WSU Spring Commencement 2006. Highlight Students

Washington State University’s 110th spring commencement, Saturday, May 6, at Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum, will include three speakers. Texas Tech University President Jon Whitmore, a WSU graduate, will speak at the 8 a.m. ceremony for liberal arts graduates. WSU Regent Joe King, with King, Crowley and Co. public affairs consultants, will address graduates at 11:30 a.m. at the ceremony for business and education graduates. Edmund O. Schweitzer III, founder and president of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman and a WSU graduate, will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony for agricultural, human, and natural resource sciences; engineering and architecture; pharmacy; nursing; sciences; and veterinary medicine graduates.

Teri Nelson, university commencement coordinator, estimates that some 2,200 students –1,975 undergraduates and 225 graduate and professional students — will take part in the three ceremonies. WSU has conferred approximately 5,310 bachelor’s, master’s, professional and doctoral degrees in a typical year. During the ceremonies, WSU President V. Lane Rawlins will highlight these graduates:

8 a.m.
Martin Boston, Liberal Arts
Growing up in California and accustomed to warm weather, Martin Boston was surprised the first time he visited Pullman. It was snowing. He was in high school and being recruited as a student-athlete by WSU Cougar track and field. His first thought was, “Oh absolutely not. Not going to happen.” But, he changed his mind.

At the university, he has been a good and active student, contributing outside the classroom. He will graduate with a bachelor of arts in comparative ethnic studies. Initially studying business, he changed his major after taking an African-American history class and became “profoundly interested” in that area of study.

His career goal is to become a college professor in performance studies. As such, he wants to integrate the spoken word and student activism. His future plans might include studying for a history doctoral degree at Howard University, Washington, D.C., or attending the WSU Graduate School and beginning work on an interdisciplinary degree in cultural studies.

From Hayward, Calif., he is a graduate of James Logan High School, Union City, Calif., Boston is the son of Candace Felicia Davis, who lives near Jacksonville, Fla., and Todd Boston of Dallas. His stepfather is Paul Davis of Hayward, Calif.

Boston’s activities at WSU have included triple jumping, sprinting and being a member of the relay team for WSU track and field; being on the air for KZUU radio and Cable 8 television, and writing a column for The Daily Evergreen student newspaper. In addition, he is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Black Student Union and Black Men Making a Difference; and sings in God’s Harmony Gospel Choir. A Spoken Word poet, he helped create the Society of Spoken Word Artists. He has worked on the WSU YMCA Special Olympics and has been involved in a community discussion, Multicultural Student Question and Answer, and student leadership forums.

In 2005, he was one of six students engaged in discussion with WSU’s Office of Equity and Diversity to change WSU policies concerning multicultural issues. He has been interviewed by a daily newspaper and television program about WSU campus climate issues. Also, he served on a Martin Luther King Jr. Week Social Action Panel with WSU President V. Lane Rawlins. His honors range from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. “Freshman of the Year” and African-American Association Unity Banquet Distinguish Service Award to earning an Associated Students of Washington State University Student Leadership scholarship. 

Contact:
WSU Sports Information, 509.335.2684
Arlene Parkay, Liberal Arts, 509.335.6708, parkaya@wsu.edu

8 a.m.
Vernette Doty, Liberal Arts
Vernette Doty of Pullman is graduating with a bachelor of arts in sociology, magna cum laude, with a minor in psychology. On the WSU President’s Honor Roll, she has a 3.85 grade point average and is honored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures as its Spanish Student of the Year.

Doty’s next challenge is to earn a master’s degree in higher education from the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology, WSU College of Education. Her career goal is to teach sociology in a community college or at a small liberal arts college. Doty is especially interested in working with nontraditional students in a college environment.

About a year after graduating from John Muir High School in Pasadena, Calif., Doty married. She and her husband, John Doty, moved to Kodiak, Alaska, where she became a certified fitness instructor and coached high school and AAU swimming. Later, they moved to Prosser where she continued to work in fitness, coaching high school volleyball, teaching aerobics and becoming a personal trainer. A move to California preceded their relocation to Pullman in the fall of 1998, when John became Pullman Baptist Church pastor. He is working on a doctoral degree in literacy in the WSU College of Education.

