As a first-generation student and single mom, Abi Jaimes (’25 MS Psych) is pursuing educational opportunities that others around her did not have. When she was given the chance to apply for a significant scholarship to study abroad, she knew she had to go for it.

Jaimes was a 2024 recipient of a Gilman International Scholarship, granted to students across the United States through a competitive selection process.

Created by the US Department of State in 2001, the Gilman International Scholarship Program provides students with opportunities to study abroad when their financial means are limited. These international experiences can involve various fields of study, emphasizing the development of knowledge and skills essential for economic prosperity and cultural diversity.

After learning about the Gilman program in one of her classes, Jaimes decided to apply, even though she felt she did not have a chance of being selected from among the thousands of fellow applicants.

When Jaimes found out she was a recipient, she was very surprised. “I could not believe it. Out of my cohort only I got it. It was so exciting to hear the news, and it completely changed my trip experience. There are no words that explain how amazing the news was.”

Soon after receiving the news, Jaimes departed for Seville, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal for five weeks among a cohort of fellow first-generation students. Aside from attending classes on food, culture, communication and global competence, the trip involved tours of significant attractions and presentations discussing local gastronomy, flamenco, avocado farming, olive oil production, and plastic pollution. In her spare time, Jaimes also visited Rome, Munich, Paris, and other cities, where she was exposed to a variety of cultures, languages, and people.

Upon returning from the trip, Jaimes reflected on her experience abroad and how it will impact her educational and personal life as she completes her master’s degree at ���سԹ�. She explained that she appreciated the kindness of local individuals, despite occasionally being treated differently for not speaking the same language.

“My view of the world changed a lot… I learned not to judge anyone at first glance. Always do research on the other person’s culture and listen. I am open to moving to a different part of the world to expand my experiences and views of the world.”

Studying to make a difference��

Jaimes originally became inspired to pursue a psychology degree while working as a medical assistant, when a patient helped her see the need for Spanish-speaking mental health care professionals.

“I was checking in a woman who felt ashamed for admitting that she had depression. I felt bad for her and convinced her that she was braver than many others I knew. That was when it hit me – I speak Spanish, I am female. I could help other women like her who do not know where to go due to the barriers. I want to make a difference.”

Making a difference also extends into her home, where Jaimes seeks to set an example for her children. Knowing that very few people around her have pursued higher education she said being a first-generation student has inspired and motivated her to show her children it is possible and a valuable experience.

“I have the opportunity to pursue an education that others did not have before me, and others after me now know that going to college is a possibility. I have two teenagers, and I want to be an example for them. I want to give my kids a better future.”

Reem Osman, (’24 BS Comp. Sci.) a Sudanese American, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, moved to the United States to pursue higher education. She had one goal: to make the most of her college experience. Through her involvement in numerous clubs, leadership roles, and as a student worker, she did just that while also blazing a trail for her two younger sisters.

Reem’s journey with Washington State University Tri-Cities began in 2018 when she moved, by herself, from Saudi Arabia to Richland, Washington to live with her uncle, Mohamed Osman, who at that time was a professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Once settled, she attended Richland High School and joined the Running Start program at ���سԹ� the following year, allowing her to take courses on campus and earn both high school and college credit.

Reem said her extroverted and adventurous spirit made it easy for her to be the first in her family to move to America on her own. Even still, living in Richland was a bit of a culture shock. She missed the presence of international students that she was accustomed to being around back home.

“At [Richland High School], most kids had grown up with each other and it was harder to make friends,” she said. As a Running Start student, she appreciated the mix of students at ���سԹ� and how easy it was to meet new people.

A change in course from nursing to computer science

Since she was a child, Reem has loved helping people and wanted to become a doctor. While in the Running Start program, she started out pursuing a nursing degree until she took a computer science class to try something different.

“I realized that biology required a lot of memorizations, which is not my strong suit, and as a visual, hands-on learner, I found that computer science was actually a better fit for me,” she recalled.

She also realized that working in computer science gave her the ability to not only solve problems but to go back and fix mistakes, which isn’t always possible in nursing. “Changing my major to computer science came as a shock to my family because my parents are primarily in the medical field and they all knew I wanted to be a nurse,” she said.

Connecting with the campus community

Her time at ���سԹ� was filled with more than classes, labs, and study sessions. Reem’s extra-curricular activities included her appointments as a founding member, president, and vice president of the Black Student Union; president of the Coding Cougs club, vice president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers student branch, and ���سԹ� TRIO Career Academy coordinator.

Reem’s involvement and excellence in academics earned her several awards, namely the WSU President’s awards for leadership and the Student Leader of the Year award in 2022; the Student Civic Leadership award in 2023; and the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Career in Leadership, the Women of Distinction student award and the Top Ten Senior for Campus Involvement award in 2024. In addition, she and her team won Best Capstone Project in the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering category and she has been on the President’s honor roll list since her freshman year. Each of these accomplishments have fulfilled her goal of making the most out of her time in college.

Following her lead

Ten months after Reem moved to Richland, she was joined by her mother and two younger sisters, Razan and Rawan. Her sisters are following the same educational path by enrolling in Running Start and continuing at ���سԹ�. Razan, a junior at ���سԹ� is studying civil engineering with an interest in how it intersects with the environment. Rawan, the youngest of the four sisters, will be a senior at Hanford High in the fall. Reem said having her sisters join her on campus was a full circle moment. “I loved seeing my sisters involved with me on campus; it felt like home knowing my true family was also there with me,” she said. “I didn’t think I would get to ever be in the same school as my youngest sister since she was 6 years younger but because of the Running Start program I got to see her around campus as a fellow student.”

A proactive mindset is the key to her success

Reem’s mindset has been instrumental in her journey in getting her to where she is today. She has learned the importance of being proactive in creating the change she wants to see, rather than relying on others to do it for her.

During her time at ���سԹ� Reem said she appreciated the community of students. “Here, everyone has the same goal – to get an education. Students are coming from all different places so there is a real sense of community here,” she said.

As a graduate in computer science and mathematics, Reem wants to pursue a career as a front-end developer, where she can leverage her technical expertise to enhance user experiences and meet client needs. She is currently an intern at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and is converting to a full-time employee and staying with the lab. As she progresses in her career, she aims to further develop her skills and serve as a mentor and leader for teams and projects.

By Angela Sams

By Lacey Desserault

A fellowship program is providing opportunities for computational engineering, math, and science students from across the Washington State University system to study and research in Sweden over a three-year span. Two students from ���سԹ� were selected as part of this year’s cohort and will depart at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester.����

The STARS.Se Program, or Student Training and Research Semester in Sweden, was formed out of a partnership between WSU and the US National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students initiative (IRES). The program allows students to become globally educated for international leadership in applied engineering and science computing. Selected students take classes and participate in research with advanced equipment at Linköping University (LiU) in Linköping, Sweden for one semester. The current research supports the international development of Boeing’s and Saab’s new T-7A Red Hawk training aircraft, designed as an advanced pilot training system for the US Air Force.��

�����سԹ� students Christian Penick and Scarlett Reagan will join five students from other WSU campuses to study in Sweden this fall.��

“I decided to apply for the program because I knew it would strengthen my academic portfolio and I would enjoy exploring Sweden,” said Penick. “I always hear about students travelling abroad or coming to the US as exchange students, so I feel like being a part of this exchange program rounds out my college experience. I look forward to using the supercomputers to speed computations and learning how to model physical systems with software.”����

The fellowship provides each student with $12,000, does not require them to pay tuition in Sweden, and allows each student to transfer credits back to WSU and graduate on time. The students from WSU will work collaboratively with students from LiU, who will also participate in an exchange semester at WSU.��

Prior participant testimonials expressed that this opportunity allowed them to travel the world and led them to making strong global engineering connections.����

“The overarching objective of the STARS program is to contribute to educating diverse internationally minded students for leadership in globalized multicultural societies,” said Joseph Iannelli, professor of mechanical engineering in the WSU School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “The program offers $12,000 fellowships to remove financial barriers for students who long for international experiences. Based on their compelling applications, these brilliant computer science students look forward to studying and conducting research overseas and will become excellent ambassadors for ���سԹ� in Sweden. Together with students from Vancouver and Pullman they will advance internationally the ideal of ‘One WSU’.”��

By Lacey Desserault

The road to a college degree is not always easy, especially for those who are the first in their family to pursue higher education. Tania Castellano, a senior at Washington State University Tri-Cities studying biology with a health science emphasis, is a Mexican American, first-generation student who is overcoming systemic barriers.

“I think what inspired me to pursue academia was the fact I wanted more for my life,” Castellano said. “I always dreamed of becoming a doctor as a little girl but as I grew older, I didn’t see physicians that looked like me. I knew that if I wanted more for my life and my family, I had to become educated. I also like to think that I’m inspiring the women in my family to break the generational mold.”

Being a first-generation full-time college student has its own unique challenges. For Castellano, who is also navigating being a mother, the challenges are even more unique. “First-generation students have a lot to prove because we aren’t just carrying our own academic success on our plate. We carry the weight and responsibility of being the first in our families to have the opportunity to follow our dreams. So many of us come from homes where sacrificing dreams in order to put food on the table and a roof over our heads is an expectation and cultural norm.”

She goes on to explain that there are significant pressures and duties in attending college as a first-generation student, which can sometimes extend into the classrooms. “We have the dreams and hopes of not only ourselves, but those of generations of our families poured into us, hoping that one day we would overcome, adapt, and bloom in spaces that weren’t originally ours to begin with,” she said.

Castellano knew that ���سԹ� would be a great fit to continue her education, as nearly 46% of all students on campus are first-generation. “I like to think ���سԹ� chose me. I was at CBC finishing some classes for my pre-med requirements and found out I was pregnant. I had to think, ‘should I try to push myself to move away from my support and family during such a sensitive period of my health in order to pursue the university experience?’ ���سԹ� gave me the opportunity to have it all. I could still go to a university with rich academic excellence and not sacrifice having my support so close to home,” she said.

National First-Generation Celebration Day on Nov. 8 recognizes and celebrates students who are the first in their families to attend college and raises awareness surrounding their experiences. ���سԹ� has many resources and support services that help students navigate the college environment and connect them to fellow first-generation students. TRIO is a federal outreach and student services program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Student clubs and organizations such as the Dreamer’s Club, SACNAS (Society for Advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) and the First-Gen Study Abroad program give students pathways to connect with educational opportunities and each other.

In addition to the support services and clubs, Castellano said inclusive faculty and courses have also been very helpful. “I have found support in my faculty as they have been accommodating to my individual needs as a first-gen student and mother,” Castellano said. “National first-gen day gives me a sense of pride and joy, as it’s a day to recognize other first-gen students and their amazing journeys to higher education. Although, we should celebrate these students every day as their work can only be summarized as extraordinary. We are capable of accomplishing our dreams. There is a power that comes from us taking up space and being exactly as we are.”

TRIO hosted a celebration event on Nov. 8 for first-generation students, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Floyd Atrium on campus. Click here for more information on ���سԹ�’ resources for first-generation students.

Taking part in local Juneteenth celebrations and commemorations can be as important to understanding the spirit of the holiday as learning about the history behind it.

It’s a message Razan and Reem Osman, sisters who attend ���سԹ�, want to share widely with members of the university community. Through their involvement in annual Juneteenth events held in the Tri-Cities, the pair originally from Sudan not only learned about the history and traditions associated with Juneteenth, but found a place within the tightknit local community.

“Juneteenth is a great opportunity for the WSU community to participate in events alongside members of the communities around our campuses,” Reem Osman said. “You can read about Juneteenth, but you don’t understand it until you feel it and are a part of it.”

In the days leading up to Juneteenth each year, the Tri-Cities community hosts several events ranging from roller skating events and fun days at Kurtzman Park to a Miss Juneteenth pageant. Festivities conclude on June 24^th��with a gospel celebration that recognizes the suffering that took place prior to the end of slavery in the United States.

Razan Osman is currently the Tri-Cities reigning Miss Juneteenth Queen. In order to earn that honor, she participated in classes on African American culture as well as institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, alongside her fellow contestants in the months leading up to the pageant. Contestants are judged most significantly on their responses to questions posed by judges as well as their talents, La’Quita Thornton, a member of the Miss Juneteenth��Scholarship Pageant committee, noted.

Participating in the pageant gave Razan Osman the opportunity to engage with black business owners and community members as well as cultivate the confidence to be more outgoing.

“When I talk to people in places where I’m usually the only black person in the room, I feel more confident thanks to my past experiences and can take the opportunity to tell people about myself,” Razan said.

Both Osmans have also been involved in the ���سԹ� Black Student Union, a club that Reem helped to establish and now leads as president. After graduating this coming spring, Reem hopes to be an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in her chosen field of computer science.

Kauser Gwaduri, student services coordinator for the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion at ���سԹ�, will be tabling at community Juneteenth events on behalf of the center. There, she and other WSU employees will be helping members of the community connect with WSU resources and explore opportunities for resume building and career development as well as sharing information about different ���سԹ� student groups.

While it was a significant step for Washington State and WSU to make Juneteenth an official holiday, the university needs to use it as a means of extending its land grant mission and be a genuine part of communities across the state.

“Our mission requires us to be practical, to be hands on, and so I would love and highly encourage our WSU community to find Juneteenth celebrations in their communities,” Gwaduri said. “Get perspectives on how valuable that experience of freedom is for communities, share in the joy of education, and support the university staying connected to our community by letting them know we are here for them and going to have open ears and continue to find ways to support them for our joint benefit as one Washington State.”

The Tri-Cities Juneteenth Community Council is organizing events throughout the month of June, with more information available on its��. WSU Global is planning a Juneteenth movie night on June 19 from 5-7 p.m. The campus will be screening “Daughters of the Dust” via Zoom and the event is open to all members of the WSU community. More information is available on the��.

By��RJ Wolcott,��WSU News & Media Relations

By Lori Nelson, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – KJ Galvan fell in love with computer science early.

Growing up,��she��was the go-to person��in her family��for computer help. In grade school, a��teacher��in Prosser��noticed Galvan’s troubleshooting skills and recruited her for a special��academic��program��where students provide��technical assistance to computer users. She helped provide technical solutions in the classroom and other areas. It helped show her that working with computers could be a viable career option.

“I still keep in touch with that teacher,” she said. “Big thanks to Mr. Smith and the Prosser School District.”��

When exploring her college options, Galvan knew she wanted to stay close to home, but attend an institution that would provide her with great opportunities to grow her knowledge and background in computer science. After attending Columbia Basin College for her first two years, she transferred to Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The small class sizes, she said, were preferable, and she liked the fact that through the small school setting she could easily get to know her instructors and fellow peers.

Additionally, Galvan said she particularly liked the quality of the courses in computer science at ���سԹ� and the professors were also great at connecting students with other opportunities, which helped her get connected with internships beyond her initial expectations.

Award-winning Coding Cougs leads to prestigious jobs

In her first year at ���سԹ�, Galvan became involved in the Coding��Cougs Club��at ���سԹ� where she now serves as the group’s career development��officer.

In their few-year history as a club, the student organization has gone on to win several top awards at hackathons where they competed against hundreds of participants.

Galvan said in addition to the real-world, practical experiences that she gains from the club, she also values the opportunity to mentor younger students. Helping her female peers, she said, is particularly rewarding, as computer science is typically male-dominated.

Galvan��recruited three other women, all new to computer science, to join her on a��team for��DubHacks,��a��hackathon��held at the University of Washington. At the competition last year, the group worked together to develop a solution for a real-world issue that pertains to women.

“We formed a team around a cool idea that we had for scanning hair products to see if they are good for curly hair,” she said.

The app they developed, Curl Code,��won first place in the “Best��use��of��Google Cloud”��category at the competition.

