Byron Gray and Cameron Turtle, University of Washington seniors, are among 32 Rhodes Scholars just named for 2012. The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest international fellowship awards in the world, according to the website for Rhodes Trust, a British charity established in honor of Cecil Rhodes that provides full financial support for scholars to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Gray and Turtle were selected from a pool of 830 candidates nominated by their colleges and universities. The UW is the only public university in the nation with more than one new scholar.
Congratulations!
Congratulations new Rhodes Scholars Byron Gray and Cameron Turtle!
11/21/2011
Together, we make history
11/21/2011
150 years of history in the making…and counting.
Over the past 150 years, the University of Washington and the people of Washington state have worked together to create one of the most livable, innovative and vibrant areas of the nation. As we look back on our shared accomplishments, we move forward with excitement about what the next 150 years will bring.
Share your memories on the UW Timeline, participate in an event, and much more!
Inspired service in rural Kenya
11/02/2011
| >> Alumni e-News Table of Contents |
At the dinner, emceed by Professor Shawn Wong, Peter shared his remarkable and inspiring journey and how his time at the UW impacted him.
Peter is currently earning his master’s in global health at the UW. As an undergraduate, he was a Mary Gates Leadership Scholar, Munro Public Service Award recipient, and Edward E. Carlson Student Leadership Awardee.
Gala Speech
CNN Heroes Award Story
Don’t miss the video created about Peter when he received the CNN Heroes Award.
UAA alumni educate and inspire
11/01/2011
| >> Alumni e-News Table of Contents |
—John F. Kennedy
Each of us can point to a teacher who’s made a difference in our lives—someone who’s challenged us to live up to our potential, follow our dreams, discover our talents and how we can contribute to the world. This fall, we’re celebrating back-to-school with a focus on some UAA alumni who are now teachers. Preschool, public high school, Teach For America, or Americorps—Neelz Gharavi (’02, ’04), Blake Stevens (’09), Sue Ordonez (’08), Tim Harris (’10), and Angel Corral (’10)—shared what inspires them as teachers and how they apply those influences in the classroom. Maybe they’ll remind you of a teacher who’s inspired you.
Neelz Gharavi: Living by the words of Wayne Gretsky and Gandhi
Neeloufar “Neelz” Gharavi (’02, ’04) is an English teacher at Sequoia High School, a public alternative school in the Everett School District. This is her eighth year with the school, where she’s worked since she graduated from the UW Teacher Education Program in 2004.
Discover one of the best moments in her career.
Blake Stevens: Cool, but not too cool for school
Blake Stevens (’09) comes from a family of teachers. His mother was a public school teacher and his father was the assistant superintendent of the Bellingham School District. As a 4th and 5th grader he helped out in his mom’s kindergarten class and as he grew older, found he enjoyed helping others find solutions to their academic and life questions.
Learn what motivates Blake to find his dream.
Supanika “Sue” Ordonez: Preferring ‘difficult’ students
Supanika “Sue” Ordonez (’08), an international studies major, thought she would enter the professional world of international relations, having grown up around the world with her father, a United States diplomat. That changed for Sue after she began volunteering through Jumpstart.
Find out how Sue became a diplomat among preschoolers.
Tim Harris: Academic pride in Motor City
Tim Harris (’10), an Honors alumnus and former student employee of First Year Programs, is currently a volunteer with Teach For America in Detroit at the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts. After receiving encouragement from friends and family to participate in Teach For America, and not having a solid post-graduation plan, he enrolled in Teach For America.
But he didn’t feel the inspiration to teach…yet.
Angel Corral: Speaking her truth in South LA
Angel Corral (‘10) is currently a first year teacher at a high school in Watts, South Los Angeles, California. She teaches biology and anatomy and physiology to 10th and 11th graders. She’s also in her last quarter of graduate school at UCLA, and will receive a master’s degree in urban education in December 2011.
Read what sign Angel has above her desk to inspire her students.
Tim Harris: Academic pride in Motor City
11/01/2011
| >> Alumni e-News Table of Contents |
Tim Harris (’10), an Honors alumnus and former student employee of First Year Programs, is currently a volunteer with Teach For America in Detroit at the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts. After receiving encouragement from friends and family to participate in Teach For America, and not having a solid post-graduation plan, he enrolled in the program. However, he didn’t feel the inspiration to teach until he was actually in his teaching job, and connecting with students. “My students make me want to teach. Every day I walk into the classroom, and I know that I have some of the brightest minds in the country, but because of the lack of resources my students have had in the past, they haven’t been able to demonstrate their genius.”
Curiosity and commitment inspire Tim. “In my students, I call it the ’So what you’re saying’ moment. Whenever my students are able to respond to discussions, labs, or lessons with a ’So, what you’re saying is…’ and build a valid point, [it] gives me chills. Or, when students ask ‘why” or ’how’ and are relentless in getting an answer, I feel the urge to support them in answering these questions.” And what about when students get frustrated? “I am always re-inspired whenever a student says ‘I’m going to get this.’ Pushing through adversity is a challenge that is important to the success of students, and to see that in my classroom makes me proud.”
Tim’s number one influence is his dad. “I learned how to network from him, how to stay organized, and how to keep my car running. He never had a college education, yet he has incredible social intelligence. Despite the countless hours he puts in at work—he sacrifices a lot for his family—he always made sure that my siblings and I [were] supported, so that we could attend college.”
Pushing him to ask questions even when he thought he had the answer, Tim’s high school English teacher, Mrs. Martin, taught him the most in school. “So I guess all the Google searches and general quandaries I’ve had about the world are a result of her. I appreciated that she got me so energized that I had to take ownership of my own learning.”
Tim is teaching advanced placement chemistry to seniors this year, and was initially concerned that his students would be too intimidated to handle the high level of work. He was proven wrong. These students are “on a mission. [They] come to class and work immediately. Students’ frustrations turn into motivation to get the right answers. Students support one another; when one student dropped out of [advanced placement], the rest rallied to get her back to the class.”
In the classroom, Tim doesn’t have a motto—his students came up their own. “[They] came up with their own chant that they yell at the top of their lungs at the end of every day. It goes, ‘We’re smart, and we know it, and we ain’t afraid to show it, AP chemistry!’ For students to be so proud of their intelligence is remarkable.”
Since this is Tim’s second year as a Teach For America corps member, his commitment to the program will finish in spring 2012. “The current game plan is to be in medical school by the age of 30; so I have a six-year plan. That gives me six years to travel the world, pick up a new hobby, learn how to make the perfect guacamole, and make a positive impact on 10,000 lives. I’d like to see my juniors get into the college of their dreams; I’ll need one more year in the classroom to do that. But there are a few other opportunities I’m looking into right now, in education and elsewhere, but we’ll just have to wait to see.”