Family ties and academic pursuits: Parker Brocker-Knapp’s journey at PLU
Parker Brocker-Knapp ’23 grew up in Portland, but Puget Sound never seemed far—thanks to close family ties to PLU. We sat down with Brocker-Knapp to learn more about how this senior made the most of his time at PLU. How did you choose PLU? I…
Henri Coronado-Volta ’23 discusses his global studies major, studying away, and his plans to attend UW’s Public Health Epidemiology program
Henri Coronado-Volta grew up in Seattle, Washington, and chose PLU because the smaller school offered the opportunity to build community, a chance to continue swimming, and living close to home—but not too close. He double majored in global studies and Hispanic studies and minored in…
Emily Struck ’23 reflects on her time at PLU, captivated by chemistry and research
Emily Struck ’23 made the most of her chemistry major at PLU, conducting individualized research with professors and tutoring other students on campus. As she takes her next step in the fall pursuing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Purdue University, Struck reflects on her…
Tiffany Wong ‘23 discusses transferring to PLU, her experience as an RA, and her plans to become a Certified Nurse Anesthesiologist
PLU senior Tiffany Wong was drawn to study nursing after spending 10 years caring for her grandmother — a special woman who taught her about empathy and compassion. “My heart broke when she passed away this fall semester. There were numerous stories that she told…
Stephanie Aparicio Zambrano ’23 discusses her PLU experience, psychology major & internship with the Dean of Students Office
Once a major in communication, Stephanie Aparicio Zambrano ’23 found burgeoning success turning her advice-giving prowess into a future career path. Zambrano found her calling in working with college students as an intern in PLU’s Dean of Students Office. There, she learned the importance of…
Melanie Helle ’97 applies lessons learned at PLU to her work at Chief Leschi Schools
Melanie Helle ’97 walked into a new job in 2020, during the first year of the Covid pandemic. “That was my first year — the pandemic, virtual learning. I was learning on the job,” says the director of special services at Chief Leschi Schools, operated…
Uncomfortable Truths: Introduction to Holocaust and Genocide Studies class examines the past to change the future
“There is nothing comfortable about studying genocide,” Beth Griech-Polelle, a Pacific Lutheran University history professor and the Kurt Mayer Chair in Holocaust Studies, says. “It’s filthy, violent, degrading, and the worst of humanity.” Yet Griech-Polelle says the study and discussion of these atrocities are crucial…
Questioning Barriers: Angela Pierce-Ngo ’12 understands post-secondary success requires questions
While at PLU, Angela Pierce-Ngo ’12 was worried by a troubling pattern. After the first year of college, many peers and friends — especially classmates of color — left school or took an extremely long break. Even as she worked as a diversity advocate and…
Music and Medicine: Elizabeth Larios ’21 returns to Namibia to research infections and teach marimba
Elizabeth Larios ’21 decided she was going to be a neurosurgeon in the fourth grade. That’s when her class took a field trip to a science museum and Larios saw an exhibit about the human brain. Returning home that day, she told her mom: “I’m…
Nursing major sees value in studying and investing in health services
Parker Simpson ’24 is spending his summer working at an assisted living facility in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. He comes from a family of healthcare professionals and has always wanted to help people. We sat down with him to discuss his experience taking classes…
Innovating for Access: PLU lives out its mission by blazing new trails
He was working by age 8, picking cherries and apples under the Yakima Valley sun. In the spring he worked as a smudger. He’d sleep overnight in an orchard and when the alarms rang he’d sprint to light the smudge pots that warmed the trees…
Despite pandemic challenges, transfer student finds community at PLU
Monya-Dawn Wilson ’22 is a DJS Fellow and Rieke Scholar who came to PLU as a transfer student. Wilson is a Biology major, and dreams of becoming a pediatrician. “I’ve always liked science and learning,” said Wilson. “I like learning about the body, learning about…