Past Student Spotlights

The GradWell Connect newsletter highlights graduate students and their accomplishments! Here are the past students from 2023-2024.

If you would like to be featured, or nominate someone else to be featured, in an upcoming issue of our GradWell Newsletter, please fill out the: Student Spotlight Survey

Spring 2024

January 2024

Brittany Aller

Brittany is currently working towards her Masters of Social Work. Brittany was inspired to pursue her degree by her mother. Her mom received a license in Social Work, which led Brittany to see all the good her mom was able to do with the individuals she worked with. Brittany’s mom worked to build healthy relationships with many children and adults that had never experienced stability in their lives. Additionally, she watched her mother support many individuals in their academic, occupational, and personal endeavors. Brittany wants to work with vulnerable populations, such as children or people with disabilities, and be a source of support and care for them and their loved ones. As a busy graduate student, Brittany enjoys baking with her daughter, going on walks with her husband, listening to True Crime podcasts, and taking naps.

Brittany ultimately wants to work with children in the public school system by helping them enhance their confidence, emotional regulation skills, and social emotional well-being. She would like to incorporate mindfulness into their daily learning environment, so they can feel grounded and supported while achieving their academic goals.

“Boise State University has been such a highlight in my life”, states Brittany.

She admits that grad school has not been easy but BSU has made it an incredible experience where I have met lifelong friends and received great mentorship from my professors along the way. Brittany is graduating this spring and is expecting a baby, due in July 2024, so she wants to balance a growing family, find a career in her local school district, and work toward her license in social work.

Congratulations Brittany!

January 2024

Cheyenne Lillis

Cheyenne is working on receiving her Master of Athletic Training. She was inspired to pursue this degree after meeting with a preceptor who introduced to the field of Athletic Training. She was always interested in emergency medicine and rehabilitation, so the field of Athletic Training combines both of her interests. Cheyenne likes to make time for her own personal wellness by taking study breaks and setting time limits so that she doesn’t overwhelm or overload herself; this strategy allows her to retain the material she is studying better. Cheyenne also likes to go on runs and be physically active. She also believes it is important to try to maintain a healthy diet because it positively supports her overall wellness.

Cheyenne has thoroughly enjoyed her experiences and internships within the Athletic Training setting. She is very passionate about every aspect of the field, which ultimately inspired her to pursue this degree.

“If you love what you do and do what you love, you won’t work a day in your life” says Cheyenne.

After graduation, Cheyenne plans to have her MAT and pass the BOC exam. Her goal is to work with athletes in either football or motorsports. She really wants to provide an elite level of care to athletes within a variety of areas including emergency care, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. She hopes to begin working with high school athletics and then eventually, work towards a professional sports environment. She eventually wants to pursue a doctorate, so that she can increase her quality of care and utilize a larger library of trained techniques.

If you want to add Cheyenne to your network, connect with Cheyenne on LinkedIn.

February 2024

Kate Benfield

Kate is a graduate student obtaining her Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering. She has always been interested in the medical field. When she was younger, she was interested in orthopedic surgery, thanks to Grey’s Anatomy. However, at the age of twelve, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and was tethered to an insulin pump. Kate recalls being fascinated by the medical device and was curious about how it worked. She was interested in how she could make it better in order to help make people living with T1D’s lives easier. This is what made her interested in pursuing engineering, in general. She chose biomedical engineering because it tied in her love of the medical field. Moreover, as a busy graduate student, Kate makes time for her wellness by physically scheduling time for herself. She enjoys going outside in her front yard and feeding the squirrels peanuts with her partner.

Kate’s career goals consist of working in Research and Development (R&D) for a medical device or health related company. She enjoys the research side of R&D, such as investigating material performance. She has recently become interested in Forensic Biomedical Engineering; she credits her interest in the field to her love of True Crime Podcasts.

“I always say that earning a PhD is my Everest – it’s challenging, it will beat me down, it’s going to take my blood, sweat, and tears…but…I will make it to the top and it will be my greatest accomplishment”, states Kate.

Kate is very proud of the work she has done to get to the place she is at in her academic journey. She even has two first-author peer reviewed published articles. Kate plans on graduating with her PhD in Spring of 2025. After graduating she plans on taking a few weeks off before she enters the workforce.

