Engineering a Better World

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

At its best, an Honors education challenges students to use their knowledge in service of something larger than themselves. Whether through research, leadership, or community engagement, Honors students learn to apply their talents to real-world problems and create meaningful change.

That commitment to impact is exemplified by Honors students Connor Reschke, Haley Boileau, and Josephine Gordon, who spent their summer in rural Bolivia helping design and build a clean-water distribution system for the community of Altamira. Working side-by-side with residents, these students put their engineering skills into action while demonstrating the power of collaboration, compassion, and purpose-driven learning.

The Honors College is incredibly proud of students who engage with the world beyond campus and use their education to improve the lives of others. By combining technical expertise with a commitment to service, these students embody the values of an Honors education and remind us that meaningful learning often happens where knowledge meets action. Read how their experience transformed a community and reinforced their commitment to making a difference through engineering.