Tag: Profile

policy

Alumna of Note: Elizabeth Jones

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Published in the Spring 2019 issue of Westwind Magazine

Most people spend their lives trying to steer clear of bankruptcy, but Elizabeth Jones’ warm embrace of the subject propelled her into a career she perhaps only dreamed of a decade ago. Now a Supreme Court fellow in Washington, D.C., she reflects on how she developed a passion for bankruptcy law and details how she hopes to help debtors moving forward.

Jones began making career plans even before she stepped foot in a college classroom: She wanted to be a lawyer, and she’d spend her
undergrad years at Walla Walla University gearing up for law school.

“I was pretty sure I wanted to do business for my major,” she says, noting that she’s always appreciated numbers, “but I kind of knew that for law I would need something else in order to feel a little more prepared.” She tacked an English minor onto her degree and joined the Honors Program to help round out her education.

Preparing for law school isn’t all about acquiring textbook knowledge, though; it’s about learning to hold firm under pressure.

“I knew I needed to push myself in other ways,” she says, “so I did that by doubling up on some classes and getting involved in other things outside of the curriculum,” such as ASWWU Senate, The Collegian, and the softball team. Despite the extra responsibilities, she finished all her coursework within three years to make up for time spent abroad in Thailand.

With a bachelor’s degree under her belt and unwavering plans for her career, Jones said farewell to the west in 2013 and headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to attend the University of Michigan Law School, ranked No. 8 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

“Going in, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Jones recalls,
“and that was pretty intentional because I wanted to be open to the
possibility of falling in love with a certain type of practice.”

At one point she considered transactional corporate law; at
another, she was leaning toward litigation. When Jones got a taste
of bankruptcy law—a middle ground between the two—she realized
she’d found her niche.

Bankruptcy law might sound dull on the surface, but Jones argues that it’s far from black and white. “You really get the opportunity to reinvent the wheel in every case that you get,” she says. Though most bankruptcy cases fall within the same parameters, lawyers are forced to find creative solutions for each debtor.

Jones completed her law degree in 2017 and continued her journey east to clerk for a bankruptcy judge in New York City. During her clerkship, she heard about the Supreme Court Fellows Program
and decided to apply.

The program selects four individuals each year to work in one of four federal judiciary agencies, giving them practical experience and providing a path for them to conduct research on a specific topic. Jones proposed a bankruptcy-related research project in her application, and the unique pitch—coupled with her obvious zeal for the subject—earned her a placement at the Federal Judicial Center in the 2018–19 cohort. In August, she made the move to D.C. to begin work.

While one could argue that Jones has already accomplished plenty for someone less than two years out of law school, her motivation has yet to peak. She plans to do clinical teaching down the road, supervising law students as they represent real bankruptcy clients.

“There’s a very big subset of people that are trying to navigate this process on their own, which is very complicated and difficult,” she says. Running a clinic will allow Jones to mentor students and provide more representation for debtors who can’t afford attorneys. She will conclude her fellowship in August and move back to New York City, where she’s accepted a position at a law firm to continue working toward this goal.

For Jones, the next step seems to always be within reach. Maybe it speaks to her innate drive for success, or maybe it’s a result of finding what she loves. In either case, it’s clear that she’s not slowing down any time soon.

Tags alumni, law, policy, Profile, supreme court, westwind, WWU

health

Alumna of Note: Elena Rohm

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Published in the Fall 2017 issue of Westwind Magazine in November 2017

When Elena Rohm enrolled at Walla Walla University in 2010, she already had a career plan in mind. “I never went to nursing school to work in a hospital setting,” Rohm said. “My goal in going to school was always to meet the needs of the underserved population, particularly overseas.” But helping displaced Iraqis in areas devastated by ISIS? That’s something she couldn’t anticipate.

Rohm’s mission work has already brought her to nine foreign countries across five continents. The Oregon native’s latest trip took her to northern Iraq, where ADRA and Adventist Help are building an emergency medical care hospital to serve the 100,000-plus internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region.