If you want to add Kate to your network, connect with Kate on LinkedIn.

February 2024

Sierra Santosuosso

Sierra is a graduate student attaining her Masters of Biology. She was inspired to pursue her degree due to her love of animals and nature; they have always brought her joy and peace. She believes that the earth is beautiful, and there are so many lessons to learn from the natural world around us. Sierra’s feelings of connectedness to nature inspire her not only to work at conserving it for future generations, but for fostering an attitude of love and appreciation for the planet and all of its life. As a busy graduate student, Sierra makes time for her wellness through traveling because she has a desire to see as much of the world as possible. When she is not traveling, she enjoys spending time with her friends, going to concerts, working out at the gym and walking the greenbelt. Through staying active and being outside, Sierra notices it makes a significant difference in improving her mental health.

Sierra wants to work in an organization where she can apply her passion, skills and attitude to make a difference.

“It is important to me to have a job that offers variety (working in the field or in the lab, collaboratively or independently), and that allows me to constantly learn, grow, and engage with the community that I am a part of”, states Sierra.

After graduation, Sierra hopes to work as an agronomist for Simplot, or have a role in ecological surveying and research within a government organization. She is very excited to find a full-time, permanent position to really get her career started.

If you want to add Sierra to your network, connect with Sierra on LinkedIn.

March 2024

Jun Park

Jun Park is a graduate student obtaining his Masters in Business Administration. He was inspired to pursue this degree by his mentor. Jun’s mentor helped him realize that he needs more knowledge and skills in order to achieve his goals and dreams. Jun admits he had a hard time finding an employer and organization who is willing to sponsor him after graduation. These experiences all humbled him and made him reconsider the real business world, leading him to pursue a master’s degree. As a busy graduate student, Jun finds that he doesn’t have too much free time, but when he does he tries to separate his personal and school life. Jun enjoys being active, and likes to hike around the Treasure Valley, or greenbelt, with his dog. He also likes to go to the gym regularly. After he got into the master program, cooking became another hobby that helps him unwind, so he tries to cook as much as he can.

Jun has been very involved in Boise State. He is currently a Graduate Recruiting Assistant for the Graduate College and has also been an orientation leader and peer advisor.

“As an international student, I have gained a huge perspective and knowledge of both domestic students and international students’ needs throughout my years at Boise State”, said Jun.

Jun’s ultimate career goal is to become a leader who is trustworthy, reliable, and genuine to the team and community. Currently, he is working on getting a summer internship from a big corporation. Jun plans on graduating in Spring 2025. After graduation, he plans on staying here in the Treasure Valley area to get started on his professional career.

If you want to add Jun to your network, connect with Jun on LinkedIn.

March 2024

Jet Taylor

Jet Taylor is obtaining her Masters of Science in Kinesiology. She has spent a majority of her life surrounded by athletics; she even participated on Boise State’s varsity volleyball team last year. During her time as an undergraduate, Jet sparked an interest in research. She continues to have a passion for research and loves learning. As a busy graduate student, some ways that Jet makes time for her wellness is through dedicating time in her schedule to running, even when she is busy. This is very important to Jet because running also allows her some “me time”.

Jet is from a small town called Rigby, Idaho. She grew up playing sports, and eventually attended Eastern Oregon University (EOU) for her undergrad on a volleyball scholarship. During her time there, she fell in love with kinesiology because it piqued her interest in the human body, and her love of sports. After graduating from EOU, Jet transferred to Boise State to play on the volleyball team for her extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. While at Boise State, Jet got involved in research opportunities. She is currently a research assistant in the Skill Acquisition Psychophysiology (SAP) Lab working under Dr. Mariane Bacelar.

“What I love most about my position is the opportunity to learn so much about brain activity through using EEG, as it is something totally new to me and is a fun challenge. I also love working with my lab team and learning from all of them since they are all so smart” stated Jet.

Jet has plans to graduate in Spring 2025. After graduation, Jet wants to continue being involved in research and education. She plans on pursuing her PhD, and ultimately her dream would be to teach at the university level and have a lab to conduct research in, specifically in her current area of research, psychophysiology.

