Reflections from one of the first BAS Honors Scholars

By Hal Ungerleider, BAS in Respiratory Care

I started my educational journey at Highline in January of 2015 in the BAS-RC program, after graduating from an associate’s program in 1997. Yes, I am a 41 year old father of three awesome young girls, 9, 4, and 2, and I work full-time. Adding school into my already busy work/life balance was tricky, but it was almost like when we added a third kid, just had to re-balance. When in a job there is only one option when presenting to a team, turning in a report, or meeting with patients. It is to give 110% every time. There was no option for me to not to put this same effort into my school work. Graduating with a BAS-RC in 18 months, while balancing all that I have and earning better than a 3.7, makes me proud of what I have accomplished, and I hope those around me can see that one can be successful with the right amount of balance and effort.

A little under 2 years ago I put my 4 year plan together. As an almost 40 year old, I realized that my “next” move needed to be strategic. I am closing the first chapter of my plan this week, and in the fall will be starting in the Executive Masters in Healthcare Administration program at University of Washington. I believe that the BAS-RC program has given me tools and tactics for my future growth and development and will help me achieve leadership roles beyond my current role as a Manager.

Meet the 2016 Honors Scholars

Nineteen students graduated as honors scholars this year, including the first BAS honors scholars. These students challenged themselves to complete several honors projects, participate in honors poster sessions and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA. They emerged from a group of over 200 students who participated in the Honors Program this year. Honors scholars are recognized at commencement and earn a tuition scholarship.

Abdul Aziz Bah

Abdul Aziz Bah travelled from the Gambia to the US to pursue his interest in computer science. At Highline, he represented the student body as the Speaker of the Caucus. Previously, he was part of the Services and Activities (S&A) committee and an Academic Excellence Facilitator for MESA. He has been accepted to Washington State University and Purdue University. He is awaiting decisions from the University of Washington and Georgia Institute of Technology. His goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a concentration in software engineering. He will spend the summer interning at Microsoft.

Emily Barrick

Emily Barrick contributed to the Highline campus as a Peer Writing Consultant and an Honors Teaching Assistant. Her emphasis on working with and understanding others ties in with her academic love – anthropology – which she will continue to explore at the University of Washington.

Wei-Chen (Doris) Chin

Wei-Chen (Doris) Chin is an international student from Taiwan. During her time at Highline, she used her bilingual abilities to help other students develop as writers as a peer consultant in the Writing Center. She also represented Highline College as a panelist at a writing center conference. She will pursue a degree in Accounting.

Alex Crawford

Alex Crawford has a passion for music and helping others develop as singers. He has contributed to Highline’s chorale and earned multiple scholarships for his contributions to the music program, all while working full time and helping to support his family. He will continue to study music at Pacific Lutheran University where he was the recipient of the Provost Scholarship for $20,000.

Eric Garay

Eric Garay is the first Honors Scholar from the Cybersecurity and Forensics BAS program. While at Highline, he competed in the Pacific Rim Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition 2015, was the PRCCDC 2016 White Team Captain, was captain/trainer of the Cyber Defense Club, and wrote the official State of Washington Cyber Threat Assessment for the Emergency Management Division.

Ali Houle

Ali Houle has left her mark at Highline as a TRiO tutor, Honors Leadership Team co-president, and GEAR UP tutor at Chinook Middle School. In each role, she served as a leader and mentor. She will continue her education at Pacific Lutheran University where she will study anthropology. She received several scholarships, including PLU’s Provost Transfer Scholarship, valued at $20,000 per year.

Pa Ousman Jobe

Pa Ousman Jobe served as Student Body President for 2015-16. He traveled from the Gambia to pursue an AA in Business Administration and Management at Highline College where he earned an Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award for Economics, ISP Scholarship, ISP Academic Scholarship, and Honors Leadership Scholarship. In additional to his role in student government, he was also active in PTK and the Honors Leadership Team. He will be transferring to Seattle University with a $10,000 Alfie Scholarship.

Jacqueline Kemp

Jacqueline Kemp is graduating from Highline with an AA Emphasis in French. A person with many passions, Jacqueline competed in multiple sports, served as Piano Club President, and trained two guide dogs, all while completing multiple honors projects. She will transfer to Seattle Pacific University this fall to study Computer Science and Music as the recipient of SPU’s President’s Academic Scholarship and the highest Fine Arts (Piano) Scholarship. She plans to become a technical writer and hopes to teach piano on the side.

Jared Kern

Jared Kern has a passion for research that led him to complete honors projects on a variety of topics from breast cancer to lgbt movements around the globe. He hopes to apply his analytical abilities to a career in the medical field.

