Oh, the Places You’ll Go

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss

For every Heritage University graduate, there is a book of stories— stories of challenges met, obstacles overcome, victories celebrated, and paths yet to be traveled. For some, Heritage is the launching pad into the job that will build into a rewarding career. For others, it is the start of an academic journey that will take them into graduate and doctoral studies.

Here’s where five of our Class of 2019 are heading now that this chapter of their life has ended. Oh, the places they’ll go!

 

MARIA VILLANEUVA

B.S., Chemistry

Throughout her undergraduate studies at Heritage, Maria took full advantage of the research opportunities that were offered to her. She studied human diseases at the University of Virginia and at Montana State University and plant diseases with the USDA in Wapato. What her experiences taught her was that she wanted to be on the patient care side of things in the health care field. Maria applied to the Washington State University Doctor of Pharmacy program and was one of only a handful of applicants accepted. She will start in the four-year program this fall.

 

 

SHELBY CLARK

B.S.N, Nursing

Ever since she was 10 years old, Shelby wanted to be a nurse, just like her aunt who served as a nurse in the Army. When she started at Heritage, her goal was to graduate and start a career as a flight nurse. However, after two rotations at Indian Health Services, she developed a passion for public health. Her advisor, Dr. Christine Nyirati suggested she apply to the University of Washington’s Doctor of Nursing Practice, Population Health Track. Much to her surprise, Shelby was admitted and will start in the program this fall. Her goal is to return to the Yakama Nation to work for her tribe to help improve the healthcare system.

 

 

JOHNATHAN SCHAB

B.A., Business Administration

Johnathan entered Heritage with the goal of graduating in just three years. Not only did he accomplish this goal, he did so with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

As part of his degree requirements, Johnathan completed a summer internship with Ramsey Companies, a family-owned conglomerate in the lower Yakima Valley. They were so impressed with him that they offered him a full-time position as a financial analyst after graduation. He started his career early this summer.

 

 

CASSANDRA GARCIA

B.S., Biology

Cassandra entered Heritage set on becoming a teacher. However, partway through her education she had a change of heart and decided to work towards a career where she could work with the animals that she loves. With her advisor’s help, she became a science major and created a plan to become a veterinarian.

Admission into veterinary school is notoriously competitive, with nearly 1,500 students clamoring for 133 seats at Washington State University alone. Starting this fall, Cassandra will be one of those lucky few who are joining the Doctor of Veterinary Science Class of 2022.

 

 

JHEYMY MERCADO

B.S.W., Social Work

Jheymy is passionate about helping people suffering from mental illness to live their best life. She completed her practicum working at Comprehensive Health Care and was hired by the company shortly thereafter. She is a case manager who works with incarcerated men who have been found to be unfit to stand trial, helping them to prepare for their legal proceedings. In addition to entering her career, Jheymy was accepted into the social work graduate program at Eastern Washington University. She will be a full-time grad student, and full-time employee starting this fall.

 

 

To see a special message from Johnathan, Cassandra and Jheymy about their time at Heritage and the importance of scholarships, go to heritage.edu/sdvideo.

Legal Eagles

Legal Internships Give Students Opportunities to Serve Their Communities

Last semester, two Heritage students took a different route to work than normal. In January, they began six-month fellowships at two local organizations, working with attorneys to get a sneak peek at what a law career might look like. The program is called The American Rural Communities (ARC) Law & Policy Fellowship, and it was launched last year as a collaborative between Heritage, Columbia Legal Services (CLS), Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and PopUp Justice.

HANDS-ON, REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE BUILDS STUDENT SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE

Senior Noemi Sanchez, a history major, joined Columbia Legal Services as an intern-fellow and junior Maria Rivera, who is studying criminal justice and history, joined the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. The non-profits provide legal services to underrepresented populations in the community. CLS advocates for laws that promote social, economic and racial equity for those in poverty, often through class action litigation. Northwest Immigrant Rights Project devotes itself to supporting immigrants through advocacy, legal services and education.

Maria Rivera at the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project in Granger, Wash.

During these internships, the students were mentored by practicing attorneys and gained practical, professional skills as well as learned about experiences other attorneys had in law school and in their careers – especially as people of color. In addition, the students promoted and were guests at a set of workshops called the Lunchbox Series. The series brought together experts in law and social justice who are advocates versed in the diversity and unique aspects of rural communities to share thoughts, provide guidance and answer questions.

The organizations maximized the students’ skills and their enthusiasm to dive in, introducing them to cases and tasking them with projects like conducting client interviews; gathering, organizing and cataloging research; and distributing information about resources through community outreach.

LIVED EXPERIENCE LEADS STUDENTS DOWN DIFFERENT LEGAL PATHS

Sanchez and Rivera learned about the fellowships from Kim Bellamy-Thompson, who is chair of the Social Sciences department at Heritage. “Both students see the need for social change in the community,” said Thompson. “I knew they would be interested in the fellowship.”

Thompson said she looked for juniors or seniors who have strong writing skills and even more so, have a fire in them, believing that action for these causes can lead to a change.

