-
1 of 10
-
2 of 10
-
3 of 10
-
4 of 10
-
5 of 10
-
6 of 10
-
7 of 10
-
8 of 10
-
9 of 10
-
10 of 10
Upcoming graduates reflect on BSU evolution
Archive
Comments
Story
As many students spend their last days grazing Boise State treasured memories and campus transformation are at the forefront of their graduating psyches. Here is a salute to what has been and will be for Boise State and a chosen few graduating students.
Rebecca Ahern
Age: 23
Material Science
Rebecca Ahern is an ambitious soon-to-be alumnus with goals that include jetting from Boise to work in the aerospace engineering industry. Her degree in material science, with a mechanical engineering emphasis, will provide one more qualification on her already impressive resume.
After graduating from Jerome High School in 2004, Ahern began her stint at Boise State. She feels that the many opportunities available at Boise State create a distinction between it and bigger schools. Through the College of Engineering, as well as her involvement in the music department, Ahern had the chance to travel around the country and network with individuals she wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. In order to maximize the benefits of the BSU experience, Ahern recommends getting involved on campus.
“Find something that interests you and take part in it,” she said. Ahern took part in student organizations such as Kappa Kappa Psi and Aerodesign.
Many changes have taken place since Ahern began her career as a Bronco. She noticed that the school and especially the College of Engineering have grown substantially in the last few years.
In half a decade, Ahern has proven herself to Boise State. As she now leaves to prove herself to the rest of the world, she will remember her stay at BSU with a smile.
Dan Isla
Age: 24
Electrical Engineering
After being homeschooled throughout high school and working at HP for three years, Dan Isla decided four years ago that engineering is his passion and chose to pursue these goals at Boise State University.
He took 19 credits a semester his first two years and summer courses, and now he can proudly say he is a member of the graduating class of 2009.
Isla has had some wonderful experiences at Boise State. He worked as an intern in a jet propulsion lab with NASA in California. Last semester he participated in a NASA microgravity project as a team leader in Houston.
Channel 7 did a special on the project, showing the students experimenting with lunar traction concepts with airplane parabolic flight profiles. This was the first Boise State team to join the Micro Gravity University on this project.
Isla said the thing that changed most during his time at Boise State was parking.
“Things haven’t changed much in the engineering section, but [as the Boise State football team grew in popularity] parking got a lot smaller,” Isla said.
After graduation, Isla has the prospect of a future career in the field of his dreams. He will soon leave Boise to work at NASA where he interned last summer.
“I’m very excited to be graduating and to have a job at NASA,” Isla said.
James Dolan
Age: 28
Mass Comm., Journalism
Due to a housing mishap, James Dolan, a third-year mass communication and journalism major from Grossmont College, found himself living in the Boise State University Suites with first-year students straight out of
high school.
“It’s hard to be living with people who are not on the same maturity level,” Dolan said. Suddenly he laughed; he may have fit in much better than he first claimed.
The close-knit community in the Communication Department helped Dolan stay connected with his peers he met in upper-division courses. Having spent three years here, Dolan has many memories to take with him upon graduation.
“I would have to say one of my favorite memories is playing for the BSU men’s rugby club, coming back this season after a major concussion and having a winning season.”
The upcoming graduate works for a local radio station but worries about the economic crisis. His hopes of landing a job in San Francisco to work in sports radio still remain. No matter what the outcome, Dolan sees graduation as a huge sigh of relief and a good accomplishment.
For future students, Dolan has a few words of wisdom.
“Advocate for your rights as a student, get involved and really try to push the university to have more student activities,” he said.
Scott Waterman
Age: 27
Marketing
While attending Boise State off and on since 2000, Scott Waterman reflects back on his experiences at BSU. The memories mostly involve the Broncos’ domination of the Vandals so many times. Besides watching the Broncos demolish the Vandals he witnessed many drastic changes in terms of construction on campus. The Student Union Building got a facelift and Waterman also saw new parking garages and the Interactive Learning Center go up. Along with all the physical changes he has seen, the rise in tuition prices has also taken a toll on him throughout the years.
On a more personal note, Waterman reflects on the one thing he would change about his time here at BSU.
“I wish I would have taken school more serious at the beginning so I didn’t have to work myself out of a hole,” he said.
As Waterman ventures out into the world beyond BSU, he leaves behind one last suggestion to his beloved Bronco student body.
“Every student should receive tickets to any Boise State game he or she wants,” Waterman said. “The student tickets should never sell out on the first day they go on sale.”
As for the remaining students still waiting for that day they can walk the line and receive their diplomas, Waterman leaves us a final piece of advice: “If it’s worth starting, it is definitely worth finishing."
COMPILED BY ARBITER STAFF