Noela Limo

Noela Limo travelled from Kenya to the US to pursue a degree in nursing with the ultimate goal to become a doctor. Despite facing multiple hardships in the US, she has persevered to graduate as an Honors Scholar with a 3.99 GPA. While at Highline she earned two Highline Foundation Scholarships, the Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship through Phi Theta Kappa, ISP Academic Scholarships, and an ISP Leadership Scholarship. She hopes to begin PLU’s nursing program in the fall.

Yuan (Claire) Lu

Yuan (Claire) Lu immersed herself in Highline’s diverse community as an international student from Taiwan. She co-founded the Universal Studio club which aims to generate discussion and produce videos that explore different cultures. She also contributed to the Honors Leadership Team.

Angelia Miranda

Angelia Miranda has an eclectic resume as a nationally ranked speed skater and speech champion. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to the US as a young child and has long been interested in international relations. Her strong communication skills and diplomatic abilities served her well in her roles as a community leadership consultant in Highline’s Center for Leadership and Service and as student representative on the planning committee for National Poetry Month. She will transfer to the University of Washington to continue to study international relations.

Wen-Yen (Tony) Pai

Wen-Yen (Tony) Pai has a passion for sharing the beauty of his home country Taiwan with others. His interests in community, tourism, and film led him to produce this video about Ecotourism in Taiwan for an Honors project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDIfFTs9V1A Building on these interests, he was a co-founder of Highline’s Universal Studio club which produces videos on different cultures. In the fall, he will enter the Community and Environmental Planning Program at the University of Washington.

Bandhanjit Singh

Bandhanjit Singh is an aspiring lawyer and businessman with extensive internship experience in local politics. While earning his Associates of Business at Highline, Bandhan earned multiple awards including Outstanding Performance in Mathematics – Business Calculus. Bandhan and two of his peers recently received the People’s Choice Award at the spring honors poster session for a project that explored the feasibility of solar energy at Highline College. He will pursue a Bachelors of Business Administration with a minor in economics, and emphasis in finance at Pacific Lutheran University with funding from the Dean’s Scholarship (PLU), Rieke Leadership Award (PLU), College Success Foundation: UBER scholarship, and Group Health Cooperative Scholarship.

Gurchetan Singh

Gurchetan Singh moved from Punjab, India to the US at the age of 17. He worked full-time after graduating from high school, but knew that he wanted to continue his education. He found support at Highline College where he entered the TRiO and Honors programs. In additional to serving as a leader in both programs, he founded two clubs: Any-body Can Code to promote computer science to non-STEM students and Chardi-Kala to combat racism and bullying. His proudest accomplishments at Highline are the relationships he built while raising awareness about Sikhs on campus. He will pursue a BS in Computer Science and Systems at UW-Tacoma as a Next Step Scholar ($12,000 scholarship).

Hal Ungerleider

Hal Ungerleider is the first BAS Honors Scholar from the respiratory care program. See page 1 to learn about Hal’s journey at Highline and goals for the future.

Jamie Urban

Jamie Urban excels in school, not only for herself, but to set a strong example for her daughter. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award for Psychology (2016). Her interest in psychology led her to present a poster on myths and truths of mental illness with a fellow honors student. While conducting her research, she helped to update the college’s resources list to better serve students struggling with mental illness. She plans to continue to study psychology at the University of Washington.

Apars Walia

Apars Walia pushed herself to take on new challenges at Highline, serving as President of WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) and as an Academic Excellence Workshop Facilitator. Apars recently received the People’s Choice Award at the spring honors poster session for a project that explored the feasibility of solar energy at Highline College. She will enter UW-Seattle as a freshman, with direct admission into their Computer Science department, with funding from the UW Freshman Scholarship, UW-CSE Departmental Scholarship, and Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.

Chia-Ling (Jenith) Wen

Chia-Ling (Jenith) Wen was proud to be a part of the International Leadership Student Council for the 2015-2016 school year. As an international student from Taiwan, her leadership role with the ILSC enabled her to support other international students and become more immersed in the Highline community. In recognition of her contributions, she earned the International Student Programs Scholarship and Leadership Recognition Scholarship. She will transfer to the University of Pittsburgh next fall where she will major in communications.

Honors alumni return to Highline

• Dr. Steve Simpkins (‘08) – Nursing faculty since 2014
• Kim Trinh (‘06) – English faculty since 2015
• Joseph Burnett (’08)—presented at Honors Colloquy in Spring 2016
• Tiffany McGuire (’06)—presented at Honors Colloquy in Spring 2016
• Laura Yanez (’15)—presented at Honors Colloquy in Winter 2016

Download 2015-2016 Newsletter