Ilona Brose (she/they)
Interests
Figure skating, hiking, drinking coffee, abolitionist teaching
Major
Inclusive Teaching, Minors in Education & Social Justice and Sociology
Hometown
Burien, WA
Why I chose my major
I decided to go into teaching because I love working with kids. As I attended classes at WWU, I began to develop a critical lens of the education system and chose inclusive education because of the inequities in the system. Social justice has become a core component to teaching for me, which led me to choose Education and Social Justice as my minor. The courses in the minor give me new lenses to be critical of what I am being taught in my courses, to be more critical of the system, and create a pedagogy in my classroom that is liberatory.
An experience or class at Western that made me go "Wow!"
An experience that made me go WOW was having peer mentors my freshman year. I was in a First-year Interest Group (FIG), Future Woodring Scholars, that provided the support of peer mentors and creating relationships with professors! I also had a Peer Mentor from Student Outreach Services - I had a lot of support. My mentors helped me with classes, making friends, joining clubs, and overall navigating WWU. Without mentors and the program, I was part of, I don't think I would be where I am now.
My advice for incoming or prospective students
I highly encourage doing things that scare you! Talking to new people, joining clubs, and doing things ALONE may all be scary but they are how you can grow! Make the first move, start a conversation, go to office hours, do it all!