PIPELINE TO LEAD MORE LOCAL STUDENTS TO RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY

For her part, Sanchez was trying to figure out if law school was a must for her real career passion, public policy, which propels social justice through legislation. Rivera was certain law school was her next step, but she wanted more exposure to daily life as an attorney as well as more direction about proceeding to law school.

Senior Noemi Sanchez at Columbia Legal Services in Yakima.

Lori Isley, a directing attorney at CLS, said students like Sanchez are an asset to her organization and the community.

“This has been a very exciting collaboration,” said Isley, who was one of Sanchez’s supervisors and mentors. “One exciting part for me is developing a pipeline from our community into law school by providing context and connection and then having them come back and serve our community.”

Sanchez has been working on the organization’s Working Family Project, which focuses on the undocumented community and farm workers. This is a special interest for Sanchez because she grew up in a family of farm workers and she saw workers with untreated injuries or wage issues who were afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs. As a student who identifies as a queer and non-binary student, Sanchez is also passionate about advocating for LGBTQ inclusion in the schools.

“So many Heritage students bring lived experiences of the challenges faced by many in our community,” confirmed Isley. “Having them makes our work more effective. Their own stories are a source of power, and it helps them connect with others on the journey.”

Isley said Sanchez organized research and cataloged information requests so litigation could proceed more quickly and smoothly. She also helped elevate the organization’s community outreach by assisting Insley with visits to camps of H2A workers, using social media to locate and reach out creatively to people in Mexico for a case, and even recorded a Facebook video to explain a settlement in layperson’s terms. Community outreach actually proved to be one of Sanchez’s favorite aspects of the work.

“It’s been really exciting,” said Sanchez about their visits to the camps. “I love to connect with people and show them they are not alone. This means a lot to me because my parents and grandparents didn’t have access to these things.”

Sanchez is still planning to work in public policy, but she has decided that law school can equip her to do that, first at the city and county level, and later, she hopes, at the state level. “When I first came here, I was unsure about law school, because I’m so policy driven,” she said. “What I learned is policy changes can come out of litigation, so even as an attorney, I can still create change.”

NON-PROFIT ENVIRONMENT, CLIENT STORIES IMPACT RIVERA

While Sanchez was pondering the value of law school, Rivera needed no such confirmation. She had been single-mindedly pursuing the goal of earning a Juris Doctorate from the minute she set foot on the Heritage campus. She had taken two years off after high school and had worked for a law firm during that time, so she knew it was what she wanted. When she joined the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, however, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed the non-profit environment, something she admits she had never considered.

“There are four attorneys here working 100 cases, and they all have pretty big hearts,” said Rivera, who described the all-female office staff she worked with as nurturing, strong and persistent.

The fellowship dovetailed with Rivera’s long-term goal to practice immigration or criminal law in the Valley. She has a curiosity to know what makes people do what they do and for uncovering details that may prove someone’s innocence.

Rivera said her daily tasks were similar to a paralegal’s. She took notes, researched background information on immigrants’ countries of origin to document facts that could strengthen their cases for remaining in the U.S. Many clients had difficult lives before arriving in the Valley.

“I’ve taken the declarations of two clients so far,” said Rivera, who explained that it’s part of the immigration process. “They sit down with me and tell their stories about why they came to the U.S. many times, traumatic events have occurred, and it’s a process that results in the reopening of those wounds.”

As Rivera guides them gently through conversations that can take two or three hours, she tries to capture as much detail as possible while walking slowly toward topics that are painful for them. She believes it’s a privilege to be entrusted with their stories. “It’s not something I take lightly,” she said somberly.

Both Rivera and Sanchez now share the same goal – attending law school and then returning to the Valley to put their law degrees to work in their community.

Bellamy-Thompson said the fellowship would not be possible without someone willing to step up and fund it. Thankfully the Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project stepped in and provided all of the funding necessary. Isley shared that the project, which exists to make internships available to students interested in pursuing law careers that provide services to farm workers in Washington, has a long history of funding law school students, but this was the first time the organization supported undergraduates.

“We can do great things if we have the funding,” said Thompson, who hopes to offer the ARC Fellowship again to students in spring 2020.

“I can’t imagine not coming back to this community after law school,” concluded Sanchez, who is hoping to begin law school in the fall of 2021. “I just want to give back to the people who have given so much to me.”

A Heritage of Teaching

From left to right: Tim Platsman (Initial Residency Teacher Certificate, 2003), Kristina Platsman (Initial Residency Teacher Certificate, 2001), Allison Platsman (Freshman, Education major) and Carol Platsman (B.A. Ed., Elementary Education, 1990 and M.A. Ed., Professional Development, 1993).

 

Three generations of one family, all with a Heritage education, find lasting connection in the classroom.

Five years ago, Heritage freshman Allison Platsman would have said teaching was what her parents did, not her. But a lot can change between age 15 and age 20. When teaching hangs on several branches of your family tree, it just might be in your DNA.