April 2024

Alyssa Farrell

Alyssa is working toward obtaining her Masters in CORe (Cyber Operations and Resilience). She was inspired to pursue her degree by her high school teachers. They were very encouraging towards her pursuing her passions, which resulted in her finding cybersecurity. As a busy graduate student, Alyssa makes time for her wellness by making time for the gym and social activities. She tries to go to the gym every other day, while also making time to participate in social activities on the weekend.

Alyssa is grateful for finding Boise State’s online program because it accelerated her knowledge and helped her learn more than she would have on her own, and on her own time too!

“I definitely recommend Boise State Online for those that are able! Not only is it affordable, I feel the professors are beyond understanding of life outside of the computer/school”, she states.

Ultimately, Alyssa’s career goals are to transition into a cybersecurity field. She plans on graduating in May of 2024 and intends on making a trip out to Boise for graduation. After graduation, she is planning on looking for jobs in the cybersecurity realm so that she can use her CORe Masters degree, as well as her computer science bachelors.

If you want to add Alyssa to your network, connect with Alyssa on LinkedIn.

April 2024

Austin Thompson

Austin is a graduate student obtaining his Masters in Counseling, with an emphasis on addiction. He was inspired to pursue this degree because he has a passion for helping people through their toughest moments. He wanted a career where he felt like he was contributing to creating a positive impact on the world. As a busy graduate student, Austin makes time for his wellness by utilizing his time management skills. He likes to stay on top of his assignments during the week so he can spend his weekends with his friends and family; enjoying his hobbies helps him recharge.

Austin is also a Graduate Recruiting Assistant for the Graduate College. He enjoys his GA position because it allows him to connect with students from all different types of academic backgrounds. He gets to have conversations that encourage students to explore their interest in a graduate degree.

“I am passionate about developing and expanding resources for prospective students, and connecting with students interested in furthering their academic careers” states Austin.

Moreover, Austin has experience in working in community mental health and has also taught abroad in Spain. Ultimately, Austin’s career goals include working for mental health agencies in the Treasure Valley area and someday opening his own private practice. Austin plans on graduating in Spring of 2026. After graduation, he plans to enter the counseling field and start building his competencies as a counselor.

May 2024

Amber Lowrey

Amber Lowrey is a graduate student receiving her Master’s of Social Work and is a part of the online program. She was inspired to pursue a degree in social work because she had the privilege of working with so many talented, dedicated, and exemplary social workers at her placement in a hospital. Amber acknowledged that seeing their passion and work inspired her to continue further with her education. As a busy graduate student, Amber makes time for her wellness by carving out space and time for herself. When she is not working or doing schoolwork, you can find Amber usually camping, kayaking, crocheting, or listening to podcasts.

Amber has many things she hopes to do with her social work career. Currently, some of her career goals include working with adolescents at an alternative high school, juveniles within the court system, or continuing to further her career at the state psychiatric hospital she currently works at. Amber loves the social work field because of how broad it is and how it allows for so many career opportunities.

As Amber reflects on her experience as a Boise State student, a part of an online program, she is very grateful.

“I feel very fortunate for this experience. I didn’t expect to feel so connected to my classmates during an online program and I have been so lucky to develop such lasting friendships – special shout out to Karla and Alicia for being such wonderful friends!” states Amber.

Amber plans on graduating in December of 2024. After graduation her first priority is to get some sleep, and then she is hoping to plan a relaxing vacation with her husband!

May 2024

Ivane Helias

Ivane Helias is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Leadership and Global Education. Her aspiration is to secure a role in the field of international education, potentially as an international educational liaison, helping students in finding a community that enhances their sense of belonging. Despite her demanding schedule as a graduate student, Ivane prioritizes her wellness by dedicating one day a week solely to activities she enjoys, such as cooking, playing the piano, golfing, outdoor activities, or Netflix.

Inspired by her own experiences as an international student, Ivane is driven to assist others facing similar challenges. She believes an interdisciplinary approach, blending courses in leadership, education, and sociology, equips her to effectively navigate the complexities of international education and support systems.

Currently, Ivane is creating a podcast to shed light on the challenges faced by international students, aiming to foster cultural understanding and advocate for their needs within the Boise State community.

