Features – Page 8 – Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

On June 10, over 7,000 graduating seniors celebrated their academic accomplishments with 40,000 Husky families, friends and guests at the 91爆料鈥檚 Husky Stadium. Among the scholars who walked across the stage to receive their diplomas were those who connected to, deepened and expanded their Husky experience with Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥� opportunities and programming. We recognize the hard work and dedication of each graduating senior, who now embark on pathways to create a better world. Every single one of these graduates has left a lasting impact on the 91爆料, our community and on us. Congratulations to the class of 2023!

Here are a few examples from the Class of 2023!

Revolutionizing Alzheimer鈥檚 care: Undergraduate research in public health

In this video, undergraduate researcher Varuna Ravi, 鈥�23, shares what motivated her to pursue research focusing on Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. Ravi鈥檚 firsthand experience of the devastating impact Alzheimer鈥檚 has on millions of individuals and their families drove her to reimagine how we perceive, comprehend and treat age-associated cognitive decline.

Junior medalist Olivia Brandon

Olivia Brandon, who twice received the President’s Medal, said, 鈥淚 am constantly inspired by the impact 鈥� small or global 鈥� an individual can have in the medical and scientific world.鈥� Brandon majored in public health鈥揼lobal health and hopes her future research helps improve global health challenges like infant mortality.

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Five 91爆料 students named 2023 Goldwater Scholars

Nuria Alina Chandra is one of five undergrads selected for the Goldwater Scholarship, a competitive scholarship that supports students in STEM fields. Chandra plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science and then work at the intersection of machine learning, computational biology, and algorithms research. 鈥淚 will research machine learning, computational biology, and algorithms to develop tools that prevent, treat, and cure disease. My research career will span from theory to clinical application,鈥� says Chandra.

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Undergraduates at the intersections of research: from blueprints to breakthroughs and visual arts to virtual reality

Photo of students presenting their posters — More than 1,000 undergraduates presented their research in the 26th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Out of the 1,000+ undergraduate researchers who presented their work at the 26th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, hundreds of them were seniors. Class of 2023 graduate and neuroscience major Shannon Hong reflected: 鈥淚t was a valuable experience to present my own research and to learn about the work my peers are doing. The Symposium showed me that students can be at the forefront of change.鈥�

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Spring CELEbration event recognizes student and community partnerships

UAA’s held the , a forum showcasing student service, leadership and activist work. Presenter Greta Fehlan, 鈥�23, shared聽her internship experience from the聽. Fehlan said, 鈥淚 loved this experience so much that it solidified for me that this is what I want to be doing with my life 鈥� community-based, community-focused work.鈥�

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91爆料 students, alumni selected for Fulbright awards and a world of opportunities

Among this year’s group of students and alumni selected for Fulbright Fellowships are seniors Jessie Cox, Mia Filardi, Auden Finch, Kennedy Patterson and Lillian Williamson. They will join approximately 2,000 students and recent graduates from around the country to teach, study and research abroad in countries such as Botswana, Taiwan and Finland.

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91爆料 senior Casper Suen selected for China鈥檚 Yenching Academy

Casper Suen, ’23, was recently selected for the competitive Yenching Academy Scholars program at Peking University. One of two scholars from the 91爆料, both of whom majored in international studies, will join 115 scholars hailing from 31 countries as the 2023 cohort participating in the interdisciplinary China Studies master鈥檚 program. Through his coursework at the 91爆料, Suen developed his interest in China鈥檚 policy institutions and international relations.

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Dr. Kristina Henry Collins named executive director of Robinson Center

Photo of Kristina Collins — Dr. Kristina Henry Collins has been named the new executive director of the 91爆料’s Robinson Center and will begin her tenure in September 2023.

Congratulations to Kristina Henry Collins, acclaimed professor and gifted education leader who has been appointed the new executive director of the , officially beginning her term September 1, 2023.

For more than 40 years, the Robinson Center for Young Scholars has offered challenging, accelerated learning opportunities at the 91爆料 to highly capable young students. Recognized internationally for their excellence in gifted education, the Robinson Center remains committed to promoting research and discovery.

The nationwide search for an executive director of the Center led to Dr. Collins, with her record of significant research in gifted education and talent development, and strong commitment to educational equity and diversity.

