News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 22, 2009

Local students named Outstanding Graduates at WWU

Six Whatcom County students were among those named Outstanding Graduates for 2008-2009 at Western Washington University. Faculty members from each academic department select one graduate to honor. Local winners are:

Heather Davidson of Bellingham, in communications. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree with a 4.0 gpa. A co-founder of the Bellingham Roller Betties, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree at Western in education.

Leslie Umberger of Bellingham, in Canadian American studies. A single mother of two, she is finishing her degree this summer despite being diagnosed with breast cancer her first week of studies. Umberger works as a paraeducator and French teacher at Options High School.

Tish Watson of Bellingham, in communication sciences and disorders. Watson helped organize an auction that raised more than $8,000 for scholarships for the department clinic’s speech, language and hearing clients. She plans to pursue a master’s degree at Western and become a speech language pathologist.

Michael Taron of Everson, in computer science. He completed internships at Boeing Co. and Microsoft, where he has accepted as full-time job as a software development engineer. Taron skipped high school and went straight into Running Start after eighth grade.

Kalene Barry of Ferndale, in modern and classical languages. A German major, she plans to work toward ensuring all Bellingham residents have food and shelter.

Eric Fecht of Lynden, in history. He plans to teach at an elementary school in Baltimore as a member of Teach for America while pursuing a master’s degree at John Hopkins University. While at Western, he tutored students at the county’s juvenile rehabilitation center, and worked as a classroom tutor and teachers’ aide at Meridian Middle School.

Paula Berg of Bellingham was one of seven Western Washington University graduates recently honored as Presidential Scholars. The award honors honor top students in seven colleges.

Berg earned a bachelor’s degree in management with a 3.93 gpa. She is a Management Department Scholarship recipient and has been on the WWU President’s List. She volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters Northwest, Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, Happy Valley Elementary School, Ridgemont Neighborhood, Sustainable Connections, and the Mother Baby Center.

Mikaela Larson a Lynden Christian High School student, is among 18 youths from the U.S. distributing shoe box gifts to the San Blas Islands of Panama and helping paint and repair a community center in Panama. Larson has helped pack shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child with her mother for six years. The boxes contain school supplies, hygiene items and toys for needy children.

Bellingham Senior Activity Center has elected Dave Carleton, Patty Clifton, Doug Cox, John Dewing, Ingrid Dossa, Renie Hill, Bob Knodt, Helen Lesiuk and Don Wheeler to its new steering committee, now called the board of directors. Knodt was named chairman and Wheeler was named vice chairman.