Evergreen News

Last Wednesday Evergreen students, staff, faculty and alumni gathered in the Longhouse Cultural Center for a panel discussion reflecting on 50 years of cultural resilience and academic persistence at First Peoples Multicultural Advising Services (FPMAS).

Facilitated by First Peoples Interim Director Kandi Bauman, panel speakers included former Evergreen dean (and current special advisor to the president) Stone Thomas, alumni Tomas Ybarra and Elena Perez, and former First Peoples directors April West-Baker, Eugene Fujimoto, Holly Joseph, and Ricardo Leyva-Puebla.

After being out of school for over a decade, Ryan Neese decided to attend Evergreen and pursue his passion for science and nutrition.

“I’ve been working as an early childhood educator for more than 10 years,” he says. “So, I decided I would like to further my education in the sciences.”

After researching several universities and schools, Neese found Evergreen. Evergreen’s innovative policies on evaluations, interdisciplinary programs, and self-directed curriculum attracted him to the college.

Last Wednesday, Evergreen hosted a student activities fair featuring student club advisors tabling in the library lobby. Held every quarter and coordinated by the Department of Student Activities, the event united hundreds of students with over 30 student leaders promoting their clubs and organizations.

Jodi Santillie, senior advisor in the student activities department, helps organize the event. “The student activities fair is full of opportunities and sets the tone for student engagement in extracurriculars throughout the quarter,” she says.

Since graduating from Evergreen, alumna Ariel Taylor ’11 has worked in several different political roles. After starting her career as an intern at the Washington State House of Representatives, she is now a legislative policy analyst and the director of communications in the office of King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci.

How would you describe your daily tasks and responsibilities?

Three women hoist loads of dirt into a wheelbarrow; another man pounds together a frame. Laughter, sweat, and encouragement are the themes of the afternoon.