Honors Facilitators
Honors facilitators lead this one-credit freshman course, Honors 198. Presented for the first time in fall 2010, it is intended to help incoming students adjust to college life, to build a sense of community, and learn to work with the Honors curriculum. The class is offered in fall semesters with upperclassmen serving as instructors for the sections. The Honors 198 learning community experience is under the guidance of Honors College Assistant Dean Robin Bond.
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Donald Allison
Hometown: Fort Benton, MT
Area(s) of study: Biology; Physician Assistant Studies; Culture, Literacy, and Language
Involvement at WSU: Director of Health Professions Student Center; Clinical Assistant Professor School of Biological Sciences
Hobbies: Travel, language, photography, hiking, horses, dogs, cats
Future plans/goals:
My goal is to assist as many students as possible accomplish their desire for admission to the health profession school of their choice in order to ultimately fulfill their dream of following a career in health care.
Favorite Quote:
““Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
― Nelson Mandela”
What is something you wish you wish you had known when you first started college?
I wish I would have taken advantage of all the great resources available on a college campus and appreciated the wisdom provided me by my advisors and professors.
Hayden Arend
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Area(s) of study: Chemical Engineering, Math, German
Involvement at WSU: ASWSU Senate Honors College Senator, WSU Aerospace Club, Honors 198 Facilitator
Hobbies: Spending time in the Alaskan outdoors
What do you like most about being a student in the Honors College?
What I like most about being a student in the Honors College are the abundant opportunities to become involved, excel academically, become involved in research, and to give back to the community. Being an Honors Coug has opened so many doors for myself and my peers and I can’t imagine what my experience at WSU would have been like had I not applied to Honors.
Has anything surprised you about being in the Honors College?
What has surprised me most about being in the Honors College is the sense of community within Honors. Being a smaller academic college, everyone seems to know everyone. Within my class, I have been able to have interactions with most of my peers and have gotten to know many of them very closely. The sense of community in Honors has let me make lifelong connections.
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
The opportunity that stands out most to me is being able to represent the Honors College on the ASWSU Senate for the past two and a half years. The Senate impacts many areas of student life, and is the body responsible for managing several aspects of student fees. Being able to pursue special interest projects on behalf of Honors has been an incredible experience that has helped define my time at WSU.
Tholen Blasko
Hometown: Sultan
Area(s) of study: Biology, German
Involvement at WSU: Honors College, Pre-Dental Club, Vet School Simulation Lab
Hobbies: Backpacking, Skiing, Fishing, Hunting, Music
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
Honors 298 was an amazing experience especially getting to work with the students from China and then presenting with them when they visited.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
My favorite place on campus is the Chinook because you can study, workout, eat, get coffee, or take a nap!
Is there anything special about living in Pullman or about being a Coug?
The coug family is strong no matter where you are. If you’re wearing coug gear you’re almost guaranteed to have someone yell Go Cougs!
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Robin Bond
From: San Diego, Ca
Area of Study: Classics
Involvelemt at WSU: Assistant dean of the Honors College
Hobbies: WSU Orchestra (2nd violin), gardening, snowshoeing
Foreign Languages known: Classical Greek and Latin
What I like about the Honors College at WSU: I think the Honors College is important because of the wonderful students who are part of this learning community at WSU.
Where I’ve traveled: UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada, and Mexico
I’m excited to be an Honors 198 Facilitator because… I enjoy getting to know first-year students
Favorite Quote: “The unexamined life is not worth living” — Plato, ‘Apology of Socrates’
Something random about me: I am researching animals in Herodotus’ ‘History of the Persian wars’
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Zili Chang
Hometown: Bellevue, WA
Area(s) of study: History
Involvement at WSU: Honors 198 Lead Facilitator, Honors Ambassador, Writing Center Consultant, Cable 8, Museum of Art intern
Hobbies: Reading, watching TV/movies, baking, drawing, visiting museums
How has the Honors College helped shape your college experience?
I met my best friend at the Honors College Ice Cream Social, and I got my first job working for the Honors College! I have also taken some very interesting classes and met a lot of cool people.
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
I enjoyed Honors 380 with Yvonne Berliner. The topic of the course was the muralist movement of the Mexican Revolution. I learned about the role of institutionalized art in shaping public thought.
Is there anything special about living in Pullman or about being a Coug?
Yes! Pullman is a beautiful place with a special community. The Daily Grind is a great space to study or spend time with friends, and there are a lot of good restaurants in Moscow.
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Anna Crowley
Hometown: Bellingham, WA
Area(s) of study: Chemical Engineering, German
Involvement at WSU: Honors 198 class facilitator; research assistant with the Community Health and Spatial Epidemiology (CHaSE) Lab; member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter; prior Compton Union Advisory Board Staff Representative; prior Event Manager at Compton Union
Hobbies: Hiking, backpacking, gardening, rock climbing
Why did you join the Honors College?
I really wanted to go to a small, private college, but those are expensive and don’t have the wide array of opportunities available at a large university. I joined the Honors College as a way to get the “small college experience” within this large university, and it surpassed my expectations.
Has anything surprised you about being in the Honors College?
I keep running into Honors College students I met during orientation, or my first weeks of school! Students within this college are active in the university overall but also as an Honors College community. I love that through this college, I know or at least recognize far more students than I would otherwise, at a school of this size.
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
My favorite Honors College class thus far was the Honors 390 class I took with Dr. Starla Meighan. The class was about neuroplasticity, so we learned how our brains work and how we form memories and skills. Then, with our new knowledge, we memorized words, formed habits, and learned to juggle! It was a summer class, so we got to spend a lot of time together as a class in a short period of time, which I loved.
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Maddie Ebel
Hometown: Moses Lake, WA
Area(s) of study: Bioengineering with a minor in math
Involvement at WSU: Resonate Church, Honors First Year Leadership Program, Bio 107 TA, Honors College
Hobbies: Kayaking, Hiking, Camping, Crocheting
Why did you join the Honors College?
I joined the Honors College because I wanted to make the most of my college experience. I wanted to get a global perspective from the comfort of Pullman. I also wanted to be challenged to do my absolute best as a Coug. Honors College does exactly that.
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
My favorite Honors class was English 298 with Dr. Burwick. English isn’t typically my strong suit, so I was a little nervous going into the class. I was pleased to find out that we were studying Steven Spielberg films! I learned so much about what goes into the process of producing films that I have a newfound respect for any movie that I enjoy.
What is something you wish you wish you had known when you first started college?
It’s perfectly okay to ask for help! College is hard. Being away from home for (possibly) the first time is hard. Being surrounded by people who are basically strangers is hard. There is absolutely no shame in admitting that you are struggling or need help. I felt anxious a lot my first year, but after I sought help, I was able to overcome my anxiety and begin to build a home and a community at WSU.
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Kristian Gubsch
Hometown: Edgewood
Area(s) of study: Chemical Engineering
Involvement at WSU: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Industry Relations Officer, Research Assistant Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, Research Assistant Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, and Peer Research Mentor
Hobbies: During my free time I enjoy hiking, reading, playing sports (basketball, soccer, and beach volleyball are my favorites), hanging out with friends, and biking around the area.
What do you like most about being a student in the Honors College?
As a student, I most enjoy the conversations that are scheduled in the Honors lounge throughout the semester with alumni. It provides students the opportunity to ask them questions, hear their story, and be inspired by their path to where they are currently. The most memorable talk that I attended was when we met with the Starbucks Chief of Technology and she talked about her journey to this position and how her WSU education helped her to where she was today
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
I completed the first and second-year leadership courses in the Honors College (Honors 198 and 298), have had the opportunity to become an Honors 198 Facilitator, has helped me receive several scholarships and research opportunities, and have talked to many successful alumni that graduated from the Honors College
Future plans/goals:
In the near future, summer 2019, I will be completing an internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of the Hollings Scholarship Program. In the distant future, I plan on attending graduate school and completing a Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering with the ultimate goal of researching and developing technologies to limit the effects of climate change.