The Dotys have two sons, Evan and A. J., both Pullman High School graduates and studying at Claremont College in California. The former owner/operator of Pullman’s Absolute Fitness, she works for Ken Vogel Clothing in Pullman. When she began her full-time (including summer session) studies at WSU in fall 2003, it was with trepidation. It was 19 years between the time she graduated from high school and studied for one academic year at Santa Rosa, Calif., Junior College and another seven years between junior college and her start at WSU. She decided to return to college in fall 2003.

At the beginning, Doty “re-learned” study skills and was overwhelmed by the academic environment. Initially, she was self-conscious about her age and the fact she was attending classes with students the same age as her sons. After settling in, she enjoyed her younger classmates and their perspectives. As a student, she served as a research assistant for Irenee Beattie, a member of the WSU Sociology faculty.

Contact:
Arlene Parkay, Liberal Arts, 509.335.6708, parkaya@wsu.edu

11:30 a.m.
Dana M. Patterson, Education
Dana Patterson of Pullman will graduate with a doctoral degree in education. She studied in the WSU College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology. She is a graduate of Kentucky’s Berea Community High School and Berea College and received a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University. She is the daughter of Rev. Samuel Joseph Murray, Ind., and the late Jacqueline Jones Murray.

Almost four years ago, Patterson moved to Pullman with her husband and four children –now ages 12, 10, 7 and 5. After serving as a WSU Residence Life assistant director, she began work on her doctorate. Her energy and commitment as a student are reflected in the 2006 Washington State University Women of Distinction award she received. The award citation notes she has “worked as the graduate director for the Talmadge Anderson Heritage House for the last three years and has extensive professional experience from various aspects of student affairs and diversity education from major universities across the country. She serves as a student advocate and mentor with Student Athletes of Color, Black Women’s Caucus, Society of Spoken Word Artists and as a board member of the YWCA of WSU.”

The citation also says she is “a third-year member of the Student Conduct Board and recently co-chaired the Martin Luther King Jr. planning committee. Recognized by Black Student Union for her service and contribution to the African-American community, she is also a 2005 winner of the President’s Award for excellence in leadership and service to the WSU community at large.”

Patterson is a member of the National Coalition Building Institute training team at WSU and serves on the national board for the Association of Black Cultural Centers. She was nominated for a WSU Association for Faculty Women Harriett B. Rigas Award for outstanding doctoral students and presented her research at a WSU Dr. William R. Wiley Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies. In her Women of Distinction Award citation, nominators describe Patterson’s “extraordinary character, generosity of spirit, tenacity, grace, optimism, clear-sightedness and humor, and mentioned that her greatest strength is to inspire students and colleagues to similar heights.”
Her future goal is to work as a dynamic higher education leader in an environment valuing diversity, service, integrity and academic excellence. Ultimately, she hopes to be a higher education student affairs leader with a focus on equity and diversity.

Contact:
Leslie Hall, education, 509.335.1631, ldhall@wsu.edu

11:30 a.m.
Lucila Sanchez, Business
Lucila Sanchez will graduate with a bachelor of arts in business administration, with an emphasis in accounting. She grew up in Milton-Freewater, Ore., (near Walla Walla) where she graduated from McLoughlin High School.

Sanchez’s Mexican-born parents supported the family by picking cherries in Washington, Oregon and California. They wanted her to reach for the American dream by attending college and becoming the first college graduate in their family.

Despite the challenge of becoming a mother at age 17, Sanchez finished high school, moved to Walla Walla and attended Walla Walla Community College for two years, earning an associate’s degree at the age of 20. Determining that this was not enough, Sanchez, her husband Silverio and daughter Natalie moved to Pullman in fall 2003. She enrolled in the accounting program at the WSU College of Business. Attempting to balance family — Natalie was now 3-years-old — and a substantial accounting workload, she struggled early at WSU, but Sanchez drew upon her family’s strong work ethic and positive attitude to persevere.

Sanchez’s many activities at WSU include membership in the Beta Alpha Psi accounting honors fraternity and participating in professional and community service activities. She assists the accounting department in its recruitment of students of color, including through efforts for the Washington Education Foundation, Future Cougars of Color and the Multicultural Student Center. Her assistance includes visiting central Washington high schools.

Sanchez’s success last spring during a state of Washington auditor’s office internship resulted in a full-time job offer in its Tri-Cities office after she graduates from WSU. Attending WSU Commencement, looking on proudly when Sanchez earns her degree will be her husband, daughter and parents.