SPOKANE, Wash. – Nearly 500 students from Washington State University Spokane will be the first in the Spokane area to graduate during the campus’s 25th commencement celebration at 2 p.m. Friday, May 9.
The following students were chosen to be highlighted during the ceremony based on nominations by peers and faculty:
Girma Admasu, bachelor of science in nursing
He left his wife and newborn son in Ethiopia to come to the United States to provide a better life for them. He completed college pre reqs and language development while working as a nursing assistant to provide financial support back home. He earned a place in the WSU College of Nursing and is graduating with honors. He was an outstanding, involved student and mentor. He recently became a U.S. citizen and is reunited with his wife and son.
Contact: girma.admasu@wsu.edu; nominator: Laura Wintersteen-Arleth, lwintersteen@wsu.edu.
Christina Duncan, bachelor of science in nursing
Despite trauma and hardship in her personal life, this single mother of three took on many leadership and volunteer opportunities. Her background in working with the underserved served her well in her volunteer work with the Spokane Central Lions Club, where she provided health screenings and education to the public and mentored her peers on appropriate communications and education skills. She took charge of several fundraisers – all while maintaining a balanced life and nurturing environment for her kids.
Contact: christina.a.duncan@wsu.edu; nominators: Debbie Brinker, Laura Wintersteen-Arleth and Renae Richter, renae.richter@wsu.edu, 509-324-7337.
Adrian Espindola, master of education in curriculum and instruction
He overcame great odds to become the first in his family and the only male from his high school class to become a college graduate. His parents were farm workers. His mother and paraprofessionals at school helped him learn English; he became the translator for his father and grandmother. His master’s thesis dealt with how language and cultural issues affect mathematics learning in English language learners.
Contact: agespindola@wsu.edu; nominators: Janet Frost (frost@wsu.edu, 509-358-7595) and Leslie Hall (ldhall@wsu.edu, 509-358-7546).
Ming-Yeh Hsieh, master of arts in speech and hearing sciences
Her academic passion is autism. She practiced what she learned about intensive speech-language intervention at a local early learning center. She’s ready to work on a second degree, a Ph.D., and take what she has learned back to her native Taiwan to make life better for children with autism. She exudes a sense of collegiality and collaboration.
Contact: ming-yeh.hsieh@wsu.edu; nominator Georgina Lynch, georgina.lynch@wsu.edu, 509-358-7691.
Erin Johnson, bachelor of science in nursing
She has marked some significant milestones in her last 20 years: three years active duty in the Navy, a marriage, the birth of her son, a divorce, a move from the East Coast to the West Coast and now the first in her family to earn a degree. She gave back to her community, whether it was making cookies for the downtown street ministry City Gate, working with the homeless population at Union Gospel Mission or serving on the campus diversity committee.
Contact: erin.e.johnson@wsu.edu; nominators: Debbie Brinker, Laura Wintersteen-Arleth and Renae Richter, renae.richter@wsu.edu, 509-324-7337.
Natalie Kyllo, bachelor of science in nursing
Pursuing her nursing degree at WSU hasn’t just been an academic exercise, it’s been a full-spectrum experience that also included volunteer gigs and these accomplishments: student nurse leader president, Rho Nu nursing club president, student ambassador for the College of Nursing and student ambassador for the Japanese Study Abroad Program.
Contact: natalie.kyllo@wsu.edu; nominators: Debbie Brinker and Renae Richter, renae.richter@wsu.edu, 509-324-7337.
Tin-Yan Lee, bachelor of science in nursing
She will graduate with honors—not only in academics, but in service to her family and community. Family is her center—she helped them navigate the U.S. system after moving from China, working and going to school at the same time to support them and weathering adversity when times were difficult. She took on leadership roles and was an active member in student clubs, she volunteered in the community and she always took time to help others.
Contact: tlee2@wsu.edu; nominators: College of Nursing Student Services Department (509-324-7338): Laura Wintersteen-Arleth (lwintersteen@wsu.edu), Susan Blair (srblair@wsu.edu) and Jodi Pyle (jodi_pyle@wsu.edu).
Sari Levernier, bachelor of science in nursing
The nursing program is a physical and intellectual challenge for any student, but she has had to juggle leaves of absences, multiple medical appointments and treatments in Seattle and Spokane in order to be successful. She has done so with intelligence, grace, research and compassion. She has an important message for health care providers, faculty, students, patients and those who are passionate about advocating for student success, and she will share her message during commencement as the student speaker.
Contact: slevernier@wsu.edu; nominator: Liz West, liz.west@wsu.edu, 509-358-7534.
Suzanne Matson, bachelor of arts in speech and hearing sciences
It took her 20 years after high school to make the leap to higher education, after she had become a mother and realized she could no longer help her daughter with her fifth-grade math. She had a learning impairment, but had grown enough to recognize she could overcome that. She is ready to start her career as a speech-language pathologist – to help others overcome their own obstacles and succeed just as she has.
Contact: suzanne.matson@wsu.edu; nominator: Ella Inglebret, einglebret @wsu.edu, 509-335-1019.
Addison Tatman, bachelor of science in nursing
She was drawn to nursing after personally experiencing the care provided by nurses during a hospital stay and due to the deep respect she has for two nurses in her family: her grandmother and her aunt. She is an efficient, organized and reliable nurse leader and a prolific volunteer. She has served as class president, volunteered with Youth for Christ and been a member of the Student and Activities Fees Committee.
Contact: addison.tatman@wsu.edu; nominators: Debbie Brinker and Renae Richter, renae.richter@wsu.edu, 509-324-7337.
Adriana Uribe, bachelor of arts in speech and hearing sciences
As a first-generation college student from a Spanish-speaking family, she has been an advocate for cultural diversity. She established a multicultural club for WSU and Eastern Washington University students in speech and hearing sciences and communication disorders that has a campus-wide impact through events such as the Parade of Nations international fashion show. She has used her bilingual background and compassion for the underserved as part of service-learning experiences, both locally and abroad.
Watch a short video about Adriana Uribe at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lVrrlihYOs.
Contact: adriana.uribe@wsu.edu; nominator: Amy Meredith, mereditha@wsu.edu, 509-368-6709.
Panqiu Zhu, bachelor of arts in speech and hearing sciences
He remembers how people in China reacted to his grandfather and young cousin, both with hearing impairments, as they tried to communicate. That motivated him to come to the U.S. to study how to help both old and young people with communications disorders. He aspires to become a highly skilled medical professional and will continue his advanced education at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Contact: panqiu.zhu@wsu.edu; nominator: Adriana Uribe, adriana.uribe15@hotmail.com, 509-480-1197.
Contact:
Becki Meehan, WSU Spokane/WSU News, 509-358-7528, rmeehan@wsu.edu