Colby Harris
Hometown: Kirkland
Area(s) of study: Finance & Accounting
Involvement at WSU: Member of Beta Alpha Psi
Hobbies: Traveling, hiking, working out, playing piano
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
I thoroughly enjoyed taking Honors 270: Race, Gender, and the College Campus class taught by David Leonard. I felt the course really pushed students to critically reexamine assumptions regarding race and gender, especially in context with their presence on college campuses.
What are the Honors College faculty like?
All of the Honors College faculty are incredibly responsive and friendly. Its clear that they really want you to succeed and make the most of your college experience.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
When I was 15 years old, I rode a bicycle down to California with my dad.
Allisa Horst
Hometown: Bremerton
Area(s) of study: Mechanical Engineering, Math, German
Involvement at WSU: Head Honors Ambassador, treasurer for Society of Women Engineers, member of Student Alumni Ambassadors, Hackathon participant, and more!
Hobbies: watching Netflix, playing board/card games with friends, playing Dungeons and Dragons, exercising
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
My favorite place on campus is probably the Thompson Flats. Sometimes I feel kind of stuck in the engineering buildings, and it’s great that there’s this beautiful area right outside and right by the Honors College to just relax with friends in the sun.
Favorite Quote:
“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby.”
What is your favorite weekend activity in Pullman?
Outside of school and my work, I really love hanging out with my friends and being involved in my clubs. On top of that, my favorite activity is actually playing Dungeons and Dragons! I got into it senior year of high school and found a group of really great people to play with freshman year and have been playing since.
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Jeremy Jarrett
Hometown: Madison, WI
Area(s) of study: Creative Writing, Compative Ethnic Studies, Military Science
Involvement at WSU: Army ROTC, Writing Center, Honors College
Hobbies: Reading, writing, hiking, adventuring with my pups, cooking
Future plans/goals:
After college, I want to work at a publishing company in New York, or as a park ranger in California, or work at the island of dogs near Costa Rica.
What is your favorite weekend activity in Pullman?
Going downtown! I love Cafe Moro and the staff there is lovely. I get caffeinated and do homework, and when I get restless I walk over to Brused Books and read. It’s awesome! I also like going to the dog park, biking to Moscow and taking my dogs hiking/swimming.
Favorite memory from your freshman year at WSU:
This is actually a terrible memory, but my partner, my best friend and I ate a bunch of food at Hillside diner, then we went over to Thompson Flats and rolled down the hill. I won because I rolled down the hill the most (3 times) but then I got so sick that I had to lay on my floor in our dorm room and I missed class the next day. It’s funny in retrospect.
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Kendra Kendall
Hometown: Cheney, Washington
Area(s) of study: Management Information Systems
Involvement at WSU: Honors College Facilitator, Honors College Ambassador, MIS Club VP of Events, Member of the Japanese Student Association
Hobbies: Reading, doing makeup, watching The Office, and playing video games.
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
The Honors College has given me opportunities to expand my area of knowledge and make meaningful connections with my peers. One of my favorite experiences I’ve had in the Honors College is presenting my research on Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference. I was able to stay for several days in Seattle presenting my research and learning about other honors students’ research.
How has the Honors College prepared you for your future?
The Honors College has taught me one of the most valuable skills: how to research. Being able to learn something you may not be familiar with and bring yourself to a higher level of understanding will be important in my future careers.
Favorite Quote:
““If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
― Haruki Murakami”
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Katie Lober
Hometown: West Richland
Area(s) of study: Bioengineering and Mathematics
Involvement at WSU: Honors College (mentor, facilitator, HSAC), VCEA (BMES), Circle K International
Hobbies: Hiking with my dogs, playing ukulele, musical theatre
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
“Though the Honors College, I am excited to have the opportunity to travel to the National Collegiate Honors Conference in Boston, MA in Fall 2018 to present my research.”
How has the Honors College helped shape your college experience?
I made the majority of my friends through different Honors College programs! I met some of my best friends through HSAC and Honors 198. I know that I can depend on them to push me to succeed and help me through rough spots in my college career.