Tally the years on all those branches, and between Allison’s grandmother, her dad, mom, two aunts, her sister, a cousin and her great-grandmother on her mom’s side, there are more than 100 years of teaching in the family.

The Platsman teaching heritage isn’t the only “heritage” that’s part of the family’s story. Allison is the fourth Platsman in just three generations to pursue her teaching degree at Heritage. What her parents and grandmother found there, Allison seeks as well: Connection and the ability to make a difference in the lives of young people.

BEING THEMSELVES

The Platsman teaching legacy in the Yakima Valley starts with Allison’s grandmother Carol – her dad’s mother. It was the mid-1980s, and with her two boys off to college, stay-at- home mom Carol Platsman had to decide what to do with the rest of her life.

“I loved being home with my boys. I also had always loved school, so I decided I’d go back.”

Carol chose to study at Heritage to be closer to her aging mother who lived nearby. A decision made largely because of family needs turned out to be one that would positively impact not only the rest of her life but hundreds of others.

“Heritage was such a positive environment, and there were such outstanding education instructors. I learned so much from their teaching styles.”

A few years later, with two Heritage University degrees under her belt, Carol Platsman was hired by the Sunnyside School District and taught third grade at three different schools over the years.

Carol said she was a “grandmotherly” teacher who utilized both her Heritage education and the nurturing approach that had come so naturally to her as a mom.

Carol retired at 63 in 2004. Looking back, what she recalls most fondly are her relationships with her young students. “I tried to make my room a safe place for kids to express themselves and to be themselves. I was happy when I knew the kids felt they could trust me.”

TAPPING THE ENTHUSIASM

Early in her teaching career, Carol saw the difference positive teacher-student relationships made in kids’ lives. She also noticed how enthusiastically grade school students responded to the rare male teacher in their midst.

Eventually, her son Tim would become one of those teachers. Off to Eastern Washington University in 1982, Tim Platsman had majored in business, graduated, and built a career working in Seattle. Despite his success, something was missing.

Tim Platsman helps a student in his third grade class at Artz-Fox Elementary School in Mabton.

“I was helping businesses make money. I wasn’t making a difference in the world,” he said.

His mother, who was still teaching at the time, suggested he consider a change in his profession.

“Tim was always very interested when I talked about the kids,” said Carol. “I’d always seen a sensitivity, a compassion and a patience that made me believe teaching would be a good fit.”

A few years later, Tim registered for classes at Heritage, declaring an education major. By this time, he and Kristina, also a teacher, had been married for several years and had their two little girls, Kendall and Allison.

“I knew Heritage was a good school,” said Tim. “I didn’t realize how much I would end up really enjoying the culture there – how open the professors are and how much they want your success.”

During student teaching at Artz-Fox Elementary School in Mabton, an invitation directly from the superintendent of schools
led Tim to his first permanent classroom. Seventeen years later, he’s still thrilled to be in third grade.

“Third graders are completely enthused. Most of my lesson prep is me figuring out how to give everyone a chance to speak – they’re all so excited to have the answer.

“Every minute of every day, they love being in that classroom. They soak it up, and I just tap that enthusiasm.”

“MOM”

Thinking back to the time their daughters Allison and Kendall were in grade school, Tim and Kristina Platsman recall the girls’ enthusiasm for helping their parents ready their classrooms for the new school year. They’d stick colorful visuals – pictures of planets, multiplication tables – to the walls, order the desks, paint the old cabinet in the corner.

During the school year, their mom’s classroom was where they would go once the last bell rang. Attending school where she taught meant they’d hang around till she wrapped up, playing school – naturally – with the children of other teachers.

For the Platsmans, time together in a classroom was part of family life. “There was always a really nice family feeling there, just like it was a part of home,” said Kristina.

Kristina Platsman teaches kindergarten at Sun Valley Elementary in Sunnyside

It was a natural for Kristina, whose grandmother was a professor at the University of Kentucky and whose mom worked as a school secretary. Kristina studied at Washington State University, worked for a while in Washington, D.C. and in 1990 – not yet married to Tim – she came back to Sunnyside and enrolled at Heritage. She planned to get a teaching certificate so she could counsel high school students.

Kristina’s memories of Heritage include a farmer’s grange on one side, an old school building on another, and learning about the importance of understanding students’ culture. “One instructor I learned so much from was Ruben Carrera. He made sure that we as future teachers understood how important awareness of culture is.”

Student teaching brought her to a primary grade classroom and – like Tim, whom she would soon meet and marry – she didn’t want to leave. She’s taught in the Sunnyside School District for 27 years, the last 12 at Sun Valley Elementary. Not surprisingly, Kristina cites her kindergartners’ enthusiasm as one of the greatest joys of teaching.

“I stand at the doorway as they come walking down the hallway. They see me, they call my name, and they start to run, their arms open for hugs.”

Not infrequently, her students call her mom. Whatever your students’ background, Kristina said, as a teacher you parent, you counsel, you wear a bunch of different badges. “But always you have the opportunity to connect and form meaningful bonds.”

