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Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in Lincoln City, which is on the coast not too far from here. I鈥檝e always known that I wanted to be a teacher, so Western was an easy choice for me because of the ED program. I am going to be a middle school science teacher 鈥� I鈥檓 super passionate about teaching our adolescents 鈥� I think it鈥檚 an awesome age. They鈥檙e just goofy, and they need all the love in the world. So, I鈥檓 excited to just give that to them. And science is just awesome because of the wonder and the 鈥楢h-ha鈥� moments that it gives those kids.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love visiting my family and my boyfriend 鈥� In the summertime and the springtime, I love to barbeque. That鈥檚 one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes I watch Netflix.

How do you feel about having been chosen for the Delmer Dewey/Julia McCulloch Smith Award?

Shocked, honored, humbled… I don鈥檛 know. I really didn鈥檛 expect to win. I knew I was nominated, and I wrote my cover letter and resume just being like 鈥榃hat an honor it is to be nominated. I鈥檓 so happy for whoever wins.鈥� But I totally wasn鈥檛 thinking it would be me at all. And then, it was. 鈥� I feel like I鈥檝e done things that are just enjoyable and fun for me, so it was weird to be recognized for things that just seem like part of my existence and what I would no matter what.

What are some of the ways that you have been involved here at Western?

I started off in hall government as Activities Director 鈥� Then I was on the Residence Hall Association for half of my freshman year and all of my sophomore year as a programming coordinator. And then kind of at the same time that I started that position, I got a volunteer position at HART, which stands for Horses Adaptive Riding and Therapy. So, we do work with toddlers all the way through older adults who are experiencing physical or cognitive disabilities, mental health diagnoses, trauma 鈥� a variety of reasons why they might come in and ride the horses 鈥� And meanwhile, my junior year I got a position in University Housing as the Residential Programming Program Assistant, and that involved planning more social events and fun things for students to do over the weekends. I鈥檝e been an ambassador 鈥� I was part of the Faculty Senate Honors Committee鈥� and recently I鈥檝e gotten to be a part of revising the Honors curriculum, which has been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

Can you tell me a bit about what your experience has been like at Western in general?

My experience at Western has been great. I think they do a really good job of pushing you to try new things that are outside of your comfort zone and opening your mind to the world. I grew up in a pretty small town, so I didn鈥檛 have a lot of experiences with the things that I think Western is really good at exposing us to, and so my world just grew because of Western.

What is the thing that you are most proud of during your time at Western?

I think I鈥檓 most proud of the relationships I鈥檝e made and the people I鈥檝e surrounded myself with. I feel like after I leave here, I鈥檓 just going to have a whole slew of people who are supporting me and cheering for me, and that feels really good. I鈥檝e made connections that drive me to be a more positive person 鈥� a person who wants to make positive change in the world 鈥� and I definitely think I鈥檓 influenced by those people every day.

If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?

There鈥檚 lots of things 鈥� but I guess I might focus a little harder on classes. I鈥檝e done really well academically, and my grades reflect that, but I might just tell myself to find a little more purpose in the things I鈥檓 learning and just hold on to it a little bit more. Now that I鈥檓 in the ED program, I鈥檓 realizing how applicable a lot of the stuff that they teach us is鈥� and I wish I would have just taken some time to appreciate and absorb that information a little bit more.

What advice do you have for underclassmen at Western?

I would say that you should say yes when the opportunities come around 鈥� when someone asks you 鈥榙o you want come to this event on campus?鈥� or 鈥榙o you want to join this intramural team?鈥� or 鈥榙o you want to go grab pizza at Yeasty鈥檚?鈥� 鈥� just say yes because those opportunities sometimes lead to really great things and really great relationships. And, had I not said yes to a couple of things, I wouldn鈥檛 be here 鈥� That鈥檚 super clich茅, but I think it鈥檚 what鈥檚 gotten me here.

What are you going to miss most about your time here?

I don鈥檛 know. Everything. I guess I鈥檓 just going to miss being around all the like-minded, positive people who are here, encouraging everyone to just be themselves and try new things. The world isn鈥檛 always like that鈥� but that鈥檚 the kind of influence I hope to have on my students in the future. But I鈥檒l definitely miss that culture of acceptance here at Western.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I recently accepted a position at Estacada Middle School teaching science 鈥� probably 6th and 7th grade. I鈥檓 headed to live in Lake Oswego with my boyfriend, and I鈥檒l be commuting to Estacada for work 鈥� it鈥檚 about 30 minutes east of Lake Oswego.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of BillyAnn Stemple