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Andrea

Alumni Spotlight – Tina Francisco

October 30, 2020 By Andrea

Tina Francisco always knew that she wanted to help people.

It seemed like a natural fit to begin her studies at UP with a major in biology with the intention of one day becoming a doctor.  

Although Tina really enjoyed her biology classes, she began to discover two new passion: German Studies and sociology. She had grown up on Guam, the daughter of a Chamorro father and a German mother and beginning college and taking advantage of the depth and the breadth of the liberal arts allowed Tina the chance to explore her biracial identity. During her first year, Tina declared a major in German Studies. As she learned more about her identity through German studies, she was simultaneously beginning her journey with sociology, opening her eyes to new ways of seeing the world and putting words to things she had been thinking about like racism and inequality. She was beginning to make sense of her experiences as a biracial person. 

Tina’s blended cultural and ethnic identity made her eager to learn more about the experiences of marginalized people in Germany, motivating her to apply for an internship in the summer after her junior year with an organization called the Allerweltshaus in Cologne, Germany. As the only US-American volunteer on site, she worked with the staff to help aid a very diverse population of refugees and immigrants to Germany. She helped people new to Germany find practical solutions to everyday problems, like filling out a school application, as well as connecting them to resources such as courses in German as a second language and job listings. For Tina, this internship confirmed that she wants to continue to work with marginalized populations.  

After graduation in 2019, Tina was awarded a Fulbright grant to serve as an English teaching assistant at a school near Bonn in Germany. She was the only Pacific Islander among 140 English teaching assistants in Germany and spent a lot of time teaching her students and her colleagues about Guam. Though her year in Germany was cut short because of the Covid crisis, Tina had begun to bond especially well with the fifth-grade Turkish-German girls, who looked up to Tina with admiration, seeing in Tina, a German-speaking woman of color, something of themselves. 

Tina Francisco’s eagerness to learn more about who she is as a person and about her biracial identity ultimately led to an important detour during her studies. Through intellectually engaging coursework and hands-on, experiential learning, Tina has found her calling, and now, with a deeper understanding of her own unique identity and place in the world, she will pursue her passion working for marginalized and disenfranchised people. Tina plans to pursue a PhD in Sociology or will go to law school to advocate for the rights of indigenous people, especially those from the U.S. territories like herself. As Tina says: “It’s almost as if I’ve come full circle!” 

Tina at the Allerweltshaus, summer 2018, Cologne
Tina in Düsseldorf, Germany, fall 2019 during her Fulbright year
Tina with other recent UP alums, winter 2019, Cologne Christmas market

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Alumni Spotlight – Katie Norris

October 30, 2020 By Andrea

Katie Norris: “Everything I learned at UP … helped me find a path in life.”

After graduating from UP with a degree in biology and a double minor in neuroscience and chemistry, Katie was offered a job to work at OHSU as a clinical research assistant in the neurology department. The opportunity for this job was initially presented to her when she was working on her Honors thesis, with Dr. Van Hoomissen, about the neurological disease ALS.

When she was a first-year student at UP, Katie never would have dreamed of working in the medical field because she entered college as a mechanical engineering major. However, by having an open mind and taking every opportunity that came her way, she ended up in biology on the pre-med track.

She states that the support and opportunities she received from her professors in the College of Arts and Science helped her tremendously to achieve her goals throughout college. She is currently studying for the MCAT and states, “I strongly feel that all of the classes I have taken at UP have more than prepared me for this exam. I am planning on applying to medical school in May. I am so grateful for everything I learned at UP because it has helped me find a path in life that I am truly excited about.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Congratulations to CAS in #PilotsGive!

April 5, 2018 By Andrea

 

Congratulations to the College of Arts and Sciences, which placed second in total donors in #PilotsGive!  Thanks to your efforts, 128 donors made contributions to CAS, surpassing our minimum goal of 100 donors to unlock the $200,000 pledge from Kunal Nayyar!  Great job, everyone!  Together, we all add UP!

Filed Under: Alumni, Archives and Museum, Biology, CAS Dean, CAS Highlights, Catholic Studies, Chemistry, CISGO, Clark Library, Communication Studies, English, Environmental Science, Events, Faculty, From The BEACON, Garaventa Center, History, International Languages & Cultures, Internships, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Past Events, Pending Events, Performing and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Profiles, Psychological Sciences, Quick Notes, Slider, Social Justice Program, Social Work, Sociology, Sociology & Social Work, Speaking UP, Speech & Debate Union, Students, Study Abroad, Theology, Uncategorized, UP, UPBeat, Upcoming Events, UPN

Kunal Nayyar ‘03 Challenge Gift for Performing Arts

April 3, 2018 By Andrea

Kunal Nayyar ’03, star from the Big Bang Theory, has pledged to give $200,000 to support the Performing Arts Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Kunal hopes to inspire at least 100 donors to make a gift to any designation in the College of Arts and Sciences campaign. When this goal is reached, his gift will provide support for performing arts students and programs.

Join the challenge starting tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.!  On April 4-5 from noon to noon, the UP community will come together for our first ever day of giving:#PilotsGive. With nearly $400,000 in challenge funds available, University of Portland has an ambitious goal of securing 1000 donors in one day! #PilotsGive is OUR chance to make UP stronger. pilotsgive.up.edu Together we all add UP! 

Filed Under: Alumni, Archives and Museum, Biology, CAS Dean, CAS Highlights, Catholic Studies, Chemistry, CISGO, Clark Library, Communication Studies, English, Environmental Science, Events, Faculty, From The BEACON, Garaventa Center, History, International Languages & Cultures, Internships, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Past Events, Pending Events, Performing and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Profiles, Psychological Sciences, Quick Notes, Slider, Social Justice Program, Social Work, Sociology, Sociology & Social Work, Speaking UP, Speech & Debate Union, Students, Study Abroad, Theology, Uncategorized, UP, UPBeat, Upcoming Events, UPN

Kay Toran Award Nominations Due 2/26/18

February 22, 2018 By Andrea

Who Inspires You?

Call for Student Nominations

The Kay Toran Award for Service to the Community College of Arts and Sciences

[Read more…] about Kay Toran Award Nominations Due 2/26/18

Filed Under: Students

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10 Ways to Manage Stress & to Take Care of Yourself!

College is a lot of fun, but it can also be extremely stressful at times. Mackenzie (‘22, Mill Creek, WA), is a rising sophomore in CAS at UP, pursuing a degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry … [Read More...] about 10 Ways to Manage Stress & to Take Care of Yourself!

College on a Budget!

So you've moved away from home, and doing the whole "being independent" thing. Perhaps you go to the store by yourself for the first time, and you realize how expensive avocados are, and you wonder … [Read More...] about College on a Budget!

Self-Serve: The Basics

Self-serve is a system accessed through your UP portal that you will utilize often, and grow to love (hopefully, or maybe grow to strongly dislike...we’ll see 😉). But in all seriousness, self-serve is … [Read More...] about Self-Serve: The Basics

The College Essentials: Everything You’ll Find Beneficial here at UP!

Of course, everyone has their own personal items that they're going to bring to college with them because they can't live without them. Mackenzie ('22) has put together her list of things that she … [Read More...] about The College Essentials: Everything You’ll Find Beneficial here at UP!

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