Favorite Quote:
“Choose people who lift you up.” Michelle Obama
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Byron Marlowe
Hometown: Richland
Area(s) of study: Wine tourism
Involvement at WSU: Faculty
Favorite Quote:
“You can’t live a perfect day until you do something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – John Wooden
Share a Personal Experience at WSU or in the Honors College
I love bringing my family to home football games to root on the Cougars and enjoy ice cream and cheese with a victory. My very first home game was held in a rainstorm and after the loss I was ready to burn my ticket; fortunately, the weather was not accommodating.
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Hendrik Melse
Hometown: Bothell
Area(s) of study: Electrical Engineering
Involvement at WSU: Honors 198 Facilitator
Hobbies: Chess, Swing Dancing
What do you like most about being a student in the Honors College?
The Honors College makes it possible to get the feel of a small University, with all the advantages and opportunities of a large one. There is a real sense of community among the members of the Honors College, yet students are still afforded plenty of research and other exciting opportunities.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
The top floor of the Owen Science Library is an excellent place to study. It’s always kept at a good temperature, and the view from the south and west facing windows is very nice.
What are the Honors College faculty like?
Honors College faculty connect much more with students than most faculty members typically do. Part of this is simply due to smaller class sizes allowing professors to spend more time getting to know each student individually, but also because Honors faculty are more willing to put in the time and energy required to form those connections.
Bogdan Mynka
Hometown: Kharkiv, Ukraine
Area(s) of study: Music: Vocal Perforamnce; French Minor
Involvement at WSU: ALLEGRO, Arts Without Borders, SNATS, Honors Ambassador, Honors Facilitator, Choral Company
Hobbies: Soccer, Poetry, Cooking, Travelling
How has the Honors College helped shape your college experience?
One thing I really enjoy about the Honors college is the opportunity to discover oneself beyond hobbies and interests. In the past few semesters I have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved in leadership positions around campus, and have discovered how much I love working with people and helping them achieve their goals.
What are the Honors College faculty like?
The Honors College faculty are here to help the students get closer to their dreams. I always feel supported and know that whatever ideas I have and however crazy my career goals may be, they are here to provide resources that will help me achieve those goals.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I speak 5-and-a-fraction languages! (Arabic being the fraction – I can write, and phonetically read in Arabic. Beyon that, I have trouble.) I was very fortunate to have traveled a lot growing up, and picked up languages along the way.
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Nam Nguyen
Hometown: Kent, WA
Area(s) of study: International Business & Marketing
Involvement at WSU: Ronald E. McNair Scholar, NASPA Undergraduate Fellow (NUFP), Carson Fellow, Student Representative for the President’s Commission on Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO), Ambassador for the Carson College of Business, Young Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Global Learning Peer Advisor for the Global Learning Department.
Hobbies: Reading, writing, photography and traveling.
How has the Honors College helped shape your college experience?
The Honors College experience is the experience of challenging myself, keep pushing me to go further and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable things to acquire a greater success. Honors College journey is the process of developing the growth mindset and step of my “comfort zone” to be better. Honors College helped me to enrich my college experience and make it unique.
How has the Honors College prepared you for your future?
Honors College prepared me to become a truly leader in the future with all of the coursework and skills that I have obtained during the entire journey at WSU. It developed my presentation, communication and leadership skills, which are very helpful for me in the future.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I am the first student in WSU’s 127-year history to have ever studied abroad in all seven continents through 11 different study abroad programs. So yes, I have been to Antarctica, and surprisingly I have spent a night camping/sleeping ashore surrounded by the penguins.
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Grant Norton
Hometown: Godalming, Surrey (in the UK)
Area(s) of study: Materials science
Involvement at WSU: I’m dean of the Honors College
Hobbies: Playing guitar, bird watching, opera, reading, walking my dog
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
I teach an Honors 290 class, which I really enjoy. It is “Ten Materials that Changed the World” and has really allowed me to think of my field (materials science) in its broad societal context. I hope the students enjoy taking the class as much as I enjoy teaching it!
What are the Honors College faculty like?
The Honors College faculty are outstanding and committed to the success of each of our students. I am proud and honored to work with these faculty every day.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I am a big fan of the rock group Kiss.
