By Emma Prophet

The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Noemi for October’s Student Spotlight. Noemi is a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major and McNair Scholar.

Noemi’s Journey Toward Justice

Growing up in Pasco, Washington, Noemi was surrounded by immigration stories often marked by hardship, uncertainty, and a lack of access to the legal resources many people desperately needed. Witnessing these realities firsthand planted the seeds for their passion: to pursue law and provide no-cost legal services to communities like their own. Now an Interdisciplinary Studies major and McNair Scholar set to graduate Spring 2026, Noemi plans to eventually attend law school and pursue the nonprofit side of law. Their drive is rooted in equality and service. “I noticed that people don’t have necessary legal information, especially in my hometown,” they shared.

“I want to make a difference by helping those who can’t otherwise afford legal services.”

The McNair Scholars Program has been instrumental in Noemi’s journey, offering both academic and personal support as they pursued opportunities to grow as a student and future professional. Noemi participated in a National Science Foundation collaborative research internship this past summer with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of New Mexico (UNM), studying issues at the US/Mexico border. Their research sharpened their interviewing and listening skills, and it also reaffirmed their commitment to advocacy. Just as importantly, they noticed how kindness and compassion amplified the impact of their work.

“Being a McNair scholar has been an amazing opportunity that has propelled me to pursue my beliefs and career goals,” they reflected.

Noemi attended the Imagining America conference in Lac Cruces, New Mexico earlier in October, participating in three presentations. One was with her summer project team from UTEP and UNM, titled “Re-imagining transborder passages: Lessons from Community-Based Participatory Research in the Paso del Norte region.” They received funding support to attend, participate, and present their research from the following areas: McNair Scholars, Interdisciplinary Studies, CPP Dean’s Office, and the Provost’s Office.

When asked what advice they would give others considering this path Noemi emphasizes persistence and curiosity. “Don’t be scared to be revolutionary. Like Assata Shakur said: “A wall is just a wall and it can be broken down.” Additionally, Noemi advises those around them to ask for help and seek out their resources. They recognized staff members across campus who had an impact on them during their time at EWU including Naite Boham (Pride Center), Romeal Watson (Career Center), and Vanessa Delgado (Multicultural Center).

Noemi’s perspective, they note, is shaped not only by hope but also by exposure to the difficult realities immigrants face in the legal system. During their studies and research project, they observed how dehumanizing courtroom procedures can be. Immigrants were shackled on multiple parts of their bodies, treated as though their humanity didn’t matter. “The setup of the room was belittling,” they explained. “They looked very tired and defeated.” These observations deepened Noemi’s commitment to become an immigration attorney who works with compassion and respect.

Looking ahead, Noemi envisions taking a couple of gap years after graduation to focus on preparing for the LSAT exam, learning different languages, focusing on art, and continuing with community impact work. Their ultimate goal is to attend law school and pursue a career as an immigration attorney, continuing to advocate for their community and provide accessible, free legal services. For Noemi, laws are not the ultimate measure of morality. As they put it, “We have a lot of the rights we have today because of people who broke the rules and protested.” With that spirit, and the foundation built as a McNair Scholar, Noemi is determined to continue pushing forward, breaking down walls, and working toward a future where justice is accessible to all.

By Brynne Irish

The College of Professional Programs is excited to congratulate Kimarie Fox on her acceptance to the X-Culture Global Business Week Conference!

Kimarie is a senior at Eastern Washington University, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Workforce Management and is now expected to graduate in June 2025. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Kimarie moved to Spokane when she was 14 years old.

In Winter Quarter 2025, Kimarie took the IBUS 470 International Business course with Professor Abrahim Soleimani, and had the opportunity to participate in an X-Culture Project. She explained how this project teaches students how to work with people from other countries to create a professional report helping a company with an issue or to improve in some way. Kimarie mentioned that she was in a group with the following international students: Lauren from North Carolina, Shashank from India, Vicky from Hong Kong (studies in Canada), and Emilien from France.

Kimarie expressed how she enjoyed meeting new people from different countries, but that they did experience struggles working on this project in coordinating Zoom meetings because of all of the different time zones. However, she shared that they made it work and still managed to write an outstanding report. Kimarie took on a leadership role in her group, and she ended the project with a high peer evaluation score. This led her to being invited to apply to the X-Culture Global Business Week Conference in Vaasa, Finland.

I decided to apply even though I might not be able to afford it, because the invitation itself would be a great accomplishment to share with future employers.

The X-Culture website describes the X-Culture Global Business Week (Global Symposium) as an event that brings participants together from across the globe, chosen from the best of the best. Students from around the world from international teams that meet initially online and finally in person, to finalize their work in solving a real business problem. The selection process is competitive, with a limit of 150 students. Preferences are dependent on student applicants who have demonstrated excellence in past X-Culture programs, with consideration given to maximizing geographic and cultural diversity.

Kimarie’s X-Culture team chose the company Vivavoce, which is a medical clinic in Italy that specializes in speech therapy, other vocal cord related treatments, and rehabilitation. Their goal was to expand their services to other markets in different countries and once they analyzed those markets, they ended up recommending Japan. Kimarie credits Professor Abrahim Soleimani as being very helpful in assisting her group through any questions, feedback, or concerns they had.

Professor Soleimani had a Zoom call meeting with me, assisting me with any edits I should make, which I then relayed to my team. I could not have done it without his help.