鈥淒r. Collins is already a strong leader in developing programs that engage marginalized students and families in STEM education, and I am very excited to see her impact on the Robinson Center students and programs,鈥� shared Janice DeCosmo, associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and interim director of the Robinson Center.聽鈥淲e are lucky to have her as our new executive director.鈥�

Collins envisions stewarding the Robinson Center by cultivating a shared vision and culture of innovation, including inclusive engagement, optimal performance and socioemotional well-being for students and staff. Collins is most excited about her role as center leader and serving as an agent who will foster a community of practice.

鈥淭ransformational and servant leadership are the principles that guide my approach to leading and teaching,鈥� said Collins. 鈥淚 aim to cast visions that are connected to the values and hopes for the future of the organizational members, the university and the larger community.鈥�

鈥淭he Robinson Center will continue to create challenging and innovative programming for gifted young scholars under Collins鈥� leadership,鈥� shared Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor. 鈥淪he has the vision, knowledge and experience to steward the program and experiences of scholars into the future.鈥�

Collins earned both her Ph.D. and Ed.S. in educational psychology: gifted and creative education from the University of Georgia in Athens. She was most recently the associate director at the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research, and an associate professor in the Talent Development Program at Texas State University. Collins received the College of Education Presidential Distinction Award of Excellence in Teaching at the assistant professor rank for her work at Texas State University.

Collins鈥� first formal experience with gifted education was as a parent of a gifted student herself. 鈥淧laying an active role in matching appropriate K-12 educational experiences to effectively nurture my son鈥檚 academic, creative and athletic talent, I learned to navigate spaces designed to meet his needs,鈥� shared Collins. 鈥淚 was also drawn to advocating for more equitable practice in recruiting, identifying and serving diverse populations of students in accelerated and gifted education.鈥�

Collins鈥� philosophy as both a reflective leader and a teacher emphasizes the importance of contextual mentoring relationships. Taking clearly defined and communicated goals within a culturally responsive environment, she creates experiences that are empowering and engaging for all.

Collins intends to 鈥渋nspire staff and students to reach their full potential by setting ambitious organizational goals, leading by example and prioritizing guidance toward the needs of the members for personal development and fulfillment.鈥�

Collins is committed to the experience and development of current and future Robinson Center scholars, 鈥淚 believe that every student has a right to engage in an educational setting that offers opportunities for students to maximize their potential.鈥� In addition to Collin鈥檚 role at the Robinson Center, she will hold an affiliate faculty appointment in the College of Education and will hold an affiliate appointment in the School of Education at 91爆料 Tacoma.

About the Robinson Center

Through early entrance programs The Robinson Center prepares younger students for college and provides them with challenging, accelerated learning opportunities in a vibrant, intellectual community at the 91爆料. They also provide outreach through enrichment and summer programs that offer classes for highly capable Puget Sound students. The Robinson Center is a site for research and discovery of best practice in supporting highly capable young students and maintains the 91爆料鈥檚 position as an internationally renowned center of gifted education.

Revolutionizing Alzheimer’s care: Undergraduate research in public health

Spring CELEbration event recognizes student and community partnerships

The 91爆料鈥檚 announces the , a forum in which CELE Center and showcase their service, leadership and activist work that was conducted in partnership with the greater community.

Spring CELEbration places the CELE Center tenet of reflective learning into practice, as students articulate their learning, community service and leadership work. Executive director of the CELE Center, Fran Lo, shared that the event was intentionally 鈥渄esigned for students to reflect upon critical questions about themselves and the world around them, which is vital in our individual and collective work toward positive change with and in our communities.鈥� The public forum allows students 鈥渢o draw from the knowledge and skills they have developed as they lead and act in service to the greater good,鈥� Lo stated.

Event details

Spring CELEbration
May 24, 2023 / 4:30-7 p.m.

, North Ballroom and conference rooms
4001 E Stevens Way NE
Seattle, WA 98195

Program schedule:
4:40 p.m. Welcome
5鈥�5:50 p.m. Round 1 presentations
6鈥�6:50 p.m. Round 2 presentations

Guests will attend poster sessions, oral presentations, lightning round talks and a video showcase, all exploring the impact of students’ work, mentor relationships, and academic and career trajectories. Undergraduates will present on topics ranging from current challenges with access to engineering/STEM disciplines, mentorship of students on dismantling systems of oppression, to mental health awareness and resource allocation in farmworker communities.