BEING THAT FRIEND

If she wore one, Allison Platsman’s badge would say “FRIEND.” She’s not planning to teach young children like her parents – though she loves the two- and three-year-olds she works with in her on-campus job at Heritage’s Early Learning Center. She has her eye on creating a happy space for kids not much younger than she is right now – high school, maybe middle school, she said.

Allison wants to be an art teacher. As an artist, she enjoys photography and special effects makeup or body painting – but it’s more than a love for art that guides her. “The art room was a happy island for me,” she said. “I want to be ‘that room’ where kids can feel happy. I want to be that safe haven.”

Allison believes that years of conversation around the dinner table have given her a realistic understanding of what it takes to be a teacher. She realizes bigger kids can mean bigger issues and sometimes more difficult challenges.

But Allison is getting ready to do what her family does: to create that place that feels like a happy family. “Our family tree has strong roots here. Like my parents and my grandma, I think I can make an impact.”

The university is a much different place now than it was when Allison’s parents and grandmother were students at Heritage. The family compared notes during a campus tour early this spring.

 

2019 Scholarship Dinner Gallery

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Heritage University announces first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” June 27 to boost student scholarships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University announces first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” June 27 to boost student scholarships

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University friends, donors, and alumni will have the opportunity to help make college possible for countless students by participating in the university’s first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” on Thursday, June 27. Every dollar raised during this one-day online fundraising campaign will go directly to student scholarships.

David Wise, VP of Advancement and Marketing at HU, said the university has been blessed by generous supporters who believe in the Heritage mission of providing students an opportunity to earn a college degree regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. “Nearly every student who has ever attended Heritage has had scholarship support thanks to the generosity of our amazing donors. If there is one constant in this valley it is the belief that education offers the best mechanism to transform lives, and the women and men of the Yakima Valley have demonstrated this belief through their giving,” said Wise. “All of us are lifted up when we provide those who are most in need, with the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

HU alumni are also being invited to help provide scholarships to students who are following in their footsteps. Alumni will be able to support students in the programs of their choice. “Social workers can give to social work majors, teachers can give to education majors, nurses can give to nursing majors, and so on,” said Wise. “It is not the size of the gift that matters, lots of small gifts add up to really big opportunities for students. And as added incentive an anonymous alum has agreed to match every gift up to the first $5,000!“

Gifts can be made before and through June 27 using Heritage University’s secure online donation form at heritage.edu/givingday, or by calling (509) 865-8587.

For more information contact David Mance at (509) 855-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

# # #

Coming Full Circle

 

Freshman Connie Batin was scrolling through her Facebook news feed when an announcement caught her eye and changed her life. It was a post about Heritage’s new Full Circle Scholarship, a guaranteed award for enrolled Yakama tribal members who have not previously attended Heritage that covers the cost of tuition at the university.

It had been 20 years since Batin had been in school. In that time she raised seven children, built a career working for the Yakama Nation, and served on the Washington State Health Advisory Council. She had long wanted to go to college, but something always seemed to get in her way— most often it was the expense. When she saw the message, she knew that it was time to get moving.

“Every excuse I had ever had that stopped me from going to college to get my degree was gone,” she said. “I was inspired.”

Connie Batin started her first semester of college with three classes: English, math and a drawing elective.

Batin is one of a dozen new Yakama college students who started at Heritage in January because of the Full Circle Scholarship. Most are nontraditional students who, like Batin, had long dreamed of earning their degree, but were unable to afford the gap left between traditional financial aid – federal and state grants – tribal scholarships and the cost of tuition. These students are exactly why the scholarship was formed, said David Wise, vice president for Advancement.

“Heritage sits on the Yakama’s ancestral lands. We were formed by the vision and tenacity of two Yakama women. Our history and our future are tied to the people and the prosperity of the Yakama Nation,” he said. “Heritage is honoring our relationship with the Yakama Nation the best way we can, by providing educational opportunities for its citizens. The Full Circle Scholarship removes what is one of the biggest barriers that keep tribal members from going to college, the expense.”

The establishment of the Full Circle Scholarship was driven, in large part, by Heritage’s President’s Liaison for Native American Affairs, Maxine Janis.

“Maxine is one of the biggest advocates for our Native American students and was steadfast in her efforts to get this scholarship established,” he said.

The university works closely with the Yakama Nation’s Department of Higher Education to ensure that the application and selection process runs smoothly. The scholarship is open to enrolled Yakama tribal members who have to also apply for scholarships from the Yakama Nation and the Bureau of Indian Education.

Elese Washines (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

“Heritage University is the first choice for Yakama students pursuing Higher Education,” said Elise Washines, program manager at Yakama Nation Higher Education Programs. “the university’s commitment to putting students first, to helping them achieve academically is demonstrated year after year with the number of Yakama students graduating from Heritage exceeding any other 2-year or 4-year college. With the Full Circle Scholarship in place, our students will be able to obtain their educations with full tuition support of both the University and Yakama Nation Higher Education.”

