Hi Huskies,
As we continue the celebration of Black History Month at the University of Washington and in the community this month, we are faced with reminders that the challenges of advancing a just and equitable society remain formidable — this includes significant challenges to diversity efforts taking place in some states.
Honoring the past is an essential part of moving toward a better future. I encourage you to participate in some of the many Black History Month engagement and learning opportunities and to read the UW’s Diversity Blueprint to better understand the UW’s diversity, equity and inclusion work.
Sincerely,
Denzil
Husky Experience
#IHeartUWLibraries Student Video Contest
Showcase your creative talents while helping to promote the best of UW Libraries by creating a video for the annual #IHeartUWLibraries student video contest. Submit a 45-60 second video explaining why you love the Libraries and you could win up to $1,500 in prize money. No professional equipment or prior experience necessary to win. Learn more, see past winners and find out how to submit your entry.
Connections
D Center Open House is Feb. 16
The D Center, UW’s Disability and d/Deaf Cultural center, is hosting an open house 3-6 p.m. on Feb. 16. Take a tour of the renovated space, enjoy snacks and learn ASL with UW’s ASL Club. The D Center is located in the HUB, Room 327.
Recreation hosts canned food drive
The Recreation Student Employee Leadership Board is hosting a canned food drive through Feb. 14. All food will be donated to the UW Food Pantry. Drop off your donations anytime the Intramural Activities Building is open.
Listen to live music at the HUB Feb. 14
Stop by the Husky Union Building’s main lounge 12-2 p.m. on Feb. 14 to enjoy live music at the HUB Listening Lounge. Check out some past UW Listening Lounge performances.
Mental Health Moment
With the recent Lunar New Year mass shootings in California, shooting in Yakima, the police killing of Tyre Nichols and ongoing violence impacting the Asian American and BIPOC communities, UW’s Counseling Center is hosting a space for BIPOC people to process and build community. Participants will create luminary jars in remembrance of loved ones as a process of healing and remembrance while sharing a cup of tea with each other. The conversation will include the impact of racism and violence on mental health.
When: 3-4 p.m. today (Feb. 8)
Where: Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center Asian Room (3rd floor)
Facilitated by: Natacha Foo Kune, Counseling Center Director and Lisa Ando, Educational Opportunity Program Adviser
Career and Internships
Find a job or internship Feb. 16
Participate in the UW Career & Internship Center Winter Job & Internship Fair. All UW Seattle students and alumni are welcome. You must register for the event AND reserve specific times to speak with recruiters from 120+ organizations.
When: 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16
Where: Virtual
Get Ready: Set your Campus Profile on Handshake to Community to register and participate fully in this event.
Then sign up for Group Sessions and 1:1 Sessions. There is not a way to participate in the fair without signing up for employer sessions. Sign-ups are first-come, first-serve. Check back often as new employers and sessions may be added over the coming weeks!
Explore LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an on-demand video learning platform to help you develop and enhance skills. Learn from accomplished instructors and recognized industry experts with more than 16,000 courses organized into brief chapters. Free access is provided to all UW students, staff and faculty by the Student Technology Fee.
Navigating UW
Hub Games Pool Tourney is Feb. 14
Give it your best shot! Sign up now for the HUB Games 8-ball pool tournament at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Husky Union Building’s pool hall.
Keep Duo Mobile updated
Be sure to keep Duo Mobile for two-factor authentication updated so that your UW NetID sign-ins are optimally secure. And please use newer, Duo-supported mobile device operating systems: version 14 or newer for iOS, and version 10 or newer for Android.
Get help finding money for grad school
Are you looking for grad school funding? Join weekly drop-in sessions at the Graduate Funding Information Service to learn about skills and tools to find funding for graduate school-related expenses. Next session is 1-3 p.m. on Feb. 14.
Leaders of the Pack
Peer Health Education Lead Therese Mortejo
Pronouns: She/Her
Academic Year: Senior
Major/Studies: Psychology and Creative Writing
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
What does your position as a Peer Health Educator entail?
My main responsibility is presenting workshops on a variety of health and wellness-related topics, such as healthy relationships, substance use and sexual violence education, to name a few. We present these workshops to incoming first-year and transfer students, students in Greek Life, and any other campus organization that requests them. In addition, I work with my team to create health promotion and harm prevention campaigns, as well as organize educational events on campus.
Why did you get involved in student leadership?
I truly believe that knowledge is power, and at LiveWell our central mission is to empower students with evidence-based knowledge and effective skills. I have gained an invaluable amount of knowledge and skills related to mental and emotional health, as well as interpersonal relationships, that have shaped how I show up in the world, and these are things that I have the opportunity to share with the wider community with a role in student leadership.
What do you wish you’d known about the UW sooner?
I wish I’d known about the resources that the Career & Internship Center offers, such as their online resume review, in which you can submit your resume and they provide you with feedback on formatting and individual sections of your resume. Through the Career & Internship Center’s website, I also learned about the STAR Method (which stands for situation, task, action, result), which has helped me prepare for countless interviews. I wish I’d known about these resources sooner because refining a resume and preparing for an interview are important life skills that I will use even beyond my time at UW.
Anything you want to add?
Beyond my role as a Peer Health Educator Lead, I am also a Peer Wellness Coach, so if you are a student that’s looking to gain a peer’s perspective and strengthen your skills on any aspect of your well-being, feel free to schedule a one-on-one appointment with me.
Peer Health Education Lead Elise Munerman 
Pronouns: She/Her
Academic Year: Senior
Major/Studies: Public Health-Global Health/Pre-Med
Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
What does your position as a Peer Health Educator entail?
I facilitate workshops and work with my team to create programs regarding health and wellness throughout the year. We collaborate with different campus partners to understand how to best promote life-long behaviors that support health and self growth on campus for students, faculty and staff.
Why did you get involved in student leadership?
I got involved with student leadership to expose myself to a role that would push me out of my comfort zone, while helping my confidence and public speaking skills grow. The work I do at LiveWell gives me the autonomy to create a more positive campus atmosphere by helping equip my peers with skills to nurture their wellbeing. Since becoming a student leader, I have learned to mindfully work through challenges, set boundaries and recognize the hard work put in by the Peer Health Educators to help this team thrive.
What do you wish you’d known about the UW sooner?
For as big of a campus as it appears to be on the surface, one-to-one support can be found with just a little bit of effort. There have been countless times when I’ve sat for hours at my computer, breaking my head to figure out a four-year plan. As an upperclassman, I finally accepted that it was okay to ask for help from people more qualified than me in the logistics of planning out college tracks. Thus, I set up a meeting with my major advisor, and within 20 minutes, we had come up with a sufficient plan, all my questions were answered and I felt a lot more at ease and confident in my ability to succeed.
Anything you want to add?
In addition to being a Peer Health Educator Lead, I am also a Peer Wellness Coach, so I work with students one-on-one to help bolster their confidence in achieving goals related to topics such as relationships, time management, stress and a plethora of other areas. As are all of our LiveWell services, Peer Wellness Coaching appointments are completely free to students, so definitely take advantage of them while y’all are here at UW!