Presenter Greta Fehlan, 鈥�23, and CELE Center participant of the , is looking forward to sharing her internship experience from the . 鈥�I鈥檓 focusing my presentation on the impact I witnessed for this community,鈥� said Fehlan. 鈥�I loved this experience so much that it solidified for me that this is what I want to be doing with my life 鈥� community-based, community-focused work.鈥�

Fehlan noted it will be rewarding to see the range of student projects from across all CELE Center programs and the Mary Gates Endowment Leadership Scholarship. Guests will be able to engage with undergraduates in conversation and questions across this wide-sweeping range of leadership experiences and service fields. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see all the awesome things that everyone鈥檚 been up to,鈥� Fehlan said.

Undergraduates at the intersections of research: from blueprints to breakthroughs and visual arts to virtual reality

On May 19, over 1,000 undergraduates will present their research and scholarship to the public at the 26th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Celebrating scholarship and cutting-edge research of undergraduate researchers from all academic disciplines, the Symposium brings together students, faculty members and the greater community to engage with a diverse showcase of research and academic achievement at a signature event for the 91爆料.

Making marine biology fun

Samantha-Lynn Martinez, 鈥�25, is a marine biologist on a mission.

An undergraduate in the , Martinez not only studies marine biology, but is also pursuing evolution, ecology and conservation biology. Add in her videography, photography and design work, and it鈥檚 easy to see how Martinez is making waves innovating science impact communications. With a unique perspective as both a scientist and an artist, Martinez communicates in an informative, engaging and visually stunning manner.

The environment has always been close to Martinez’s heart and her home. Growing up in the Philippines and then moving to Seattle, she has lived in cities with close ties to their marine and terrestrial resources. 鈥淎lthough they are practically polar opposite climates, there is a palpable sentiment towards the preservation of the natural environment and working with the resources that surround us,鈥� said Martinez.

Martinez already has an extensive history in youth education. From her role as a youth ocean advocate at the Seattle Aquarium to her curriculum development for the Salish Sea School, Martinez has seen children light up with excitement from discovering something new countless times. 鈥淚 think getting people properly excited about science is what helps it stick and drive further curiosity or compassion for the subject at hand,鈥� said Martinez.

Martinez was recently featured by HiHo Kids in their “Kids Meet a Marine Biologist” series, where she shares her passion for marine biology with a new generation. The loaned Martinez fish collection specimens for the filming, much to the fascination of the kids.

On educational outreach Martinez shared, 鈥淪o much of what drives people to do what they love, and do it well, is the ability to feel that they belong and are welcome to explore their field of interest. In my opinion, this starts early. If science education can utilize the natural curiosity that kids, teens, and young adults already have and encourage this to stay strong throughout their academic years, I feel like people would be much more inclined to chase after what they鈥檝e always wanted to do.鈥�

Martinez continues to do just that, clearing new pathways for women of color in the industry. Martinez is intent to become the first Filipina wildlife camerawoman and host on mainstream media, telling wildlife stories from the States to the Philippines and beyond.

Protecting our shared home: A conversation with author, climate advocate and alum Brianna Craft

Photo of Brianna Craft — Brianna Craft, ’10, author and senior researcher at International Institute for Environment and Development. *Photo by Gemma Turnbull.*

Brianna Craft, 鈥�10, had a panic attack and from that moment, everything changed. An undergraduate in the Honors Program at the 91爆料, Craft found herself in an environmental studies lecture freshman year, with her heart beating rapidly and her fingers gripping her seat.聽鈥淟earning about the climate crisis changed everything for me,鈥� Craft shared.

Far from remaining frozen in panic, Craft spent the following years diving into the issues behind the climate crisis. Craft credits some of her journey through fear and into deeper understanding to the 91爆料 Honors Program鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach. She was awarded a Bonderman Fellowship in 2008, and used the following year to travel through 14 countries. As she spoke with biologists in Costa Rica, families in Fiji and farmers in India, she learned how global warming was impacting people. She has worked hard to protect our shared home from the climate crisis ever since.

After graduating from the 91爆料 with a B.A. in architectural studies and minors in environmental studies and urban planning, Craft went on to earn her master鈥檚 degree in environmental studies from Brown University. As a graduate student, Craft began her involvement in U.N. climate negotiations, participating as a member of The Gambia鈥檚 national delegation. During the years that led to the signing of the Paris Agreement, Craft supported Mr. Pa Ousman Jarju, chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group. Post graduation, Craft joined the staff of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). As her role evolved, she took on research, writing briefings and directly supporting LDC delegates in negotiations on technology development and transfer.