Initially, Heritage administration planned on launching the scholarship for fall semester 2019. But when word got out, the response was so overwhelming that they went into high gear and opened it up for a spring start. Given the timing of some of the requirements, applicants have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as apply for the two Yakama Nation scholarships, the window to apply was only a few short weeks. Still, Batin and her fellow cohorts of incoming students jumped at the opportunity.

“I called the university the next day and started my application,” she said. “The whole process was great. Everyone, the admission counselors, my financial aid officer, were so helpful and made sure that I was getting everything done that I needed to do to start college.

Now, two decades after opening a textbook, Batin is fulfilling a dream and a promise made.

“I’m doing this to honor my mother. She would always say ‘You need to go to school. When are you going to go to school? I would tell her ‘I’ll do it someday.’ I’m so glad someday is here. I know she’d be proud of me.”

Student for a Day – Trading Briefcases for Backpacks

Washington State Senator Curtis King

There was a different kind of student roaming Heritage’s campus and classrooms last fall. This one had already earned his degree and had built a lengthy and impressive career of service. It was Washington State Senator Curtis King, and it was his time to dust off the old book bag and don the college colors as he was a Student for a Day at Heritage University.

Student for a Day is a new program at Heritage that gives university supporters a first-hand account of the day in the life of HU students. Participants spend several hours with students, attending classes, having lunch in the café, or participating in any one of the on- campus activities. The goal, said David Wise, vice president for Advancement, is to give some of the university’s greatest supporters a deeper understanding of the academic experience that students undertake here at Heritage.

“Our supporters are committed to Heritage because of the students we serve,” said Wise. “They are truly interested in them, their goals, and their experiences at this institution. There is no better way for them to connect with our students than by spending time with them here on campus and in the classroom.”

The Student for a Day experience includes one-on-one time spent with students.

King’s visit was the first in what Wise hopes will become a regular occurrence at Heritage.

During his visit, the senator sat in on a fisheries course with a few environmental studies and sciences majors. After class, he sat with them for lunch and got to learn a bit more about their lives and hopes for the future.

“It was a great experience getting to see what happens inside the classroom, getting insights into the professor and how he reaches the students,” said King. “And mostly, it was great to be able to connect with the students, to hear about what inspires them, how they see life and where they want to go after college.”

King’s visit included just one classroom visit, but, he said, next time he’d like to expand that and visit two or three. With the flexibility of the program, King could do just that. Wise points out that his goal is to connect supporters in ways that are most meaningful. Classes can be chosen based on interest area, as can the duration of time spent on campus.

 

Senator King got to know more about salmonids, fish such as salmon and trout, during Dr. Alexander Alexiades’ Intro to Fisheries class.

“We are striving to build an authentic experience with Student for a Day,” Wise said. “Each participant’s experience will be unique. What you will experience in the classroom will depend upon the scheduled activity of that day, whether it is a lecture on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien or a science lab looking at simple-celled organisms.”

To learn how you can participate in the Student for a Day program, call (509) 865-0700.

Quizfolio: Innovation Through Introspection

Dr. Robert Kao teaches biology Jan. 22, 2019 at Heritage University in Toppenish, Wash. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

Dr. Robert Kao leads his Biology 111 class through their lab exercise. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

Weekend homework in Dr. Robert Kao’s biology class looks a little different than other science classes. There are chapter readings and typical quiz questions about scientific terminology and functions. But using an innovative tool he developed called “quizfolio,” students are also asked to broaden their thinking by reflecting on and then writing about challenges, reactions and questions the material generates inside themselves.

Dr. Kao was inspired to create quizfolio through his own experiences as a student a few years earlier studying for a certification in Native American education. As part of his coursework, he was encouraged to journal and spend time thinking about his own thought processes, a term called metacognition. It’s a discipline he still uses every day, to grow in self- awareness about the personalized needs and experiences of those within his classroom and how he’s addressing them.

“I wanted to listen to our students about how they think and find ways to connect with individual learners.”

QUIZFOLIO QUESTIONS ENCOURAGE INTROSPECTION AND CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

Quizfolio is aptly named because it’s both a quiz and a mini-portfolio of open-ended questions based on the homework. Assigned every Friday, quizfolios are completed over the weekend and turned in on Monday before class, influencing class discussion. Students are asked to reflect on what they are learning and to recognize it’s okay to feel vulnerable when you don’t know all of the answers. He regularly reminds his classes that all scientists have vulnerable moments when they don’t know the answers and are unsure how to find them.

“Many times, when reading a text or analyzing data, something doesn’t quite make sense,” explained Dr. Kao. “It’s hard to admit we don’t know something. Some students might have a particular term that doesn’t make sense to them. Others have another. The quizfolio helps me realign and re-adjust so I can clarify the chapter readings and create more meaning for individual students.”

Vanessa Tahkeal (left) and Maria Soto review their biology lab work. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

He’s quick to point out that he doesn’t regurgitate what he’s already taught, however. He presents new information to make the material clear and relevant to them, whether it’s relating it to lived experiences in the communities of Toppenish or the Yakama Nation or in the wider world. If a student wonders how doctors develop chemotherapy, Dr. Kao might bring in a real-world example to explain the concept. Or create a quiz question on the spot, based on the class discussion. This tool provides the doctor with real-time insights into student comprehension and confidence that allows him to reshape that learning experience as he goes to meet their needs and build resiliency.