After completing and mastering this class project, Kimarie was encouraged to apply to the X-Culture Global Business Week Conference in Vaasa Finland, and she was accepted! She states that, “This achievement means so much to me because it feels like my hard work was worth it. I was so excited when I found out and wanted to tell everyone I know.” This accomplishment additionally led Kimarie to start thinking more about if International Business is something she would enjoy pursuing in the future.

I really challenged myself with this project because of the leadership role I took on. I am normally not much of a leader, but I wanted to show myself that I am capable so that I can advocate for myself in my future career that I am leadership material, and that paid off as well.

For anyone else who may be interested in the X-Culture Project, Kimarie advises those students to step out of their comfort zone. She states, “while you can’t force anyone in your group to work hard, you control how hard you work and that matters.” She also recommends holding yourself and others accountable because it is important to make sure you finish the project with an end result you are proud of. She added that “this project is unique and so helpful for people that want to pursue International Business, it is worth participating in.”

Lastly, Kimarie added that she loves the Interdisciplinary Studies program because she is continuing to gain knowledge in multiple subject areas, which has allowed her more flexibility when job searching. Her long-term goal is to start a career and eventually be able to buy her own home.

The College of Professional Programs is thrilled to recognize and honor Kimarie Fox for her accomplishments and acceptance to the 2025 X-Culture Global Business Week Conference in Vaasa, Finland.

By Brynne Irish

The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Ryan Finner for March’s Student Spotlight. Ryan is a junior in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. 

Ryan is in his junior year here at EWU, he is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Sociocultural Anthropology and minoring in Africana Studies. He plans to receive his Bachelor’s degree in June of 2026. Ryan is also a student council member in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion where he shows his dedication to fostering inclusive environments for marginalized communities.

After growing up in Ontario, California, Ryan and his family moved to the Spokane area when he was 11-12 years old. He attended middle school and high school locally which is where he then got the chance to attend EWU as a Running Start student. Ryan decided to continue his studies here because he had found his community and felt engaged in the environment here at EWU. One of the reasons Ryan was interested in the Interdisciplinary Studies program is because of the flexibility it gives him. He expressed that since he is a person who has multiple different interests, this program allows him to combine all his interests into a degree that will help him in the future since he will have multiple skills from different disciplines.

Through his experience at EWU so far, Ryan shared that he has had multiple great mentors at Eastern.

Thanks to Dr. Okera Nsombi (Africana Studies Department) and Cori Jaeger (McNair Student Advisor) I have been able to get where I am. They have encouraged me every step of the way to authentically myself and to put my all into everything I do.

One challenge that Ryan faced during his journey was finding a community that he felt truly a part of. When he first became a college student here, he was trying out several different ways to find his community here at EWU. After so long, he thought about giving up, however, Ryan did overcome the feeling of not being a part of a community by being a part of multiple.

Getting the opportunity to be a part of multiple different communities and organizations has truly helped me develop a diverse lens and perspective on the things I do every day.

Now, Ryan’s greatest accomplishment is being able to become a McNair Scholar here at Eastern Washington University. This is the federally-funded TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program at EWU. For Ryan’s McNair research, he will be focusing on how bilingual and multilingual undergraduate students are navigating their academic spaces. His research interests also include multicultural identity, cultural interpretation, environmental justice, and linguistic variations across cultures.

Something Ryan shared that he has learned during his program is to take advantage of the opportunities of experiential learning.

Having the opportunity to participate in experiential learning is extremely important and allows you to test out different professional and/or academic fields.

Ryan believes this will apply to his professional future as he already has knowledge and skills in the field he is going into, which is Sociocultural Anthropology and higher education. Additionally, he has done internships, seminars, and been a teaching assistant, which have helped him become more passionate about using research and teaching to make a meaningful impact.

His advice for others interested in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program is to consider your future goals and interests and ask yourself “what do you hope to do with this degree?” Ryan said that once you figure that out then consider if having multiple skills from different disciplines could be helpful as a working professional.

Ryan also recommends becoming a part of Psi Chi to those who are a psychology major/minor or just interested in psychology. He emphasized that It will definitely help in your studies and allow you to make connections with others in the field. Another place Ryan encourages other students to check out is the JLR Multicultural Center in the PUB. “Everyone there is extremely welcoming, and it is a fun spot to hang out or relax.”

Lastly, 5 years from now Ryan sees himself two years away from completing his Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology and being a part-time professor while doing his studies!

The College of Professional Programs is pleased to acknowledge Ryan Finner for his achievements, aspirations, and efforts as CPPs March Student Spotlight!

Do you have five years of professional experience, but missed the opportunity to complete a degree? Have some college credit, but didn’t graduate?

EWU’s Bachelor of Arts degree with Prior Learning allows you to transform your professional experiences into college credit through portfolio development and a personally tailored 60-credit, upper-division emphasis meeting your specific goals and objectives in an affordable, online or in-person format.

EWU’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ITDS), within the College of Professional Programs, offers alternatives for students seeking broad educational backgrounds relevant to a variety of careers. Whether students pursue the Interdisciplinary Studies BA, the Liberal Arts BA, or the Prior Learning Option BA, ITDS allows alternative pathways to degree completion through course selection, degree focus, and credit through career experience. Have prior college credits without a degree? Put those credits to work! The research skills and creativity honed through our programs are beneficial in preparation for a career, career growth, or graduate studies, including fine arts, writing, or law.

Visit the ITDS website for more information on program degrees, coursework, and opportunities.