Today Craft is a senior researcher at IIED, where she continues to bring together diverse fields of knowledge to make informed policy recommendations. Her memoir, 鈥淓verything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir,鈥� will be published on April 4, 2023.

Editor鈥檚 note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your personal call to writing 鈥淓verything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir鈥�?

After four years spent in United Nations鈥� negotiations, I celebrated the 2015 adoption of the first universal climate treaty, the Paris Agreement. Months later, the world鈥檚 largest cumulative greenhouse gas emitter (the U.S.) elected a climate change denier to their highest office. I needed every American to hear me, to see what my colleagues and I had worked so hard to accomplish. So I started what turned out to be a six-year journey from the memoir鈥檚 inception to publication.

In 鈥淓verything That Rises,鈥� you write of 鈥済rowing up in a house where the loudest voice always won and violence silenced those in need.鈥� Can you speak to the intertwined natures/futures of oppression in the home with oppression in the global political sense?

I see so many parallels between the climate crisis and oppression dynamics. My father was violent and I grew up terrified. Living with the climate crisis is like living with him. The stress and the fear 鈥� the constant risk of death. The pressure and despair that impacts everything, underlies everything.

As a researcher, I work to support the LDCs in the U.N. climate change negotiations. The 46 countries are classified as the world鈥檚 poorest. They have done the least to cause the climate crisis 鈥� emitting less than 1% of global emissions 鈥� and are disproportionately impacted by the havoc it wreaks. Watching them push for adequate international decisions reminds me of what growing up was like. How every day I watched those with power undervalue things that were precious, irreplaceable. And the silence around it, the isolation. The pretending, when it is not safe. These dynamics are not talked about, in part, because doing so would mean owning up to reality and the part we play in its perpetuation.

How did you learn to be an advocate, and what do you hope readers will take away from your story in how they use their voice and personal power?

I started my time in the U.N. climate change negotiations as a 24-year-old graduate student. I went from looking to others for solutions, to advocating for those I love myself. The climate crisis is the single greatest threat we have ever faced. I hope readers will use their voice and power to shape our collective response: that they will vote to elect officials who will cut our greenhouse gas emissions to net zero; that they will protest climate inaction; and that they will divest their time and their money from fossil fuels. It will take all of us to protect our shared home.

How did Honors鈥� interdisciplinary studies inform your relationship to learning about the environment, and how does it inform your current research?

I would not have learned about climate change if not for the Honors鈥� interdisciplinary approach. Being an Honors student landed me in an environmental studies lecture. I鈥檒l be eternally grateful! I continue to use interdisciplinary approaches in my current research 鈥� bringing together many fields of knowledge to craft policy recommendations. The climate crisis is a . Climate change combines the interconnected problems of sustainability and pollution with many actors, long timescales, great economic burden, and uncertainty. Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to implement effective solutions.

What is your day-to-day like as a senior researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development?

I love the people I get to work with. LDC negotiators and my badass team, whose motivation to make change fuels them (and me) through the marathon of effort required to reach international decisions.

When not in U.N. negotiations supporting countries to reconcile what the climate crisis has irrevocably lost and damaged, I do a lot of writing. I write briefings, toolkits and research papers about climate diplomacy. I help run training workshops for new climate negotiators from the LDCs. And lately, I鈥檝e spent some quality time helping authors from Nepal, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands and Sierra Leone tell stories about how climate change will mean their lives will never be the same.

We understand that you are a lover of peanut butter. Was it that which truly brought you to the environmental movement?

I could wax lyrical about peanut butter. It鈥檚 the most delicious, low impact protein source I can think of! I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檇 say that the love of peanut butter brought me to the climate movement, but it has certainly fuelled me through it.

Building community, one relationship at a time

Aden Afework, 鈥�22, was majoring in public health and global health when the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep across the globe. As she witnessed firsthand how COVID exacerbated the inequities among students from her home community of South Seattle, she sought out new opportunities for engaging with community.