One week, students may be asked to watch a video on a first- generation scientist and write a reflection on it. Another week, they are assigned reading and writing prompts about the challenge of managing acute kidney malfunction, and then they go into the lab to study planaria, an organism that regenerates its own tissue.

“In that example, we used the quizfolio as an entry point to delve into the molecular and cellular machinery of how different organisms regenerate upon injury,” continued Dr. Kao.

QUIZFOLIO RESHAPES CLASSROOM CONVERSATION, LAB EXPERIMENTS

Considered a community of scholars, with Dr. Kao himself a member of that dynamic community, students regularly work together in teams, building relationships of trust with one another while learning to use their voices to speak up and to, conversely, take notice of the unique voices of other students.

The quizfolio often serves as a stepping-stone for the classroom teams to design their own experiments to rule-in or rule-out different possibilities. Dr. Kao knows not every student will become a scientific scholar, but he points out that critical thinking skills apply far beyond biology… into areas like test taking and later, into the students’ careers.

Dr. Kao uses quizfolio in about half of his classes and is gratified to see the level of sophistication it has developed in his upper-level students as they formulate research proposals and plot their career path.

“The quizfolio fosters student curiosity and teaches them it’s ok to ask questions,” said Dr. Kao. “The questions they are asking are questions even scientists might ask! It’s pretty neat to see that. It’s part of a journey, not the destination.”

15 Years of Heritage + CBC

Adjunct professor Alex Nelson with his Human Behavior in the Social Environment class

Senior and education major Christy Jo Taylor dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. She’s committed to that goal.

Every day, she drives an hour each way from her home in rural Othello, Washington to attend her Heritage classes on the Columbia Basin College (CBC) campus in Pasco. Four years ago, when she first started her academic journey, she had no idea how she was going to complete her studies after she earned her associate degree. The nearest university was more than 200 miles away, which meant she would either have to move or spend four hours a day on the road. Still, she took that first step and enrolled at CBC. It was there that Taylor learned about a partnership between the community college and Heritage that meant that Adjunct professor Alex Nelson with his Human Behavior in the Social Environment class she could continue her education right there, on the campus she knew so well.

“I saw a sign for Heritage, and I went over to the office to see what degrees they offered,” said Taylor. “I was surprised to see they had an education program, and I was thankful I didn’t have to travel to WSU, which is so far.”

Heritage University and CBC are celebrating 15 years of working together to provide access to higher education to students in central Washington. It’s a partnership that has led to hundreds of students like Taylor following their dreams and building careers in social work, teaching, criminal justice, psychology and accounting. At Heritage University on the Tri-Cities campus, students can earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees in their desired fields. In short, this successful partnership between CBC and Heritage has strengthened both schools – by bringing more degree options to students in the Tri-Cities.

PARTNERSHIP FORGED THROUGH THE DEDICATION OF SISTERS AT FORT WRIGHT COLLEGE

Heritage’s commitment to providing access to bachelor’s and master’s degrees to communities far from its Toppenish campus goes back to before the university was formed. It started with its predecessor institution, Fort Wright College, which was operated by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

The university’s founding president, Sr. Kathleen Ross, was then the provost of Fort Wright. She and her fellow sisters discovered that students from Omak, Washington, a rural community nearly three hours away, were driving to Spokane to study to become teachers. The need for teachers was high in the community, but there were no local options for higher education. The college opened up a small, regional degree program where students could earn their education degree in their hometown. They operated a similar program in Toppenish. When Fort Wright closed, Heritage was formed. Ross took on the presidency of the new institution. Heritage started in Toppenish and kept the satellite campus in Omak. It was the start of a core commitment that ultimately led to the Heritage and CBC partnership.

PARTNER WITH THE SAME GOAL – BRING EDUCATION TO THE UNDERSERVED

Over the years, as the university grew and deepened its roots in the Yakima Valley, then president of CBC, Rich Cummins, noticed that much of what the university was accomplishing— providing access to higher education to underserved communities—was precisely what CBC was doing. However, he noticed that many of his CBC graduates didn’t continue into bachelor’s degree programs, even though they were well prepared and had all of the prerequisites.

Dr. Matt Kincaid helps a student during his Business Ethics course taught on the CBC campus.

“When you are a community college, you see there are just some in your population who won’t transfer because they are place-bound. So we tried to figure out different options for degree completion,” he said.

Cummins and the Vice President of Administration at the time, Bill Saraceno, approached Heritage with an innovative offer: CBC would provide space to Heritage to establish a satellite location on their campus and in

exchange, Heritage would grant scholarships to CBC employees to those who wanted to enroll at the university. This trade-off was made necessary because CBC was a public college and couldn’t offer taxpayer resources free of charge. And Heritage, as a private college, simply couldn’t afford to open a new location. This creative plan benefited both institutions and was given the green light by the state.

