Category: Student blogs

Guest post from Eldridge Alcantara, UW Electrical & Computer Engineering PhD Candidate, Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Cardio Kickboxing Group Fitness Instructor.

My Husky Experience began in autumn 2013, when I started my graduate program in Electrical Engineering. And I’m not going to lie – I felt like I was on top of the world.

Even though I was setting aside a pretty good life already in San Diego, CA, where I was born and raised surrounded by a large Filipino family, close friends, and a full-time engineering job, I was thrilled to be here in Seattle because I was finally pursuing my dream of getting a PhD.

On top of that, I came into UW with a five-year scholarship and a guarantee to return to my job in San Diego afterwards. Nothing could go wrong, right? I just have to be the best student researcher with the most amazing research project, and this degree would be in the bag.

But that’s not what happened.

Fast forward to 2019, I’m still in my PhD, in my sixth year, and still fighting to finish. What has surprised me is that my most notable highlights so far have not come from research, as I had originally envisioned and is common with other PhD students. Rather, my greatest experiences and successes have come from another love of mine: teaching.

I came to UW with the intention to improve in research. But I soon realized I could not turn away from teaching that easily, something rooted in me ever since my time leading Electrical Engineering discussion sections as an undergraduate at UC San Diego. Something about being a TA just feels right. I like the interaction with my students. I like coming up with new ways to review concepts and solve problems. So, I decided to carve my own path and seek out other opportunities to teach.

I emailed Professor Maryam Fazel, who was teaching a class called Continuous-Time Linear Systems (EE 235), and I asked her if I could lead optional discussion sections as a volunteer. I’m surprised to this day that she did not brush this off as a prank, and I’ll be forever grateful that she agreed to let me teach these sections, which I continue to lead to this day.

Photo: UW EE 235 (Continuous Time Linear Systems) class, Spring 2014

So, after my first year, I was doing great with my PhD program while continuing to keep my teaching skills sharp. I started to wonder, what’s next for me?

Little did I know that an opportunity was waiting in the wings.

That opportunity was UW Recreation’s Fitness Instruction Training (FIT) Program. I was already a group fitness enthusiast, and I liked the idea of getting paid to work out, but I saw something else with the FIT program: another opportunity to teach – to teach a new class format, in a new environment, and to a wider campus community I’d never worked with before.

I joined the program not being the fittest person in my cohort (nor the most enthusiastic), but I was determined to finish. I completed it in spring 2015, and began teaching Cardio Kickboxing the following autumn quarter.

During my first quarter teaching Cardio Kickboxing, I was amazed how I was able to seamlessly apply all that I learned from engineering teaching. Over eight weeks, I taught short combination sequences to the beat of music that incorporate basic punches and kicks and increase in difficulty over a quarter.

Photo: UW Dawg Daze Cardio Kickboxing class, Autumn 2017

My time as a TA helped me understand the importance of designing organized lesson plans. I knew how to break down what I taught into small, digestible parts that my participants could follow. I also understood how to progress my lessons slowly and methodically over a quarter to help my participants safely reach their fitness goals.

Unfortunately, there was one thing missing that first quarter: enthusiasm.

As my fitness manager noted, “Eldridge, your experience in teaching clearly shows, but if you want your students to be at 100% intensity, I need you to be teaching at 110%.” I learned right away that any amount of enthusiasm I showed in an engineering classroom was not going to be enough for fitness, so I worked on it.

I practiced my class routines more regularly, so that over time, I worried less about the elements of my choreography and focused more on being comfortable in front of my participants. It worked. My class blossomed as a result, with healthy attendance rates that continue to this day, 11 quarters later.

But do you know what surprised me most about my experience with UW Recreation?

Being a group fitness instructor served to improve other areas of my work in ways I could never imagine. My engineering students now comment on how much more engaging my class is because of my energy and enthusiasm. I owe that to Cardio Kickboxing and the confidence it taught me, where I’m regularly shouting things like “you go, boy!” or “nice side kick, girl!”

My work as a researcher also improved. I get regular comments from my advisors and colleagues on how my presentations flow well and are easy to follow. I owe that to Cardio Kickboxing and the experience teaching to music and speaking to a wider non-technical audience.

Reflecting on these last six years, I never would have predicted that teaching would define my Husky Experience. My love for teaching has only deepened. From teaching group fitness and further engaging outside the classroom, I truly believe I have become not only a better researcher, engineer, and TA, but a healthier and more well-rounded individual.