Photo of Aden Afework outside. — Through the Undergraduate Community-Based Internships program, Aden Afework interned at Canopy Scholars and was able to focus on her passion for equity in education. Photo: Photo by Ian Teodoro

As a first-generation college student from an immigrant family, Afework felt pulled toward addressing the disparity of Black students’ access to academic resources. A professor told her about the Undergraduate Community-Based Internships (UCBI) program and suggested that the paid internship program housed through the might be the best place for her to focus on this work. Afework applied.

The UCBI program places undergraduates interested in public service into nonprofit and public sector organizations, giving them the chance to explore, contribute and grow as they work within partner organizations. Afework immediately felt drawn to in Shoreline, WA, an organization providing equity in education for underserved students.

Photo of Lynn Newcombe — Lynn Newcombe, director of Canopy Scholars, a nonprofit organization providing equity in education whose programming is fueled by youth volunteers from local high schools and undergraduates from the 91爆料. Photo: Photo by Ian Teodoro

Canopy Scholars, in partnership with the Shoreline School District and family advocates, offers school tutoring, STEM programs and community building for second through eighth grade students. Their programming is fueled by youth volunteers from local high schools and undergraduates from the 91爆料. With their service to students of Afework鈥檚 own Eritrean and Ethiopian community, Canopy Scholars stood out to her as the perfect place to focus her passion for equity in education.

Canopy Scholars had long been a community partner with the 91爆料 as a partner-organization option for 91爆料 service learning classes. When UCBI reached out to Canopy Scholars in 2017, Director Lynn Newcombe said it was an easy 鈥測es.鈥�

Newcombe cites the partnership as 鈥渁 fabulous experience for us because we had someone who was investing hours of their time a week in our organization and able to really come alongside the high school and college student tutors and provide them training.鈥�

Returning home through community

Finding her way to Canopy Scholars was a returning home of sorts for Afework. Her first two years at the 91爆料 were spent in rigorous research experiences, yet disconnected from community engagement.

鈥淚 knew I needed to get that back for myself,鈥� she reflected, looking back to her high school years of involvement in advocacy policy work giving collaborative presentations to representatives in Olympia, and her years spent volunteering at the Rainier Beach Community Center helping run events and services for South Seattle.

Newcombe interviewed Afework as an intern candidate and immediately hired her on, 鈥淚 knew she was going to be a game changer for us.鈥� Afework took her learning off campus and into the community, investing 10 hours weekly into the student programming. Her work was supported with an additional two hours of weekly internship cohort meetings led by UCBI staff, where she and her fellow interns received not only coaching and mentorship, but learned in depth about social issues as they reflected on power, identity and systems of oppression.

Afework began running the virtual middle school programming, navigating the new terrain of remote learning in that first year of COVID. She crafted and created a space that students came to with an eagerness to talk, to get homework help and to connect with a tutor. She also represented the students back to themselves 鈥� Afework herself immigrated to Seattle with her family at the age of 8. She had the shared lived experience of 86% of the families that Canopy Scholars serves.

Shifting the culture

During this time, another shift began to occur in these online spaces.聽鈥淭here were these really amazing conversations that were happening,鈥� said Newcombe. In the background of these sessions were the global protests after George Floyd鈥檚 murder. The Black Lives Matter movement was being picked up across national media and everyday conversations turned to racial injustice.

This time would become pivotal to Afework鈥檚 understanding and embodiment of leadership.

Afework organically found herself facilitating conversations with her students as they sought to contextualize what they were experiencing and living through. The facilitation model that worked for her and the students was composed of conversations with open-ended questions. Here she gave the program tutors space to grow and develop as well, 鈥淚 wanted to empower tutors so I encouraged them to continue these conversations with their students once they were in breakout rooms.鈥� Noting the deep trust that existed between the middle school students and high school tutors, her students felt invited into engagement as the discussions were a 鈥渘o-judgment, safe space to share their thoughts.鈥�

Newcombe supported Afework to develop a middle school level to these critical thinking questions after Afework had observed that this adjustment was needed.

Afework said, 鈥淏eing a leader means learning that if things are not working, work with others and receive support to make adjustments that support everyone in return.鈥�

Leading the way through relationships

With the ongoing support and program adjustments, Afework was able to engage the students in conversations that parents were asking Canopy for help with. 鈥淗ow do we talk about racism with our kids? How do we teach them about identity? We experienced racism ourselves,鈥� shared Newcombe on common questions parents were bringing to them. 鈥淭here was a lot of coming to grips with their own identity that was happening as these kids were moving into middle school. Aden was able to step into a critical opportunity and go deeper with kids in ways that they really needed. And kids and parents trusted her.鈥�

Photo of Lynn Newcombe and Aden Afework. — Lynn Newcombe and Aden Afework developed relationships and built community with each other and participants in Canopy Scholars. Photo: Photo by Ian Teodoro

鈥淯CBI solidified my interest in working with communities, ” said Afework. 鈥淐ommunity based work is really building relationships.鈥� Newcombe notes how Afework spoke with her students with such a deep understanding and authority in how she saw the world.

鈥淥ne day in the main session, she said, 鈥榃here do you find community?鈥� and the kids and tutors go into breakout rooms and then they come back for the follow up and it was really astonishing. It was amazing to hear, 鈥業 find it here,鈥欌€� said Newcombe.

鈥淚 felt so valued, that now my expectations for wherever I work are very high. I need to be valued in this space. UCBI and Canopy was a really great experience for me to have,鈥� said Afework.

Afework stayed on at Canopy Scholars supporting families through the summer of 2021 during an UCBI program extension, and Newcombe hired her back for the remainder of her senior year.

鈥淎den Afework created a broadening of our students’ own understanding of themselves and seeing themselves as being successful,鈥� said Newcombe. 鈥淥ur students could feel incredibly proud of who they are.鈥�

15-seconds at a time: Academic Support Programs [video]

In this video, Director Ryan Burt takes on the challenge of explaining Academic Support Programs in less than 15 seconds at a time. 鈥�15 Seconds at a Time鈥� is a series in which different Undergraduate Academic Affairs programs explain their work in bite-sized bursts.

Academic Support Programs, located at the 91爆料 in Mary Gates Hall, provides a space for all 91爆料 undergraduate students to be included, challenged and supported in their educational journey. An academic home away from home, Academic Support Programs offers peer-to-peer programs and services include tutoring and coaching, as well as connections to other academic support programs across campus.

Academic Support Programs’ resources are available to you online and in person. Academic coaching is available through the day into the evening, CLUE tutoring on evenings and online appointments can be made at academicsupport.uw.edu. CLUE tutors cover a wide range of majors including: math, physics, political science, chemistry, public health, English, social work, statistics, economics and more. Visit Academic Support Programs to learn more about scheduling with one of their amazing student coaches and tutors.

Produced by: Ian Teodoro and Kirsten Atik
Edited by: Ian Teodoro
Thanks to: Ryan Burt

This autumn, let us begin again

It鈥檚 the beginning of another academic year. The leaves on the iconic cherry trees in the Quad are turning red, orange, gold. We often focus on these trees in the spring 鈥� and with good reason, the blossoms are spectacular and represent a kind of joyful renewal 鈥� but autumn and the start of classes brings its own beauty and renewal through this specific time and place.

The leaves change together, just as our students transform together through a common experience of learning at this point in time and at this public institution. The turning of the leaves, a new school year, new students coming to campus: It is hopeful and gives us all an opportunity to begin again.

In Undergraduate Academic Affairs, we create opportunities and programs that enable students to connect to, deepen and expand their undergraduate academic experiences. As a result, students are able to be fully present and be the lead protagonists in their own educational journeys.

As we all begin this new academic year, full of possibility and hope, I think of James Baldwin, who wrote, 鈥淭he world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in.鈥�

Many students in the 91爆料鈥檚 history did not leave the 91爆料 as it was when they entered. They gathered, learned, organized and changed the way this very University operates and has made us a better institution. We are better today because of the people who have come through here.

The people make the institution, and students develop capacities for leadership, community engagement and scholarship that make it so they are not just at the 91爆料, but are able to be the 91爆料.

Emily Dickenson wrote, 鈥淗ope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul, / And sings the tune without the words, / And never stops at all 鈥︹€�

With all the challenges our local and global communities face, when I meet students, I am filled with hope anew. The 91爆料 provides students with both common academic experiences and vast opportunities to choose and create their own academic adventures. Hope perches in our souls and sings no matter what.

This class of more than 7,200 entering students is filled with new Huskies, parents, families, mentors and supporters who are here because they鈥檝e been hopeful.

My hope for all our students is that, by finding a sense of belonging at the 91爆料, they develop the habits of heart, grow their intellectual capacity and discover their own drive to create the world anew.