“Whenever you start a business endeavor like expanding into a new community, you need entrepreneurial capital,” explained Cummins. “CBC was able to solve that. Heritage didn’t have to build or rent a building, and the staff ROI was instant because there was immediate enrollment. For our part, as a public institution, our buildings largely go unused in the evenings, so we had an interest in making sure they were well-used and filled with students who could become successful with our help. It’s a pretty darn good model!”

STUDENTS SUPPORTED IN TRANSITION TO HU CLASSES

Today, the relationship between CBC and Heritage has flourished and grown with 152 students enrolled on the Heritage Tri-Cities campus. Social work and education majors have usually been the most popular, with more than 50 students enrolled in each program this year. As workforce needs evolve and students express a desire for other majors, however, other degrees have gained traction, like criminal justice, which welcomed its largest cohort of 10 students last fall, and accounting which currently has 20 students.

“Heritage provides programs and classes that are in high demand for students at CBC,” said Dr. Marisol Rodríguez-Price, the regional director of Heritage University at the Tri-Cities campus. “We complement their programs. Our vision is to have a strong presence here so students can transition to Heritage seamlessly. We respect each other as institutions, collaborating, but also operating as independent partners.”

With offices right in CBC’s Thornton Center, students can walk over anytime and find a Heritage staff member. Heritage staff does not wait for the students to find them, however. They go to their classrooms every night, and for the first hour of class, they answer questions, give advice and offer support. That is how Nichole Ramirez, a senior in elementary education, discovered Heritage.

“Someone from Heritage came and talked to our class while I was a CBC student,” she remembered. “I had no idea that Heritage had a campus there. I set up a meeting with them, and they made the transition super easy.”

Before that, Ramirez thought she would have to transfer to a larger school, which was difficult since she worked full time and already drove 45 minutes to CBC, or take online classes.

“I don’t think I would have done very well with online classes,” she admitted. “I like the fact that we are together in-person. I have been in a cohort of 16 students, the same ones the whole time, and we have helped each other. I also know that if I have questions, I can ask my professor and get an answer right away, which doesn’t happen in online class.”

Accounting professor David Hale leading a lecture in his Federal Income Tax course.

SHARED MISSION STRENGTHENS BOTH INSTITUTIONS

Vice president of student administration at CBC, Tyrone Brooks, explains that there is synergy between the two institutions because they share the same goals and understand the unique needs of their students.

“Our missions are similar, so the way we serve students is similar too,” said Brooks. “The main niche we occupy is serving first-generation and historically underserved students. We both understand the added level of support they need to transition to a four-year program and to complete it successfully.”

Taylor vouches for that: “The faculty is warm and welcoming and very approachable. They give great advice and were very understanding if I was unsure about anything.”

This like-minded purpose allows both institutions to identify needs in the community and adapt the programs they deliver to students. A recent example is CBC’s introduction of a bachelor’s degree in Pre-K – 3 elementary education. So many new families are moving into the area that there is a lack of teachers for the younger grades.

“It stacks up perfectly with what we already offer in early childhood education,” Brooks confirmed. “And it helps our student graduates who want higher level credentials but are place-bound.”

Dr. Rodríguez-Price agreed, noting that when the two schools sit side-by-side at career fairs, they offer a wide variety of degrees. “We say to students, ‘Start with CBC and finish with us. It’s all here!’”

Conferencing In

CONFERENCING IN

Heritage students shine on the national level

Eliseo Alcala was hired by Noel Communications just before he graduated in December 2018. A computer science major, Alcala had participated
in the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) 2018 conference in San Antonio, TX. There he presented a research paper on “Broadcasting Technologies and Data Mining Techniques” – a hot topic in computer science. Representatives from Noel said they were impressed by the opportunities given Heritage students on cutting-edge technology research.

Likewise, computer science major Cesar Flores was hired by the second largest company in Yakima, Alliant Communications two years ago, even before graduation. Flores got a jump – make that two jumps – on the competition, not only through his participation in the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Tampa in 2016, but also at the International Conference on Ambient Systems, Network and Technologies Conference 2016, in Madrid, Spain.

Conferences give students the opportunity to meet with top-level scientists such as Dr. Mario Capecchi, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Psychology or Medicine (center). Here he is pictured with (left to right) students Juan Cabrera and Rosario Ramirez, Heritage professor Dr. Robert Kao, and student Alondra Zaragoza-Mendoza.

Creating meaningful opportunities for all students is one of Heritage University’s fundamental promises. For STEM students like Flores and Alcala, that promise includes meaningful research presentation opportunities at national and international academic conferences. These research internships and academic conferences are game changers – and often life changers – for Heritage students.

Seniors Katie Wentz (above) and Alexis Oxley (below right) were invited to present at the Murdock Science Conference last fall. Wentz took first place in the poster competition.

For STEM majors – whether computer science, biology, environmental science, biomedical sciences or a host of other majors – academic conferences provide a rare and meaningful way to set oneself apart, both academically and experientially.

