December graduation is a young tradition that started in 1998. On Dec. 10, 814 students are expected to graduate from the University of Idaho with 841 degrees.
Each college had students who stood out as being exceptional or having gone above and beyond the average students’ goals.
Curtis James – College of Business
Curtis James came to UI for the College of Business, specifically the Integrated Business Curriculum (IBC) program. He soon discovered he would get much more than a program.
“The College of Business was a very unique experience,” James said. “I had the chance to learn tools and skills to transform into a business professional.”
In January, James will make a cross-country move to Atlanta, where he will work for Fast Enterprises configuring tax software.
James will graduate with degrees in information systems, marketing and operations management, which he said allowed him to gain real-world experience, especially the operations management courses, he can take to his job and the field.
He also said he found his future job through experiences in his courses.
“One of my IBC teammates signed with this company and said he loved the job, and that we were prepared from our (Information Systems) classes,” James said. “So I looked into the company, applied and then they flew me out to Denver and I was signed on the spot.”
Although James’ academic
experience helped him succeed in the future, he said building relationships and traditions is something everyone needs to do while in college.
“The thing I want to emphasize is how few people get to experience college,” James said. “So make the most of college.”
Virginia Solan – College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences
She may be non-traditional, but her enthusiasm is contagious.
Virginia Solan is 51 and graduating with a degree in sociology. She said she didn’t originally intend to attend college when she moved to Moscow years ago.
Solan was working as city editor for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, when an ethical conflict made her decide to quit and start working for Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse.
“When I was working in journalism, I would always volunteer part-time as a victim’s advocate,” Solan said. “Part of my job (with ATVP) was to work out of campus. I thought time was going to go by, so I might as well get a degree out of it.”
Solan said she dropped out of college as a freshman at 18, and slowly worked her way up in journalism, but not having a degree cost her jobs in the past.
“I had three occasions where I was up for a job I really wanted, and I would get through all the levels and when it would come down to a few people, they would decide on the other person,” Solan said.
Despite her past experiences, Solan said she tried hard to fit in at UI.
“I didn’t want to be one of those annoying older students,” Solan said. “I became hyperaware in a class setting of trying to fit in.”
However, Solan said she has had a wonderful time at UI, especially because of the faculty.
“There is an overall spirit of everyone really wanting to succeed,” Solan said. “If you are willing to put in the effort, then everyone is willing to work with you.”
After graduation, Solan said she’s not sure what she will do. Right now she works in the Women’s Center and runs a nationally syndicated feminist radio program.
She said she hopes to continue working with the Women’s Center, and might work on a few books she’s written and start freelancing again.
Frances Hall – College of Education
After spending a semester rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in Mississippi, completing student teaching, and planning a teaching trip to Samoa, Frances Hall said she hopes to end up as an elementary teacher.
“I just love all kids,” Hall said.
Hall will graduate Saturday with a degree in elementary education, and then move to Idaho Falls to teach sixth-grade for a semester before leaving for Samoa.
This is not the first time Hall has volunteered to help a community, or the even second.
“I did a spring break service trip providing hurricane relief for a week,” Hall said. “Then in the summer I was approached to spend a semester in Mississippi (providing hurricane relief).”
While providing physical and emotional support in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Hall earned internship credit and took online classes to stay on track for graduation.
“It was like studying abroad in the United States,” Hall said. “I got into the community and experienced what they had been through.”
Hall also served as president of the Student Foundation for a year. She said she spent her time there working with donors to the university, organizing the student gift and Thank-a-Thons.
Despite all Hall has experienced, she said joining Alpha Phi was one of the best decisions she ever made.
“It encouraged me to be a strong woman and be involved in the community and school,” Hall said.
Gordon Lemmel – College of Art and Architecture
Pulling just about every string that he could financially, Gordon Lemmel has been studying at UI for a total of five and a half years.
He will receive his master’s in landscape architecture with a graduate certificate in organizational dynamics.
“There was a two-year gap between my undergraduate and this graduate degree,” Lemmel said. “I originally graduated in 2008 and came back in 2010 for my master’s. I was a victim of the economy after graduating for the first time.”
Lemmel is technically an out-of-state student, but has been able to pay tuition as an in-state student with the help of a waiver from the athletics department for working in the video department.
He said he didn’t work very hard last year, but this semester he’s been working roughly 50 hours a week in athletics on top of three classes and completing his degree.
Because of the economic situation, Lemmel said he had to use unemployment to pay for school. This forced him to apply for three jobs every week.
“I was finally offered a position in Klamath Falls, Ore., as an environmental consultant so starting Jan. 30 I’ll be out there starting a new job.”
Lemmel said the most trying part of his college career was not having a lot of time to do everything.
“It’s just a matter of planning out your day — keeping time management skills just sharp. If you look at my schedule, I have every hour of every day scheduled and that’s exactly how it was,” Lemmel said. “Just use your time management skills as best as you can. I’m getting out of here in a year and a half and it’s supposed to be a two-year program.”
Scott Scroggie is graduating with three degrees in forestry sources, fire ecology and rangeland ecology.
Scroggie said he’s been at UI four and a half years. During that time he managed to fit in a study abroad trip to New Zealand.
He said procrastination has been the most difficult part of working toward his degrees.
“I’m a big procrastinator. I always get stuff done but I usually end up having to stress about it toward the end of assignments rather than getting them done ahead of time,” Scroggie said.
He said his next step is looking for jobs.
“I’ve already applied to 25 different jobs and I’m basically playing the waiting game just like everyone else is right now in this economy,” Scroggie said. “But hopefully I’ll find a job with the federal government or with tribal and state governments as well.”
Scroggie said the best part about his education has been making connections with professors and other students.
“Professors here — especially in my degree departments — have helped me. Just getting those connections has made things a world easier,” he said.
Scroggie said he had the most fun making friends at UI and hopes to keep those friends for the rest of his life.
Abby Nicholson – College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Averaging 18 credits every semester, Abby Nicholson came to UI as a transfer student from North Idaho College in 2009. She will graduate this December with a degree in family consumer science education.
She said the hardest part about being a student has been juggling 18 credits, staying healthy and doing all the things a person needs to do at the same time.
“Working with the hands-on classes — like the sewing and cooking classes — were really fun for me. That was easier than (economics) or the other tough classes I had to take,” Nicholson said.
She said the best part of her college career was receiving the opportunity to be an ambassador for CALS and getting to work with the staff.
An ambassador serves as a liaison between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, UI and high school students around the Northwest. Ambassadors are sent to high schools in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana to talk to students about furthering their education through UI and CALS.
“They got me through and I appreciate everything I got from getting to be an ambassador and the friends I made…the places I got to go,” she said.