She lived in Erbil, Iraq, for two and a half weeks last June and July, traveling an hour to the Hasansham U2 Camp each day to help construct the hospital and treat patients from each of the five local IDP camps. “These were people fleeing from Sinjar or Mosul or a lot of the ISIS-held territories,” Rohm said.

Her daily commute to the hospital site showed evidence of a war-torn region. “We would have to go around a bridge every single day because ISIS had blown up that bridge six months before we were there,” she recalled. Despite the damage, Rohm felt safe alongside her team of over a dozen volunteers.

It wasn’t until she spent a few days at a trauma stabilization point in Mosul that safety became a concern. “You could hear gunfire and bombs going off and see the smoke in the distance,” Rohm said. Only about 2 kilometers from the action, the trauma stabilization point workers acted as a first response for several injured soldiers and citizens who wouldn’t have made it to one of the distant hospitals in time.

Rohm knew what kind of injuries to expect when she signed up to help in Iraq—anybody who watches the news knows it’s an ugly situation—but she had no idea how much of an impact the experience would have on her. “When we think of people from Third World countries, we think they’re so different. But the people are the same as us,” she said. “They have goals and desires just like we do.”

After meeting people whose lives were abruptly interrupted by war, she learned that only months earlier, their lives weren’t far from her own. “The only difference between me and these people is that I was lucky enough to be born into a place where I don’t have to worry about this,” Rohm said. “It really stood out to me more than any other trip.”

Rohm returned to her current Oklahoma home in July, where she faced a tough decision: What comes next? Rohm toyed with the idea of revisiting school to become a nurse practitioner, but she’s in a prime position to travel and there’s no age limit on a degree. “School will always be there,” she said. “I don’t know that these opportunities will always be presented the same way that I could fulfill them right now.”

Few people exchange luxury for discomfort—and fewer people do it willingly—but when Rohm marched across Centennial Green in 2013 and took her diploma, she knew her dream was far from conventional. Nobody can predict what part of the world will need help next, but one thing’s for sure: When an opportunity to help comes knocking, Rohm will open the door with a suitcase by her side and a passport in hand.

Tags alumni, nonprofit, Profile, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

education

Alumnus of Note: Matthew Engle

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Published in the Spring 2018 issue of Westwind Magazine

Twelve years ago, if someone had asked Matthew Engle about his career aspirations, becoming a teacher wouldn’t have made the list. “Teaching was the last thing I ever wanted to do as a career,” says Engle. More than a decade later, however, what was once the unlikeliest of professions has become one of his greatest successes. In December, Engle was awarded the 2017 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation and Inspiration in Math Teaching.

Struggling with direction while a student at Walla Walla University, Engle decided to take a gap year and serve as a student missionary in Palau, where he taught a class of eighth-graders. Before long, he realized that teaching was right up his alley.

“I had a handful of kids who came to me at the end of the year and said they always hated math, and they connected with it after having me as a teacher,” Engle recalls. “That was probably the thing that inspired me to teach math specifically.” By the time he left Palau, his perspective had changed. He returned to college with an unexpected plan in place.

After graduation in 2010, Engle found work teaching in China then in Montana. He now teaches math at Monterey Bay Academy in Watsonville, California. At the start of the 2017–18 school year, Engle spent long hours outside of class applying for the Rosenthal Prize.

The Rosenthal Prize, sponsored by the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City, recognizes fourth- through 12th-grade math teachers who aim to reinvent the classroom and promote hands-on learning. Applicants write a series of essays. Those who advance to the final round must design and submit a classroom activity that creatively demonstrates an important mathematical concept.

Engle’s winning 22-page submission, titled “Bringing Similarity into Light: Experiencing Similarity and Dilations Using Shadows,” explores geometric concepts surrounding similar figures and equal ratios. The lesson plan extends beyond math, guiding students into a deeper discussion about collaboration and appreciating others. “Everyone’s perceptions together are closer to the truth than our individual perception alone,” his submission reads. “We need to strive to understand each other’s viewpoints so we can grow together in our communities and the world.”

“A lot of math classes are boring really, and old and irrelevant,” he says. “I believe learning must be at the core of education, but many classrooms are focused on answer-getting instead.” Engle values intuition over memorization, and he uses math to help students develop reasoning skills and think critically about the world around them. “Education is for using information, not just having it.”

