One of the final courses for seniors in the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (IAS) is BIS 499 Portfolio Capstone. This is where they sum up their undergraduate learning.
Their new skills often are heightened abilities to communicate and collaborate across different fields to innovate and solve problems.
Capstones also prompt students to reflect on who they have become as people and where they are going.
Finally, they must illustrate all that on a poster and defend it to anyone who walks by a presentation. The class led by Kristin Gustafson, IAS senior lecturer, presented their posters Dec. 6 in the third floor vista of Founders Hall. Here are more of their stories. (See Part 1 of this article.)
Sydney Morris
Society, Ethics & Human Behavior
Originally interested in elementary education, Morris found her favorite courses at UW Bothell all related to sociology and human rights. Meanwhile, she was working in social media marketing for nonprofits.
One was Side-by-Side, which partners with the oncology department of Seattle Children’s. Another was Street Bean, a Seattle coffee roaster that helps street youth.
Morris plans to work for a while before pursuing a master’s degree that would lead to a career in social work. “It would be awesome to do marketing for an agency or organization that promotes the foster care system,” she said.
Badr Alghanmi
Science, Technology & Society
An international student from Saudi Arabia, Alghanmi had an unsuccessful experience at college in his homeland, so UW Bothell was a second try. Alghanmi said it still was a challenge, but he worked his way through. “It’s about research on so many different levels,” he said.
Alghanmi learned creative arts along with sciences, taking art and film production courses and working on the staff of Clamor, the campus literary and arts journal. And for three years, he also proudly worked as a groundskeeper with the campus facilities staff.
Active on social media, by the time he graduated, Alghanmi was a marketing intern with The Vida Agency, a Seattle communications company that specializes in issue-related brand campaigns. He hopes it will lead to a full-time job where he could work for a couple of years before returning to Saudi Arabia.
Erin Morrissey
Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies
Morrissey was homeschooled until the eighth grade, and part of high school for her was just learning to go to school.
While she was still struggling a bit at a community college, she was stalked. Morrissey said she moved to Cascadia College to get away, and when she transferred to UW Bothell she chose to major in GWSS.
“I was hoping it would explain why people can’t agree on things,” she said. “What’s important to me is consent and communication, because I feel those are rules everyone should follow.”
Morrissey has worked as a tutor and at a daycare. A dream job would be as a psychologist, specializing in children with trauma. “I feel like my degree helps prepare me for that.”
Greg Lee
Law, Economics & Public Policy
After he transferred to UW Bothell from Cascadia College, Lee tried some government classes and discovered a lot of job options: land use, traffic safety, urban design, policy analysis and program management.
“Once I saw a career, I wanted a master’s degree” to work at the professional level, he said.
Lee was checking on programs at several universities, most of which he could take online. He has experience working with diverse groups of people from past jobs as a restaurant server.
Lee would like to start working as an assistant in a local city’s land use or traffic management department where he could find mentorship.
Wing Hadrann
Community Psychology
A four-year student at UW Bothell, Hadrann was initially interested in business. But spending time on campus, making friends with a group who played pool and becoming president of the Brilliant Billiards club, she found she liked helping others and being a resource.
“Therapy or counseling is something I want to pursue,” said Hadrann, who is ready to apply skills in leadership and collaborating with diverse people.
Hadrann is looking for an internship or part-time job in a counseling-related field, with the idea of later pursuing a master’s in psychology.