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Ryan O’Dea
Hometown: Spokane
Area(s) of study: Neuroscience, French, Chinese, International Business
Involvement at WSU: ASWSU, Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Aerial Dance Society
Hobbies: Photography, Traveling, Reading or Listening to Music
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
The Honors College has gifted me so many opportunities, from providing scholarships that allow me to take more than the maximum amount of credits, to sending me abroad to France and Taiwan to complete internships and studies abroad. The most enjoyable part of Honors is that it doesn’t cease to amaze me with the connections that I’ve fostered throughout the program. I’ve made many friends and the classes, and contacts inside the workplace from the litany of guest speakers that are brought here.
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
My favorite course within the Honors Collage has been Dr. Gerber’s Honors 390: Mindfulness class. While I was taking the course, I was experiencing massive amounts of stress from studying for my MCAT, but the course taught me how to experience the stress rather than internalizing or externalizing in an unhealthy manner.
How did you spend your free time when you lived on campus?
When I can find the time, I enjoy reading a good book or hanging out and chatting with friends in the different cafes that Pullman has to offer.
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Madison Roberts
Hometown: Sumner, WA
Area(s) of study: Architecture
Involvement at WSU: UREC Group Fitness Instructor, American Institute of Architecture Students, Residence Hall Ambassador, National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Hobbies: I love anything where I can be outside in nature! I enjoy going on hikes, swimming and paddle boarding on Lake Tapps, as well as sketching nature. I also love getting to travel and experience new cultures.
What do you like most about being a student in the Honors College?
The Honors College has allowed me to network in ways that I otherwise would not have been able to. The small class sizes encourages an atmosphere of inclusion and creates strong relationships between students and professors. In addition, as a student in the Honors College, I appreciate the emphasis and enthusiasm that the Honors College places on international study. From instituting a language requirement to encouraging students to study abroad, the Honors College wants to create well rounded individuals who can better the world through empathy and awareness. Because of their support, I have been able to travel to France, and will hopefully be studying abroad again in the future.
What has been your favorite Honors College class thus far and why?
My favorite course in the Honors College was when I took Honors 198 as a freshman! I had two mentors who truly cared about us as students and wanted the best for our college experience and beyond. It made the transition from high school to college smooth and exciting. I also enjoyed getting to know the other students in my class and learning with them.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
My grandpa was on the WSU football team!
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Yousef Saleh
Hometown: Egypt
Area(s) of study: Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Material Science
Involvement at WSU: Formula FSAE, Research,hardware hackathon
Hobbies: I like to spend my time hiking, working out, gaming, reading, or learning something new.
Why did you join the Honors College?
I joined the Honors College because it provides a unique college experience and supports personal growth and development. The Honors College also provides a lot of opportunities for networking in a friendly and supportive environment and widens my global perspectives on various topics.
Myths you can bust about the WSU Honors College:
“Myth: Honors College classes are harder than UCORE classes. “In fact, the style of learning is very different and the Honors College classes focus more on discussions which result in a better learning experience. “
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I competed in Pole Vault on the WSU Track and Field team for one year and I speak Arabic as my first language.
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Sarah Schoeder
Hometown: West Richland
Area(s) of study: Bioengineering
Involvement at WSU: K family chair for Circle K, honors mentor, honors facilitator, BMES member, undergraduate researcher
Hobbies: Reading, writing, running, eating, cooking, listening to music, singing.
What opportunities or experiences have you had through the Honors College?
I got the opportunity to be a part of a cool honors global leadership class that worked for a semester on a global case competition. We collaborated with students from China at Southwest University, got to meet lots of interesting global leaders, and discussed current events frankly on a daily basis. It was unique and refreshing. I also have the opportunity to present my research at the National Collegiate Honors Conference next fall due to my participation in the honors college and I’m really looking forward to that.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
The market under global scholars. The late night nacho bar is life.
Myths you can bust about the WSU Honors College:
The foreign language requirement isn’t super difficult and shouldn’t discourage anyone from being in honors! It’s very attainable and can be completed in as little as one semester! Ask me about it!
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