Student Perspective: Kris Herzog

By Gary Hyatt, WSU Honors College, gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu

Name: Kris Herzog

WSU Grad Year: 1989

Major: Marketing

Current Residence: Seattle

Brief Background- (Home Town, Career, Favorite things)

I’m in IT Project Management. I am an avid football fan of both the Cougs and the Hawks. Traveling is high on my list especially when combined with something active such as hiking. I also read approximately 2 books per week. I really enjoy Seattle’s music scene and typically go to 2 live shows per month or more.

Why did you want to travel to the Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos has been on my bucket list for a many years. The opportunity to see flora and fauna that you can’t see anywhere else drew me to making this trip.

What is were a few of the highlights from your trip?

I have been asked this many times since I returned and truly, it was the sheer number of animals we were able to see that are nowhere else on the planet. The blue-footed booby was particularly interesting as his/her eyes matched their feet. There were hundreds of sea lions and watching the mothers interact with their young and also the babies or juveniles playing together was highly entertaining.

Was there anything that was unexpected or you found fascinating?

The red crabs have very intricate colors on their shells. It could be art. Also, at one point, the word went out to the sea iguanas that it was time for food and they did a parade out of the bay to the ocean. Seeing a penguin sitting next to a cactus was quite unexpected.

How has your Honors experience impacted your life?

I was hesitant to join Honors as a freshman, so Honors found funding for a scholarship for me. How could I say no? I’ve always felt that being part of Honors is a graduate level experience. I liked being part of Honors so much I decided to be an advisory board member for 10 years. Helping the students is very important to me. I so enjoy hearing about what the students are doing in their journey. I also have great friends that span generations within the Honors college.

Why do you stay connected and support The Honors College?

I think I’d be repetitive to my answer above. I enjoy still being able to help/assist students achieve their goals.

Any other comments?

If you are interested in the Galapagos and want more info, contact Gary Hyatt for my info. I love to talk about my trip.