt, Dr. Markland, Dr. McNew, and Ruth Slonim of the English Department, Mr. Grosshans and Dr. Kinser for Western Civilization. Dr. Raymond Muse for History.
6. How do you think your experience in The Honors College shaped your personal and professional development?
The thinking and analytical skills that were highly developed by the Honors Program have really shaped my life. Although those skills are useful in any endeavor, they became essential in the fields of systems analysis and documentation that occupied much of my professional life. My experience in the Western Civilization seminar class also prepared me very well for both graduate school and the business community. We learned how to express ourselves forcefully but not rudely and to really, really listen and think about what others had to say.
7. Can you share a significant personal achievement or milestone that you attribute to your education at The Honors Program?
I can’t attribute a significant personal achievement for myself, but I do take credit for convincing my oldest son to join Seattle University’s honors program. I told him what a wonderful experience it had been for me at WSU and encouraged him to sign up. He never regretted taking my advice.
8. Can you describe the sense of community within The Honors Program during your time there?
I thought that was really the best part of being in the Honors Program. Instead of just moving through college with folks who were all in the same major, we were thrown together with people from every school of thought and nearly every major. I probably wouldn’t have even met engineering or agriculture or pre-med students otherwise. Being around such a diverse group of people throughout my entire college experience was great preparation for post-college life.
9. Are there any particular events or traditions from The Honors Program that stand out in your memory?
I thought it was brilliant that we had one Honors class per semester all the way through college. That kept me on track with classes required for my major while also keeping me in close touch with my fellow Honors students.
I also thought it was a good thing that we were required to do some heavy summer reading. Though I sometimes grumbled about it when summer was at its most tempting, it did force me to do some important reading and thinking during that time. Having to talk to a professor each fall about what I’d read and engage with him about the ideas I had encountered was a real growth experience for me. It helped form me into a more thoughtful reader.
10. Looking back, how do you feel The Honors Program prepared you for the real world?
I believe it made me ready to work with and learn from people from all sorts of disciplines and backgrounds. It opened me up to a world of ideas and philosophies that I might not have otherwise encountered. We were encouraged to speak freely, question freely, and spar freely in our classes and in outside-of-class situations.
11. What do you think is the most significant impact The Honors Program had on you and your peers?
It inspired confidence in ourselves, respect for one another, and joy in learning.
12. What advice would you give to current students of The Honors College?
Stay with the program—from your freshman year till graduation. At times, it may be more demanding than you think you can handle, but you are likely rise to the challenge and be a better person for it. It’s well worth the time and intensity the program demands. And, as a bonus, you will almost certainly form life-long important friendships.
13. Was there a defining moment during your time at WSU that you often look back on? The night my roommate and I were both tapped for Mortar Board was probably the most spectacular moment in my college life. Mortar Board members came singing through the hallway of our Perham Hall dorm late at night, stopped at our door, and then tapped my roommate Phyllis Bordwell, for the organization. That was incredibly exciting. But, moments later, they came through the hallway a second time, again stopping at our door, this time for me. It seemed impossible, but it happened. Only then did I realize that, through my studies and my service activities, I really had made a difference. It cemented a desire to always be of service in one capacity or another.
14. If you could go back and do it all over again, would you? Why or why not?
Yes, in a heartbeat! The deep friendships I made in my Honors Program classes were alone a reward for being in the program, but the vital, challenging, and worthwhile small classes taught by great professors were especially valuable. I really cannot imagine what my college life would’ve been like had I not been in the program.
15. Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience in The Honors Program or your life since then?
I entered the U.S. Peace Corps shortly after graduating from college. It was a transformative experience from the very beginning. Our 8-week training, held in Hilo, Hawaii, was intense—language studies, cultural studies, and professional preparation. Upon arrival in the Philippines, I was assigned to the Mindanao Institute of Technology (now the University of Southern Mindanao) in Kabacan, Cotabato where I worked for two years as a high school co-teacher of English as a Second Language and as a college instructor of Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language.
While there, I took in 3 girls to live with me and another Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). The girls provided household help in exchange for board, room, and tuition. All 3 were from impoverished families who couldn’t afford to keep their daughters in school. I supported one of the girls through college and other PCVs supported the other two. I also supported another former student through college. All of those young women have had successful careers and have gone on to support other family members through college.
I have maintained life-long friendships with several of my former Filipino colleagues and some former students. Some have visited me here in the U.S. and I have been back to Kabacan twice. My youngest son was there recently and met some of my former colleagues and students.
Since retiring from Microsoft, I have been volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul through the St. Anthony parish in Renton. I specifically work with the “walk-ins,” who are mostly homeless people who come to us for various kinds of assistance. Working with these people is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous. As a result of that volunteering, I have been appointed to the Renton Area Non-Profits Unite (RANU) homeless task force, a civic group that is trying to pool efforts to help the area’s homeless population.
The Honors Certificate of Global Competencies (CGC) offers students travel experiences and educational opportunities that develop and enhance skills necessary for thriving in an increasingly globalized world. One of three honors elective certificates, the CGC helps students develop international perspectives and provides opportunities to engage with the global landscapes of their chosen academic fields.