“As an international student, I am aware of how the challenges they face can impact their engagement in class, inclusion in the community, and relations with peers and professors. I aim to identify and advocate for these challenges and promote cultural competency at Boise State” states Ivane

Ivane is graduating this May and is currently looking for a job in international education, study abroad companies, or general higher education in administration. Ivane is very grateful for all the people that supported her throughout her journey at Boise State and wants to give a special thanks to her Boise mom, Pam. Being far from home, she is looking forward to celebrating her graduation with her father and best friend who will be traveling from France. They will all celebrate this milestone by embarking on a memorable road trip through Oregon and Northern California.

Congratulations to Ivane as she graduates this spring!

Go check out her Podcast VENTURING VOICES and hear the different experiences of our international students on campus: Podcast Series

If you would like to add Ivane to your network, connect with Ivane on LinkedIn

Spring/Fall 2023

April 2023

Esperansa Gomez

Esperansa Gomez is a part of the Education in Educational Leadership graduate program. She is a first-generation, limited-income, woman of color within higher education. She is the first one in her family to have earned a bachelor’s degree, soon to be master’s degree, and eventually a doctoral degree. Esperansa currently works with the TRIO Rising Scholars program at Boise State. TRIO serves students that are first-generation, limited-income, and/or students with a documented disability. She has been a TRIO student throughout high school and college, so she is very proud to be giving back to a program that had a great impact on her life. Outside of the classroom, Esperansa is an advocate for self-care. A way she participates in proactive self care and wellness is through having bi-weekly counseling sessions to discuss stressors and practice developing healthy coping skills. Esperansa also loves spending time with her partner, taking her dogs on walks, listening to music, and socializing with loved ones through food, games, and movies. “Due to identities I hold, I have had stereotypes placed upon me and have had my lived experiences invalidated. As hurtful as those experiences were, they motivated me to put in work and ensure I leave higher education better than how I found it”, Esperansa says.

Throughout college she has developed the skill sets and confidence needed to advocate for herself and others. During her higher education journey she is proud to have been the Inaugural Vice President of Inclusive Excellence for the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU). This experience enhanced her facilitation and conflict management skills, and she was able to grow as a leader. Esperansa is currently researching the importance of social justice within mentoring and how to apply it. She pursued her masters degree to have it as a stepping stone for a doctoral degree. She wants to instill the importance of fostering belonging and community within education in her fellow educators and students.

“As higher education continues to grow in diversity, its institutional makeup should reflect that diversity through its faculty and

staff members who equitably support and retain students with intention. As our community grows, our strength grows”, Esperansa says.

Esperansa is hopeful that education, and society, will improve with time to become more competent, humble, and compassionate to serve ourselves and each other equitably. Her leadership values, philosophies, influences, and aspirations all showcase what she has done in the realm of education and how she plans to continue moving forward to teach and learn in abundance together with communities.

If you want to add Esperansa to your network, connect with Esperansa on LinkedIn

April 2023

Jessica Calderon

Jessica Calderon is a graduate student working on obtaining her Master of Social Work. She has a desire to to learn how to assist clients in need to overcome barriers and stigmas of mental health. Her career goal is to be specialized as a Medical Social worker, particularly in trauma and substance abuse. She is also passionate about advocating for the Hispanic culture to be comfortable accessing mental health. She identifies with Hispanic culture and has experienced first hand how difficult it is to talk openly about mental health. Outside of the classroom Jessica enjoys going for walks, going to the gym, spending time with friends, watching a movie, getting her hair or nails done, and spending time with her two rescue cats. She also enjoys volunteering at the Idaho Food Bank in her free time. Jessica’s humbled upbringing inspired her to seek a Master of Social Work degree. She was taught at a young age to value hard work, education, and community involvement. In 2020 her father passed from COVID-19, leaving a very deep hole in her heart. Jessica stated that her father was her biggest inspiration and greatest support. “When I felt the world was against me, my father was my sole and strongest ally! He had a heart of gold, was free-spirited, and was always willing to help anyone in need”, says Jessica.

After her father passed, she needed someone to talk to, however it was difficult to find someone she could work through her grief with. Additionally, the pandemic made it more difficult to connect with resources to get help. This experience has enabled Jessica to understand how important it is for others to be able to access resources. She mentions that her faith has helped her through this difficult time, however, she was determined to move forward and turn her sorrow into something positive and meaningful.

“It was the lessons learned from my father and his beautiful memory that have also given me the inner strength to move forward with my life. I hope to impact other people’s lives through my own experiences and be an advocate for them and change the stigma of mental health”, Jessica says.

Jessica strives to help others who have lost a loved one realize that it is not the end. She wants people to know that she has continued living through her father’s memory and has turned her sadness into something positive. Being accepted into the MSW program at Boise State has been one of the best things to happen to her after losing a loved one to COVID-19. It has given her hope for the future and she has more confidence to move forward with her life and be happy.

If you want to add Jessica to your network, connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.

May 2023

Sonnay Alverez

Sonnay Alvarez is a part of the Technical Communication program. Her career goal is to run her wine marketing business full time and plans to do so after graduation. Sonnay works full time at Boise State doing marketing for the Bronco Shop. She admits that “it is scary to leave a great, secure job, but [she] is excited to branch out and spend more time with [her] family, doing something I am very passionate about”. As a busy graduate student, self-care is something she is working on. Sonnay enjoys weekend trips with her family and finding good food spots around town.

When she entered her grad program, Sonnay’s original career goal was to move up in the university, but then in the middle of the program, Sonnay decided to start her own business. The business took off quicker than she anticipated so her career goals shifted. Now she is ready to fully pursue her passion in the wine industry. Sonnay was able to juggle a full-time marketing job, grad school, a business, and being a mom all while maintaining a 4.0.

“It has been incredibly challenging, but I am very proud of myself and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me”, reflects Sonnay.

As a first generation Latina, pursuing a graduate degree was a way to push herself ahead in life and gain more knowledge. She wants nothing more than a bright future for herself and her family.

Congratulations to Sonnay for graduating this spring!

September 2023

Laci McCabe

Laci Mccabe is in the process of earning her Master of Counseling degree. She intends to graduate in Spring 2025. She was inspired to pursue her counseling degree due to her own mental health crisis. Laci admits, “she had great therapists who helped [her] through that time in [her] life” and she hopes to be that for someone else. She believes that wellness is extremely important and takes time to prioritize her wellness. Some of the ways she does this is through doing workouts she enjoys with a friend and reading physical books, for fun, before going to sleep.

Laci’s career goals are to be a licensed professional counselor and help those struggling with eating disorders. She is very passionate about body image/eating disorder research and hopes to continue to contribute to that field.

“My ultimate dream is to open a residential eating disorder treatment facility, of which the entire state of Idaho is lacking”, stated Laci.

After graduation, Laci plans to get her LCPC and eating disorder specialist certification. She also hopes to get her PhD some time in the future.

If you want to add Laci to your network, connect with Laci on LinkedIn.

May 2023

Ashlie Thacker

Ashlie Thacker is a graduate student working on obtaining her Master of Social Work. Her goal is to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and work with military families throughout the deployment cycle. She is also very passionate about perinatal support for families in the prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum stages of pregnancy and beyond. One way she participates in proactive self care and wellness is taking time to volunteer, doing things that she loves doing. Ashlie currently volunteers as an assistant coach of a local little league softball team (10-12 year olds). She mentions that it is a great way to get her out of the house/office and get some good exercise. Ashlie also loves to spend time with her family; her family and she have recently moved to the Seattle area and spend at least one weekend a month doing something ‘tourist-y’ to get themselves out of the house.

Ashlie’s former colleague and supervisor Katie McGill (BCBA, LCSW) showed her what it means to provide ethical and continual services to clients of all different backgrounds. This experience inspired her to pursue her Masters in Social Work.

“I saw her calmly and professionally manage difficult client caseloads with ease”, states Ashlie.

After graduation, Ashlie plans to find a job in either private practice or in a mental health advocacy role for a public entity. Eventually, she will make the steps to be a contractor for the Army National Guard and provide mental health support to families and service members there. She is passionate about the social work field and wants it to be known that social work is not simply working for Child Protective Services or the Department of Human Services.

“It can be so much more than case management if you choose to take your education and experience and run with it”, Ashlie says.

Ashlie likes that versatility of social work because it is a very broad field with a lot of career options. She would encourage anyone who is thinking about a career in advocating for mental health and breaking the stigma that is associated with getting help to consider social work.

