Welcome to the Class of 2024!

Danny Elmoussa

B.A. Business Administration/Marketing

2023 First Gen Fellow

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As a first-generation student, it’s not easy to find opportunities to engage as I tend to feel some sort of imposter syndrome and feel like I don’t belong. I have learned to over come these obstacles by having the courage not only to ask questions, but to put myself out there regardless of my perceived acceptability. This mindset has taken me places I’d never thought I’d be.

Danalyn Lia Fernandez

B.A. Psychology

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

2024 President’s Medal

2024 Husky 100

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I’m incredibly grateful for the relationships and resources I’ve gained at UW Tacoma that empowered me to uncover the strengths of my identities as a first-generation student and second-generation Filipina-American! Through research, community partnerships and tutoring, I gained a passion to amplify underrepresented voices in my community by challenging deficit narratives and highlighting intergenerational resilience. I aspire to become a strengths-based psychologist who risks the fight for resilience and equitable mental well-being for AANHPI and first-gen youth — one who honors previous generations whose burdens were silenced and paves the way for upcoming generations to boldly embrace their identities.

Christian Gombio

B.S. Biomedical Sciences

Cum Laude

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

2024 Chancellor’s Medal

Director, Grad Class Gift Committee

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I am a first-generation college graduate who was born and raised on the island of Guam, where I first heard my calling to pursue veterinary medicine. My early years in Washington were a struggle – imposter syndrome weighed heavily on me. I second-guessed transferring to UW Tacoma; I honestly didn’t think I had a lot to bring to the table. Within my first week of classes at UWT, I was proven wrong. What I love most about UWT is the faculty and staff and their willingness to connect with students. My calling has been re-amplified, and I am about to enter a doctor of veterinary medicine this fall!

Hilary Griffith

B.A. Business Administration/Accounting

Milgard School of Business

Ambassador, Grad Class Gift Committee

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UW Tacoma has helped me reach my dreams of being a first-generation graduate after a 10-year break to raise four amazing kiddos! My once-in-a-lifetime experience has helped me grow in confidence and knowledge. I am excited to move into the business world and make decisions that will help my employer’s business grow!

Advice: Get involved and get to know people, even if you are shy!

Britney Guel

B.A. Communications

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

U.S. Army veteran

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I’ve worked for the past two years in the UW Tacoma Veterans & Military Resource Center, helping military-affiliated students access their education benefits. In the Army, I was an information technology specialist. I’m excited to be finishing my degree, but I’m also kind of sad because my time at UW Tacoma is coming to an end. No more school, just a big-girl job now for sure!

Christian “CJ” James

B.S. Biomedical Sciences

Magna Cum Laude

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

2023 Husky 100

Co-Director, Grad Class Gift Committee

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My experience at UW Tacoma was unequivocally transformative and filled with relentless opportunities to become the forward-thinking physician I aspire to be. I’m looking forward to pushing the boundaries of preventive care so I can help my community build the pathway reaching those who are underserved.

Advice: Your education and college experiences are generated from the effort you make, not solely from the effort of those providing these opportunities to you.

Vinial Kumar

B.S. Civil Engineering

School of Engineering & Technology

2024 Husky 100

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Having experienced firsthand the impacts of climate change while growing up in Fiji, I am driven to mitigate greenhouse emissions and create resilient infrastructure. Through leadership in organizations like UWT ASCE and Engineers without Borders, alongside internships and advocacy work, I have worked tirelessly to bridge academic knowledge with practical solutions, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and inclusivity. My passion for creating positive change extends beyond traditional boundaries, as I strive to empower diverse voices and champion sustainable development practices for a brighter, more equitable future.

Sean Lambird

B.A. Urban Studies

School of Urban Studies

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Finishing my degree is a little terrifying at first because I’ve never not been in school. I’ve been doing school since I was five years old. But I’m excited to start my career with the Morgan Family YMCA, part of the YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties. My advice to future classes: be as involved as you can because what you get out of your experience on campus is what you put into it.

Lexy Luna

B.A. Psychology
B.S. Biomedical Sciences

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

2024 Husky 100

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My time at the UW Tacoma enabled me to overcome adversity and granted me numerous opportunities to develop as a mentor and leader who creates sincere connections with my peers and patients. Though my endeavors as an Emergency Medical Technician, president of the Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students, Office of Global Affairs Fellow and community volunteer, I have dedicated myself to making others feel respected, empowered and connected. My experiences have taught me the importance of embracing new challenges which have thus guided me towards my goal of being an inspiring, confident and compassionate physician in my community.

Maria Escalera Maldanado

Master of Social Work

School of Social Work & Criminal Justice

2024 Husky 100

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Since I started graduate school in 2021, I have held many different roles: a wife, a mother to my eight-year-old, a caregiver to my elderly mother and a student who also works a full-time job. As a bicultural BIPOC woman, I have traversed these responsibilities within and alongside the Latino community. I know that my success as a Husky is innately integrated with the promotion of equity and social justice in the underserved and immigrant communities that I have found both within and beyond the campus community. As a first-generation college student and the daughter of an immigrant mother from Mexico, equity is deeply important to me, and social justice has always been at the heart of who I am.

Simon Njoroge

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

School of Engineering & Technology

2024 Husky 100

Ambassador, Grad Class Gift Committee

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As an international first-gen student from Kenya, I’ve succeeded in navigating the challenges of adapting to a new educational system and cultural environment, transforming hurdles into opportunities for personal and academic growth. In addition to my academic and research pursuits, I established an organization providing mentorship to immigrant students entering engineering, now with 40 members, reflecting my commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity in the engineering community. Through research, peer mentoring, leadership roles in organizations like Engineers without Borders, and participation in initiatives like the NASA L’SPACE Program’s Mission Concept Academy, I’ve consistently advocated for inclusive engineering solutions that positively impact diverse communities. My ultimate aim is to revolutionize transportation safety and efficiency through innovative vehicle control systems, grounded in critical thinking and inclusivity, to create safer, more sustainable and accessible communities for all.

Alesha Rebitzer

B.A. Business Administration

Milgard School of Business

2023 First Gen Fellow

Co-Director, Grad Class Gift Committee

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My experience at UW Tacoma was exhilarating! Everyone — staff, students and professors — made my experience wonderful. The First Gen Office helped me reach new heights, taught me my voice matters, and let me see I can seriously do anything I put my mind to. I feel a newfound power and love for my strengths that I previously saw as weaknesses. I will forever be a Husky!

Advice: Never stop learning. You never know who you will meet or what you will discover by keeping an open mind.

Trinity Utnage

B.A. Criminal Justice

School of Social Work & Criminal Justice

2023 First Gen Fellow

Ambassador, Grad Class Gift Committee

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I grew up in the foster care system. I didn’t have much family there to support me at first. I had no examples of a college-educated person. I had to find motivation inside me to step out of what I was used to. I found that fire inside me that said I deserved to go to college and create a better life for myself and my son. Even though I have had struggles in my past, I found that motivation to go to college and now I help foster youth get their voices heard in the Washington legislature and the U.S. Congress.

Advice: Learn from your obstacles and challenges. Turn the pain and fear into motivation to make change. A support system is huge when starting something new and being the first in your family.

McKenna Yohey

B.A. Business Administration/Marketing

Milgard School of Business

2023 First Gen Fellow

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As the first in my family to attend college, I have overcome many hurdles. I have been pushed to grow and adapt in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I have faced financial obstacles, such as working two or three jobs to make sure I had money for textbooks and gas to get to school. I had to figure out how to navigate the complex application process. But now I am forging a new path for future generations.

Advice: Embrace the journey and have fun along the way!