The chance to spend two or three days at a conference, on another campus, in another city, steeped in STEM, presenting your own research to other academics, and networking with decision makers at graduate schools as well as leaders in STEM industries is a rare opportunity for undergraduate students anywhere.

For Heritage’s students, it’s part of the educational experience, and all STEM students are encouraged to participate.

 

 

When they do – many who may never have set foot on an airplane, travel cross-country, and those for whom public speaking has been a life- long fear, present their research before hundreds of people – they are opening the door to an array of academic and career possibilities.

“Students go to a conference not quite sure how they measure up, and they learn other students from bigger schools, are their peers,” says Dr. Kazuhiro Sonoda, Heritage provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “They learn they are not alone in their efforts and struggles, or their achievements. The whole experience is eye-opening and inspirational.”

“These conferences are comprised of a very high-performing, intelligent, accomplished groups of academics,” says Richard Swearingen, chair of Heritage’s Department of Math and Computer Science. “All these companies are there to meet our students and university graduate programs are there to recruit them.

“One of the ways we position students to be able to compete is that we give them something extra. Research-based internships and the experience of presenting at conferences are that something extra.”

INTERNSHIPS TEACH RESEARCH PRINCIPLES

The Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics
& Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Conference. Mellon Mays Western Regional Conference (MMWRC). The Murdock Science Conference (MSC).

Lots of long names and acronyms, but each conference represents one thing for Heritage’s STEM students: academic and personal growth.

The prerequisite for students’ conference experience is simple: Conduct meaningful research and communicate your results. How? Internships.

Students’ participation in conferences starts with their internship and research experiences. Robyn Raya, environmental studies, has conducted several projects, including an air quality study conducted with support from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Heritage faculty help students find research opportunities, either on campus, within industry or business or at another educational institution. About a quarter of STEM students doing internships do their first internship on campus.

“When they intern on campus, they learn the basics of research here with one of their professors,” says Jessica Black, Ph.D., director of the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment and chair of Heritage’s Science Department.

“It’s a good place to learn the principles and make mistakes. Things don’t always come out perfectly, and that’s ok. They’re learning. They’re enthusiastic.”

Computer science professor John Tsiligaridis, Ph.D., helped his students Alcala and Flores find their research internships. Working closely with each of his students, Tsiligaridis knows their strengths and interests. He regularly connects with his many contacts on and off campus to identify or craft internships.

“John is particularly adept at anticipating changes in computer science and seeing what’s going to be cutting edge,” says Swearingen. “He’s very good at getting research and internship placements.”

The Yakima Valley’s agribusiness focus means lots of STEM internship possibilities off-campus, including the following internships, many of which are funded by grants through the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment (CIHCE):

• Michael Buck, an environmental studies major, interned with Yakama Nation Fisheries.

• Katie Wentz, a biology major, interned at the United States Department of Agriculture ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research in Wapato.

• Yanet Torres, a biology major, and biomedical science major Autumn Teegarden worked at Washington State University-Prosser in its agricultural research facility.

• Paige Delp, Alex Martinez, Xavier Martinez and Jose Figueroa, all studying environmental sciences, worked on biochar projects in a Yakima Valley orchard, examining biochar’s role in water retention.

Black and several colleagues have even led a number of environmental science/studies majors to Costa Rica to do an assessment of tropical stream habitats and a survey of species of birds that frequent certain types of vegetation.

“Whatever students’ research experience, they own that experience. Then they develop their academic interests and their work based on their own background and skill sets,” she said.

CONFERENCES CHALLENGE AND REWARD

Once the internship and research has been done, a student will look at conference options with his or her advisor.

Conferences typically include a keynote speaker – often a renowned scientist – luncheons with speakers, opportunities for socialization and even field trips.

For their presentations, some students prepare a poster that features information about their research process and results. Others give oral presentations.

Some Heritage students receive special recognition for their presentations – students like Juan Cabrera who went to SACNAS twice, attended other conferences, and won awards for his presentations. Brothers Abraham and Andrew Calderon, who graduated in 2016, presented at numerous conferences, won awards and have both gone on to graduate school on the East Coast.

Samuel Small, a 2013 HU computer sciences graduate who’s now the director of the information technology department at Centralia College, says the first conference he attended was the beginning of many meaningful professional and personal relationships.

Now finishing his master’s with Georgia Tech, he’s done presentations at other conferences, has been invited to speak at conferences, and has produced white papers in his areas of expertise.

TRANSFORMATIONAL AND PROFOUND

Faculty like Tsiligiradis and Black almost always accompany their students to conferences. What they see there and afterward is transformational and profound.

“Every time we take students to conferences they come back with a renewed drive,” said Black. “We see over and over why having an academic dream and keeping that alive is so important. We’ve seen them come back with ideas not only about new career options and avenues for grad school, but ideas about research they want to pursue,
and for our Native students, things they want to communicate with their tribe about.”

“It’s an amazing resume builder, and it’s something students may not have had the opportunity to do if they were at a larger school,” said Swearingen. “It can make the difference between getting into grad school or not, when they ask them what their research interests are, our students can answer that.” page11image50103312