Students from four Spokane middle schools recently visited Eastern Washington University for a day of hands-on science and career exploration.

About 40 students from Pauline Flett, Yasuhara, Shaw, and Glover middle schools participated in the May 6 event. The students, who are all part of Spokane Public Schools’ Native Education Program, transplanted plants at the seed garden, toured the Prairie Restoration Project, and stopped by the Science Building’s geographic information system (GIS) and scanning electron microscope labs.

“We’re teaching them about restoration ecology, GIS, and microscopy as a career path that they can follow if they are interested,” says Becky Brown, a professor of biology. “We are also teaching them about the native prairie communities that are here.”

The EWU Prairie Restoration Project, funded in part by EWU donors contributing to the Prairie Restoration Fund, was a top destination for the visitors. The campus visit was supported by a Faculty Supplemental Budget Grant to Professors Becky Brown, Carmen Nezat, and Stacy Warren, and staffed by about 20 EWU student volunteers, including education majors.

Ype Kingma, a 34-year-old junior biology student who works in the campus greenhouse, enjoyed sharing his knowledge of plants with the youth at the seed garden.

“If you can spark a little interest with anybody, that’s rewarding,” Kingma says. “These kids are smart. They have the potential to do anything they want.”

William Dennison, facilities manager and marketing coordinator for the Spokane Tribe of Indians’ Tribal Food Sovereignty site in Wellpinit, Washington, helps students learn about the historical importance of the land to his tribe.

Dennison notes that spending the day at Eastern encourages middle schoolers to realize they can pursue a university degree that aligns with tribal values regarding land, plants, history and language.

“When they first show up, they are not sure what to expect,” Dennison says. “Then, as time goes on, you just see at the end of the day they’ve got great big bright smiles. Some of them just learn so much before they leave.”

Dennison looks forward to continuing the relationship with EWU, saying, “This is just such a wonderful opportunity for the youth to be able to do this, learn, and tour the campus. Maybe one day, they might be future Eagles who want to come back.”

The experience left a positive impression on the visiting students, giving them a chance to connect with both nature and future opportunities.

Ezmae Houtchens, a seventh-grade student at Flett Middle School, enjoyed being outdoors and learning about nature. “I think it’s just really interesting. It helps us learn about the future in the ecosystem as a whole and what we can do to fix it over time,” Houtchens says.

Cartier Johnson, an eighth-grade student at Glover Middle School, already has Eastern on his list of potential colleges. He enjoys science, holds an interest in chemistry, and felt the visit brought him closer to nature.

“Honestly, I feel like I just like being outside,” Johnson says. “When you are out here long enough, you start to really appreciate the beauty of nature. Even if you know about a couple of plants, there are always thousands of plants out there that are going to be peeking out at you.”

The event proved mutually beneficial. Working with the middle schoolers provided EWU’s undergraduate and graduate students, some who are education majors and will work with young students as a career, with a valuable opportunity to connect with the public regarding science and ecological restoration.

“Our students are getting exposure to doing science outreach,” Professor Brown says. “Their students are getting exposure to being at a university and seeing different career paths.”

Nearly 15 years after leaving his increasingly dangerous hometown in Coalcomán, Michoacán, Mexico, Carlos Valdovinos is living his best life in Kirkland, Washington.

The 24-year-old, who earned a bachelor’s degree from EWU in 2022, has already established an ideal work-life balance as a dental hygienist working for Sammamish Family Dental.

“I feel like I have a really good life at work,” he says. “I also get to travel and spend time outdoors, which is what I like. And all that, I think, is thanks to the university and everyone that supported me.”

With fluency in both English and Spanish, this Eastern alumnus easily converses with Spanish-speaking clients and can interpret for the dentist when needed. His compassionate approach to care is a hit with clients of all ages, who request him as their hygienist.

“I feel like a lot of people want to be with me because I always focus on having the patient comfortable in the chair,” he says.

“I feel like I have a really good life at work,” he says. “I also get to travel and spend time outdoors, which is what I like. And all that, I think, is thanks to the university and everyone that supported me.”

With fluency in both English and Spanish, this Eastern alumnus easily converses with Spanish-speaking clients and can interpret for the dentist when needed. His compassionate approach to care is a hit with clients of all ages, who request him as their hygienist.

“I feel like a lot of people want to be with me because I always focus on having the patient comfortable in the chair,” he says.

“As soon as I saw what a dental hygienist does, and how big of an impact I could bring to a diverse patient population, I just fell in love with hygiene,” he said during an Eastern magazine interview back in 2022.

Valdovinos toured EWU and learned about the Department of Dental Hygiene. He liked the environment, diversity and overall positivity of the university — and Eastern’s admissions team connected him with door-opening scholarship support.

“I would have never been able to get my education if it had not been for the donors who helped me financially,” a grateful Valdovinos said at the time.

Eastern proved to be the perfect choice for the first-generation student, who had previously persevered through tough times.

Valdovinos immigrated to the United States at age 11, after his parents sent him to live with his older sister in Yakima. They made this heart-rending decision because cartel-instigated corruption, shakedowns, kidnappings and murders were becoming disturbingly common in his beautiful hometown.

“There was just violence all around us,” says Valdovinos, who recalls routinely seeing trucks loaded with men and guns coming down the road. His community, meanwhile, started experiencing multiple funerals for reasons people were afraid to talk about.

Throughout his four years at Eastern, news from home relayed the deaths and disappearances of friends and family members. He says he often felt like returning to Mexico to help.

Valdovinos credits Professor Lisa Bilich, and other dental hygiene faculty and staff, with helping him overcome such hardships to stay on track for graduation. He not only became the first in his family to earn a degree, but also inspired his younger sister to pursue her own path to college.

During an interview before Valdovinos’ graduation, Bilich said she was impressed with him from the beginning. As an English as a second language student, she said, he worked twice as hard as other students to master test-taking, while providing unwavering support for patients at the EWU clinic.

“He treats them with kindness and respect — every patient he has,” Bilich said, noting that he exemplified the importance of EWU’s holistic admissions.

While attending EWU, Valdovinos became friends with another dental hygiene student, Enrique Terán ’22. After graduating, the newly minted alumni moved to the Seattle-area to share housing expenses and get a jump-start on their careers. Terán is experiencing his own success doing hygiene and restorative work for a general dentistry clinic in Kirkland.

As a thriving professional, Valdovinos has earned certifications in laser treatment and saliva testing while temping on some of his days off at other clinics, where he practices restorative work. Eastern’s promise of opportunity was life-changing for him.

“I’m super happy that I chose dental hygiene at Eastern as a career path and university, because it was the perfect set to my career,” he says. “It allowed me to explore the career I wanted and be prepared for it.”

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