If you want to add Ashlie to your network, connect with Ashlie on LinkedIn

September 2023

Yanely Hurtado

Yanely Hurtado is working towards her Master of Social Work. She hopes to work with vulnerable populations, such as those who are experiencing homelessness, have high medical needs/disabilities, and low income after graduation. She has been inspired to pursue her degree from her role as case manager and, now, Housing Support Specialist at CATCH. She feels very motivated to work with people who are experiencing homelessness, or have limited access to resources. “This is my passion and reason why I am meant to be in the social work helping profession”, states Yanely. As for self-care, Yanely believes it is important to have strict boundaries and a set schedule on a weekly basis. She also enjoys spending time with family and enjoys doing activities that bring them together.

Yanely really values the work she does at CATCH. She even had the opportunity to meet with State Representative, Bruce Skaug, and testified at the city council meeting on 8/16. Yanely works full time as well as going to school and admits it is not easy.

She said “nothing prepared [her] for the challenges that [she] has encountered while in grad school and upcoming future challenges”.

She is motivated to continue to push herself to achieve her career goals of working with a very vulnerable population. After graduation her plans include in herself and her future, while she continues to explore the social work field and her interests in macro work.

October 2023

Madilynn Saucerman

Maddy Saucerman is in the Master of Social Work program at Boise State. Her goal is to work in either medical or school social work and she has plans of graduating in Spring 2024. Maddy was inspired to pursue her Master’s during undergrad. She majored in Sociology which made her want to expand her goals and learn more about the helping profession. As a full time graduate student, with a job, Maddy still makes time for her wellness. She makes sure to sit down and have a cup of coffee in the mornings, as well as spending the weekends with her friends.

Maddy is halfway through her degree and is enjoying it a lot. Her last internship was at the Suicide Hotline, where she got a chance to learn short-term problem solving and helped people when they were in a crisis. She is very passionate about this line of work and hopes that her degree will allow her to make a difference within her community.

“Graduate school can be tough at times, but being organized and having a strong support system has helped me a lot throughout my journey”, states Maddy.

Ultimately, Maddy believes that setting boundaries and prioritizing her mental health has been a large component to her success in graduate school. She believes that this is important to learn if you are going into the social work field because it helps prevent burnout. Maddy is extremely happy that she chose this field and would encourage others to pursue it if they have a passion for helping others. Social work is broad but it is important because it relieves people’s suffering, helps fight for social justice, and can improve people’s lives and communities.

October 2023

Morgan Riley

Morgan Riley is in the Biomedical Engineering program, working towards her doctorate. Her goals are to work in industrial research and development on neural stimulation micro devices. Her long-term goal is to eventually start her own medical device company and develop better devices. Morgan was initially inspired to pursue her degree because of her grandpa. He was very tech handy and loved teaching her things as a kid. As Morgan pursued her interest in science, she noticed that there were very few women in the field. This only made her drive to pursue biomedical engineering stronger. As a busy graduate student, Morgan still makes time for her wellness by using a schedule to plan when she works versus when she takes time for herself, she exercises outdoors for stress relief and sunshine, ensures she gets enough sleep and stays hydrated.

When discussing what keeps Morgan motivated she shared, “I love challenging the status quo and proving others wrong, so what better way than taking my life and making it into a symbol of what women can do and accomplish if they want to.”

Morgan shared that she is the first one within her family to pursue a doctorate, and only a few members of her family have even tried to go to college to pursue a degree. Her parents are very proud because she is a first generation student within their family.

“Since we didn’t have a lot of money, I applied for every scholarship I could get. I worked hard for good grades and had a job all throughout college and summers to pay my tuition”, stated Morgan.

Morgan is extremely proud of what she has accomplished. Engineering is a challenging degree, however, she has been very motivated to work hard every day to succeed despite the hardships and struggles. Morgan will be graduating in summer of 2024. After graduation she plans on finding a job to launch her career and settle into the world of industrial engineering.

If you want to add Morgan to your network, connect with Morgan on LinkedIn.

November 2023

Anita Suljic

Anita Suljic is a graduate student who is a part of the Public Health program. Anita chose Public Health because she has a passion for keeping communities healthy. Her career goals consist of being a part of a community health team in order to help communities grow and thrive. Anita is currently a full time graduate student as well as being a graduate assistant for the office of BroncoFit. As a busy graduate student, Anita makes time for her wellness by setting aside time in her Google calendar to relax and not focus on school. Anita believes this has helped her with her time management skills, as well as making sure she is taking time to rest and reset.