Photo: UW Dawg Daze Cardio Kickboxing class, Autumn 2018

Every year we get the opportunity to celebrate some incredible students from UW’s three campuses (Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma) as the Husky 100. This recognition honors 100 students for their exceptional contributions on and off campus and for truly making the most of their Husky Experience. These students prove that leadership is far from a one-size-fits-all stereotype, and it’s possible to lead from all sides and angles.

2019 Husky 100 applications are open now (due January 23^rd!) so log on and start sharing your story of leadership at UW! I chatted with some members of the Husky 100 from 2018 to learn more about their own journeys and ask what leadership means to them. Their answers were as diverse as they are—and might just inspire you to start your own application.

“How would you define leadership?”

“The most important part of leadership is being involved with the people in your community—good collaboration. A good leader is someone who collaborates with the people around them, goes the extra mile, and inspires and empowers others to succeed.”

— Tina Hernandez, UW Tacoma, who has spent her time as a Husky serving the community through social work volunteering and researching the effects of trauma on the developing brain.

 

“My definition of leadership has changed a lot since I was a freshman. Now it’s a lot about listening—not telling people what to do, but listening and understanding their needs. So to me, being a good leader means being a good listener.”

— Nadya Ekhteraee-Sanaee, UW Seattle, who leads as the president of the Economics Undergraduate Board, chair of the Arts & Sciences Advisory Council for Students, and an active member of Women in Economics.

 

“Leadership to me means leading by example—by doing, not by telling.”

— Colton Twiddy, UW Seattle, who has connected his work in and out of the classroom as part of the Neighborhood Design Build Studio and by competing on the UW Commercial Construction Team.

 

“Empathy.”

— Beck Adelante, UW Tacoma, who has tirelessly worked to promote accessibility and elevate marginalized student voices, such those from LGBTQ+, mixed race, disabled, and other underserved communities.

 

“Leadership, to me, is tied closely with service and learning. You have to really put in the work, learn as much as you can, empower people, and ultimately teach them how to lead themselves.”

— Henry Milander, UW Seattle, who strives to create a more equitable and sustainable future through his work in the UW Rotaract, as a residential advisor, and as the President of the Certificate of International Studies in Business program.

 

 “To me, leadership is not only being available to others and letting people come to you with their needs and problems, but also reaching out when you notice people need help.”

— Leah Ruggerone, UW Seattle, who has dedicated herself to promoting the health and wellness of her community as an education assistant in the pharmacy department, the president of the pediatric pharmacy advocacy group, and a devoted volunteer working with children that have primary disabilities.

 

“A good leader works to make sure the voices of all our different communities are heard.”

— Katrina Salazar Punzalan, UW Seattle, whose Husky Experience empowered her to embrace her identity as a queer Filipinx student and inspired her to pursue becoming an attorney to help marginalized communities such as migrant workers and Pacific Islanders.

 

“Leadership is working with other people toward a goal you’ve all set. At the end of the day, I think leadership is about working with others, serving others, and listening to your community.”

— Aishwarya Mandyam, UW Seattle, who leads from the intersection of technology and humanity as she serves as the president of the UW Association for Computing, innovates in the biotechnology space, and builds inclusive communities on campus.

 

“Accountability and humility.”

— Brit Barnhouse, UW Tacoma, who founded a literary journal dedicated to communicating complex ideas simply and accessibly, inspired by her double major in environmental studies and writing.

 

“Leadership means being a role model. It means bringing out in the best in the people around you. It means doing your best and being humble at the same time.”

— Kimberly Ruth, UW Seattle, whose time on campus researching, organizing, tutoring, and mentoring has made her quite the role model in her own right.

 

“Leadership is passion and compassion. Passion because you need to love what you do; compassion so you can feel what others feel.”

— Angel Chen, UW Seattle, who has created a more inclusive environment for transfer students as a transfer-student FIG leader and Commuter & Transfer Associate with First Year Programs.

 

“Leadership is giving back to others, which means you have to get to know their needs. A leader sees a problem and tries to solve it, bringing everyone to the table to find a solution.”

— Youcef Yacoub Bennour, whose passions have led him to chair the committee for the Students and Activities Fee, become a voting member of the World Affairs Council, and mentor students at a local high school.

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To learn more about the Husky 100 recognition as well as current and past nominees, visit the Husky 100 website. To apply, click here!

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Student Life blogger Hannah M. is a UW senior studying Marketing and English who is also involved with the American Marketing Association and Her Campus UW. When not pitching, writing or editing blog posts for UWSL, you’re likely to find her making PowerPoint presentations for a case competition or ordering a vanilla latte on the Ave. To suggest a topic for the UWSL blog, email dawglife@uw.edu.