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Before graduating, Kyla Hall had already landed her dream job at REI. As a Supply Chain Sustainability Analyst, she regularly travels internationally and helps REI meet sustainability and fair labor standards. She was able to quickly jump into her position at REI, and attributes the smooth transition to her experience at Western. As a student, Kyla participated in five internships relevant to her majors in Business and Sustainability, and Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. 

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Undergraduate Behavioral Neuroscience students Journey Richardson and Kyle Griffin got hands-on experience during their highly-competitive 10-week neurosurgery internship. They worked alongside physicians at the Cascade Brain and Spine Center, gaining experience that will prepare them for  medical careers. 

"The neurosurgery internship showed me a behind-the-curtain view into a hospital OR. I also accompanied physicians through their visits with patients in the clinic. Seeing their care for their patients and proficiency in their work had a significant impact on me and has further inspired me to become a physician myself." --Kyle Griffin

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In his senior year, Evan Frazier decided to put his political science education to good use. He took an unpaid internship investigating criminal defense cases for Bellingham's Public Defender's Office. Evan wanted to help ensure every person in his community got their constitutional right to a thorough defense, no matter how disadvantaged. He understands that a fair legal process is essential to the welfare of his city

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"This was a particularly inspiring moment for me because I had heard about the amazing architecture by Antoni Gaudí for years, but I was finally there, experiencing it in person! From this viewpoint, we could watch the sunrise over Barcelona and see the ocean, the construction of La Sagrada Familia, and see all the intricate detailing put into Parque Güell. It was truly amazing!"

--Emily Van Den Hul

“Waking up at a local restaurant at 5:30am after 3 hours of sleep, we headed towards Athens, only to be greeted by various ancient monuments. This one in particular called Temple of Olympian Zeus with Ancient Parthenon in the back was an amazing spot. I could not help but to show excitement to such a stunning sight. Definitely made me forget how tired I was.”

--Masatoki Teranishi

Yvonne Worden traveled abroad in Costa Rica's jungles and lived with the indigenous Bribri people while producing a podcast and sending reports back to Western's The Planet magazine. Since graduating, Yvonne has worked with destination marketing organizations, nonprofits, and taught English in Japan. She's on an adventure as an online teacher, freelance storyteller, and digital nomad.

"Studying ecotourism in Costa Rica has had a profound and lasting impact on my life. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experience."

Western's urban planning students don't just do assignments, they partner with Bellingham and its neighboring communities to design for good. 

The senior Planning Studio class won the 2020 Excellence in Planning award for it's redevelopment of downtown Ferndale. The entire class focused on this single project, allowing students to truly devote their time to it. The City adopted several of the students' recommendations, and is moving forward with student-inspired solutions to revitalize downtown Ferndale.

Western's service clubs are perfect for people who want to make a difference, and they don't stop working when things get tough.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Western's Planned Parenthood Generation service club was unable to meet in person, but that didn't stop them from learning, serving, and meeting community needs together. The club held a period product fundraising drive during quarantine, and donated $400 to donate to Whatcom DVSAS and the local YWCA.

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Communication Studies major Sukhmanii Kahlon founded the nonprofit organization American Sikhs to help elderly immigrants become U.S. citizens. At Western, she helped connect elderly Sikhs with free medical checkups. Today, she is a medical student who has been published by NCBI six times.

“The relationships I had built with my elderly students have stayed with me even after all these years. Their resilience to keep on learning is what inspired me to go to medical school. My future goal is to practice medicine in a community like Bellingham. I believe I will be able to do so much more for minority communities, like American Sikhs, by being a practicing physician.”
 

Ranulfo Molina (He/Him/His) is a transfer student from Skagit Valley College. He started his academic journey at Western Washington University last year and served as ASWWU Student Senator for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, advocating for students to ensure academic success. Now is serving the WWU community as the ASWWU Vice President for Diversity on the Executive Board. Ranulfo would like to advise all new incoming and transfer students to get involved with the community at WWU and spark the wheel of change by bringing your diverse experiences, knowledge, and perspective to the table

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