Anita was inspired to pursue her degree through her experience as a Peer Health Educator, during her undergrad. Anita has been a part of BroncoFit for 4 years now.

“Being a part of the BroncoFit team opened my eyes to what public health is, and it made me want to learn more”, says Anita

Anita has enjoyed being able to work with students towards a healthier campus and learn how public health has an impact in all of our lives. Anita has plans to graduate in May 2024. After graduation, she plans to stay and work in the Boise area and serve the community that she is from.

November 2023

Hailey Merrick

Hailey Merrick is a graduate student at Boise State and is getting her masters degree in Public Health. Hailey has three amazing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She hopes to be a resource and utilize her skills she has learned in the classroom to educate and support other parents of children with Autism. Navigating the world of Autism can be a scary and daunting task for parents, especially if they have no understanding of what resources they can access to support their child’s needs. Therefore, Hailey wants to be able to support other parents access resources for their children. As a busy graduate student and mother, Hailey makes time for her wellness by spending time with her kids, swimming at the YMCA.

Hailey originally wanted to be a nurse. However, she learned about Public Health from her Spring 2019 Microbiology instructor, Dr. Emily Meredith. Dr. Meredith continued to continue to talk about Public Health and Epidemiology which interested Hailey and made her lean toward that. She learned just how important public health is and decided to switch gears.

“I am so grateful for Dr. Meredith and her passion because I now have mine!”, stated Hailey.

Hailey has plans to graduate in Spring 2024. She currently works on campus as the Employee Wellness Graduate Assistant in the office of BroncoFit. After graduation, she would love to continue her role at BroncoFit and support Employees on and off campus.

Thomas Chaddock

Thomas Chaddock is a graduate student attaining his Masters of Arts in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction. Thomas’ passion for education stems from his experiences teaching in rural Upstate New York. From the moment he arrived on campus, Thomas became involved in the Boise State community to help undergraduates and prospective students find their place. Ultimately, his career goals consist of working in higher education administration. As a busy graduate student, Thomas makes time for his wellness by playing tennis in Eagle, on the weekends, and hiking the Boise mountains.

Thomas was inspired to pursue his degree during an undergraduate internship with the Idaho State Historical Society.

“During my internship, I connected with faculty at Boise State and learned about the transformative education Boise State’s College of Education offers. I knew pursuing a degree here would allow me to expand and enhance my ability to work with and inspire K-12 and college students”, states Thomas.

In addition to being a full-time student, Thomas is a Graduate Recruiting Assistant with the Graduate College. In this role, he provides insight into multiple graduate programs and ways to help the college grow. When he’s not on campus, you can often find him substituting around Ada County.

Thomas has plans to graduate in May 2025. After graduation, Thomas, a New York native, plans to return home to spend some extended time with his family.

If you want to add Thomas to your network, connect with Thomas on LinkedIn.

December 2023

Hallie Shean

Hallie Shean is obtaining her Masters of Anthropology. Her goal with her degree is to ultimately work in higher education and research human-animal interactions while also serving as a mentor for students. During her undergrad, Hallie majored in Biology and was on the pre-vet track. After volunteering for low-income veterinary clinics, she realized she wanted a career that involved animals. Her relationships with her mentors and experience writing a thesis during her undergrad is what inspired her to pursue a graduate degree. As a busy graduate student, Hallie makes time for activities that she enjoys, such as volunteering with the Idaho Humane Society or trivia with friends.

Hallie is very passionate about her research with animals. She is continuing her research on animals with her current project, with a PHD student, studying dogs and cats in Boise area shelters.

“It only took me four years of researching animal attachment and behavior to realize that I could do it full time!” stated Hallie.

Hallie is currently a graduate assistant for a UF100 class called “Humans, Animals, and Aliens”. She also works in the anthropology department as Student Administrative Support. Hallie also is an advisor to sororities at Oregon State University and the University of Nevada at Reno. She will be graduating in Spring of 2025 and is eager as an Oregonian, to explore Idaho and all it has to offer.