The win also put the women on the radar of Google. The judge, a Google employee, encouraged them to apply for summer internships. Galvan jumped at the opportunity. After an extensive interview and skill demonstration process, Galvan was offered an internship with Google. She completed the internship virtually this summer, due to COVID-19.

Local internships unique to Tri-Cities

Beyond her opportunities that connected her with Google, Galvan said one of the benefits about attending ���سԹ� is the local access to prestigious internships.

While attending ���سԹ� and before getting her internship at Google this summer, she��interned��at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory��for two years.��In her first summer internship, she helped with development of a website for a PNNL application.

“When I first started there, I knew nothing,” she said.��“I didn’t have any real–world experience and I was afraid I would fall flat on my��face,��but they’re��actually used��to that.��I learned a lot in that summer to be able to actually contribute.”

Her internship supervisors saw Galvan’s potential for additional growth and at the end of the summer,��they��suggested she continue during the school year.��After successful interviews for a year-round internship, Galvan was put on a team.��

Galvan said her time at PNNL was critical for building her skills in computer science, which served as a perfect mix with what she was learning in her courses.

“We��were��treated like a��full-time staff members��and we��were��doing the same tasks,” she said. “It��was��almost as if we��were��a junior developer just starting out. My team was awesome.��They would find opportunities for me, not only to practice my technical skills, but also my soft skills.”

During her internship at PNNL, Galvan��built confidence in the knowledge that she could do the job and be valued in it. It also led to confidence when working at Google.

“I was in the one of the first meetings at Google and I was on top of it,” she said. “One of the hosts said,��‘You can tell KJ has been doing internships for a while now.’��It just takes you to another level that stands out.”

Advice for fellow and prospective students

For those looking to be successful in computer science, Galvan said there are a few things that students can do throughout their college experience to help guarantee that success.

“Stay engaged in class. Talk during class, talk with the professors,” she said. “It’s important not to hide behind your laptop screen. Everyone else is struggling with the subject matter, too. It’s not just you who’s like, what is this?”

Galvan also advises students��to��join a community and stay connected, especially as classes are more likely to be distance-based in the current COVID pandemic.

“Maybe jump on a call with some of your classmates, talk about the material,” she said. “Don’t stay isolated because isolation is never good. Then you’ll have a struggle and then you’ll feel like it’s only you and you might give up.”

World-class faculty rooted in real-world work

While self-motivated, Galvan��credits the computer science��faculty��at ���سԹ���with preparing her for success. Nathan��Tenney,��PNNL scientist and��adjunct��faculty��in computer science, taught Galvan’s data structures class.

“He would discuss trade–offs about data structures and algorithms and he would provoke you and get everyone engaged and talking in class,” she said. “That’s huge because at companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, they expect you to do these technical interviews where you solve problems and you��have to��talk through what the trade-offs are. He implanted that all in my brain without me really noticing.”

She also values the resident faculty who��provide��formal and informal��opportunities for learning and networking.��She said Bob Lewis,��associate��professor of��computer��science, points out different conferences students could go to or just asks how students are doing.

”Dr. Lewis’ classes are known on campus for being challenging, but he does a great job teaching it,” she said. “He’s always available and he really loves the subject matter.”

In��Luis De La Torre’s��project-based class,��Galvan had the opportunity to start��developing the curly hair app��that helped land her internship��with Google, among an assortment of other hands-on activities.

Galvan said the fact that she learns from a mix of resident and adjunct faculty is a bonus.

“We have these adjuncts that have full-time jobs��and they��teach us��about��their work,”��she said, “We also have [resident] professors who have this really deep knowledge about the field in general.��We get to learn not just your normal coursework. You get to learn outside of class and really pick their brains.”

Galvan said��the support that students get��from the faculty encourages��students��to be involved.

“Coding Cougs��went to��DubHacks��and they did a tally and ���سԹ� had a huge turnout,” she said. “I don’t want to get into rivalries or anything, but computer science here is awesome.”

Interested in pursuing a degree in computer science from ���سԹ�? The application is open now. View more information at tricities.wsu.edu/computerscience. Apply at .