Engle received a $25,000 cash award with the Rosenthal Prize, and his lesson plan will be made available to teachers across the country. He accepted the award at a ceremony in New York City in February.

Tags education, Profile, teaching, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

policy

State Senate Internship

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The 2018 Washington state House and Senate interns convene for a Mock Floor Debate. February 26, 2018.

Allison Banks speaks on the Washington state House floor during a mock floor debate.

What do you get when you cross social work and senate? Ask Allison Banks, a senior social work major who spent winter quarter in Olympia, Washington, interning for Sen. Rebecca Saldaña. Banks, who was senate parliamentarian last year for the Associated Students of Walla Walla University, is one of about 70 students from across the state that were admitted to the State of Washington Legislative Internship Program this year. The annual program allows ambitious college students to assist legislators and learn about lawmaking for the duration of the legislative session.

In a sea of political science majors, Banks was the only intern majoring in social work. “I viewed my major as a weakness going into this,” Banks said. “When you look around and you’re the minority major, it’s difficult not to think ‘This program was designed for a different group of students.’” Despite some initial doubts, Banks quickly learned that she was right where she belonged.

On her first day of work, Banks looked through the bills that Saldaña was sponsoring. The first bill she saw called for increased healthcare benefits for Washington residents from the Marshall Islands, the Federation of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Banks served as a student missionary in Palau three years ago, and two of her former students now live in Washington state, making this a very personal topic. “I had this moment where I just froze. … I thought, ‘There’s no way that I’m coming into this new office and the first thing I read is about Palau,’” Banks recalled. “How is it possible that I got matched with the one senator who prime sponsored a healthcare bill to protect Palauans?”

Banks (left) on the Washington state Senate floor beside Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, who she interned for during the state’s 2018 legislative session.

Settling in and standing out

In the weeks that followed, Banks made Saldaña’s office her home. Most days involved answering emails and phone calls, but, she added, “the flow of that can vary widely.” A day at a senator’s office might start out slow, but if a bill drops and constituents have questions, the staff goes into overdrive to do research and give informed responses. “You’ll come into work and you have no idea what you’re going to be an expert on by the end of the day.”

Aside from the daily office work, Banks sometimes paged on the Senate floor, allowing her to witness lawmaking up close. She was impressed by the passion of the state senators and noted that they restored her hope in government.

Throughout the term, Banks and the other interns also attended seminars and participated in mock committee and floor-debate exercises. The committee and floor-debate simulations offered each intern the chance to role-play and walk through the full, bipartisan legislative process. Everything that legislators do for real, the interns did for fake, Banks noted. But fake as it may have been, the issues discussed were serious. The interns did their part to come to each meeting prepared—especially Banks, who was elected co-chair for the Democratic Party caucus. In that role, Banks worked for more than two weeks to keep up the morale of about 40 peers as they debated on the Washington state House floor.

During the caucus exercise, Banks used her social work knowledge to analyze bills in a way that other students couldn’t. One of the most dense bills that the caucus debated dealt with issues regarding juvenile justice. “Even having minimal experience discussing topics like recidivism and reentry … made me one of the most informed people in the room,” Banks said. “Social work provided additional context when dealing with these issues, and my unique perspective made me better equipped to lead in conversations and problem-solving.”

Prior to the internship, Banks planned to take some time off after graduation to prepare for law school. Now that she’s seen the link between social work and lawmaking up close, she wants to pursue a master’s in social work first. Banks encourages other WWU students to take a risk and apply for the same internship next year. “It’s reaffirmed my passion and commitment to the social work field,” she said, “as well as motivated me further to go to law school with the goal of returning to policy reform.”

Looking at a career, Banks likes the prospect of bringing social work and law together in a policy counsel position, helping legislators make informed policy decisions related to the human services field. Nothing is set in stone though, and when it comes down to it, she just wants to be a part of the lawmaking process. “There’s so much to work on.”

This series highlights the internships of three Walla Walla University social work majors during the 2017-18 academic year. (Part one of three.)

Tags Feature, policy, Profile, Social Work, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU