Paw'd Defiance

In this episode of the podcast we're joined by UW Tacoma Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success, Bonnie Becker, and Senior Director, Student Transitions and Success, Amanda Figueroa. You may have already guessed (judging by their titles) that Becker and Figueroa do a lot of work around student success. We'll talk about what we mean when we say "student success." We'll also get into why college is important to individuals and to society. Research suggests that having a college degree impacts everything from social mobility to health. Becker and Figueroa will also outline UW Tacoma's revamped approach to student success including the importance of HIPs (no, not the thing connect to your torso).

Resources & Programs for students:
First Generation Initiatives
Office of Student Advocacy & Support
Teaching & Learning Centers

In this episode, we talk about Tacoma's Asia Pacific Cultural Center. We talk about the history of the Center and its role in the community. We also talk about mental health in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. 

In this episode, Class of 2023 grad Angel Reddy reads from a letter she wrote to her future self. In the letter, The letter talks about her experience at UW Tacoma and includes a list of what she wants for her future self. Reddy's parents came to the United States from Fiji. They settled in Lakewood and ran their own business. Reddy and her older brother grew up in the area. 

Jai'Shon Berry and Exita Lealofi met four years ago at UW Tacoma. They didn't quite hit it off, but they did eventually become best friends. In this episode, Berry and Lealofi talk about why they're friends. They also talk about the importance of their friendship and how it helped them deal with the stress of college and with outside stress including break ups and family emergencies. 

Dr. Ronee K Wopsock Pawwinee recently completed her doctoral degree in educational leadership at UW Tacoma. Wopsock Pawwinee is one of 10 members of the inaugural Muckleshoot Cohort. She talks about her experience in the program, including her ups and downs as well as the connections she made to other members of the cohort. Wopsock Pawwinee also discusses the role of education in her life as well as how she plans to use her degree to help her tribe. 

Born in Fiji, Amy Maharaj lived through a coup on the island. Maharaj and her family eventually resettled in Canada. Maharaj initially struggled in school but overcame those struggles to earn a bachelor's, master's, and recently, a doctoral degree. In this episode Maharaj talks about her life and her experience in the Muckleshoot Ed.D. program. The cohort is a partnership between the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and UW Tacoma. The first cohort is set to officially graduate on June 9. 

The Milgard Women's Initiative in the Milgard School of Business at UW Tacoma works to advance women as leaders. The program does this in a number of ways, including through workshops and guest lectures. The biggest impact MWI has is through its mentorship program that connects students to community leaders. In this episode we talk about the program with Rachel Vaughn, Executive Director of the Center for Leadership & Social Responsibility in the Milgard School of Business, Sarah Kendall, former Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Weyerhaeuser Company, and UW Tacoma alumna Marion LaRocque.

In this episode UW Tacoma alumna Raihab Baig talks about her experience with Ramadan. Baig is Muslim and actively practices her faith. She talks about her connection to Islam as well as her relatively recent decision to start wearing a hijab. Baig also discusses what Ramadan means to her and how fasting helps her focus on things that really matter to her.

SIAS Dean Natalie Eschenbaum studies disgust, specifically disgust in early modern English literature.  In this episode, we hear about poems that feature maggots and eye infections. The poems are gross and important. We'll talk about the role of disgust in these poems and in other works. We'll also talk about the role of disgust in our lives including why a lack of disgust might be a sign of love. Finally, Eschenbaum tells us why disgust as an area of study has become popular in recent years.

UW Tacoma Associate Professor Danica Miller and UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sara Eccleston are both members of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. UW Tacoma is situated on the ancestral homeland of the Puyallup. In this episode, Miller and Eccleston talk about the role of education in their lives. For both women, education didn't just happened in the classroom, it also happened in their community. The pair also discuss the challenges they've faced as Indigenous women in higher education. Finally, Miller and Eccleston talk about what colleges and universities need to do to attract and retain Native and Indigenous students.