On January 11, 2025, 天美视频 hosted its third annual community-wide Day of Scholarship on campus in Seattle during our Winter Residency, connecting community members to the wider disciplinary and interdisciplinary conversations across our institution. This year鈥檚 theme 鈥淓ngaging (An)other鈥� emphasized the work of Dr. Esther Meek and her contributions as our current Senior Scholar including the . This publication, Dr. Meek’s gift to 天美视频, served as an opportunity for faculty and staff to model and practice engaging in discourse with each other. Day of Scholarship 2025 featured a panel discussion highlighting the eight essays where faculty and staff responded to “.” Current students, alumni, staff, and faculty also presented research posters and facilitated breakout sessions, discussing aspects of their research, work, and publications, as noted in the tables below. During this third year of Day of Scholarship, participants once again had opportunities to explore key questions that 天美视频 community members are pursuing in their work and research in Seattle and across the country.

Day of Scholarship 2025 Poster Presentations

Day of Scholarship 2025 Breakout Session Presenters

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What brought you to 天美视频 and how did you choose your degree program?

Coming to 天美视频 is a fulfillment of many dreams鈥攕ome lifelong, some newer. Dreams that lay dormant in my soul awaiting the right timing to be planted and birthed. I still vividly recall the moment I was driving home to Boise from my grandmother’s funeral in Portland when I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to truly ask for this desire of my heart. To pray aloud my desire to go back to school at nearly 40, not just any school but The Seattle school, and finally pursue this deeply felt longing of my soul. If you told me 20 years ago that I would even be going back to school let alone to study counseling psychology, I would have laughed at the absurdity of it. And yet, it may be the first big thing I’ve done in my life that was just for me.

My desire to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology (MACP) comes from having seen and experienced firsthand the (often unintentional) hurt that happens within the church when those without training in psychology attempt to counsel others. I chose 天美视频’s MACP program for its alignment with my own personal values of doing the work myself first before making any attempts at helping others to do the same and for its integration of theology and psychology without the spiritual bypassing that too many Christian institutions encourage. While I originally only planned to do the MACP program, over time and through the counsel of one of my professors, I have come to see that to not do the dual degree program would feel incomplete so I’m now pursuing both my MACP and my Masters in Theology and Culture (MATC) with a focus in ministry.聽

What do you hope to do following graduation?

My desire is to work at the intersection of psychology and practical theology within the church as well as in private practice focusing on issues of betrayal, spiritual abuse, somatic healing, and neurodivergence.

What has been your favorite class or project so far?

My favorite project so far has been my Theological Anthropology, which focuses on answering the questions “What is human flourishing?” and “What is a human being fully alive?” The paper felt like a culmination not only of my first year of grad school but also of many years of personal growth and exploration. The invitation to put this ideas down on paper felt sacred. While I didn’t love needing to make my ideas fit into the academic boxes required of a grad school paper, I loved the opportunity to begin writing down what I hope will one day become a book.

Are you part of a student group or community at 天美视频?

I am a Student Leadership Fellow, member of Student Leadership, and part of the Access student group.

What is one insight, quote, topic, or question you find yourself drawn to at the moment?

As I’m in a season personally that I never envisioned myself being in, I find myself asking, “What does it look like to dream and hope amidst earth-shattering hurt and pain?” I’m finding the deeper I allow myself to grieve and lament the deeper I’m able to experience joy and delight.

What are you reading and/or listening to lately?

Outside of school, I’m currently reading Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched.

What do you love to do outside of school?

My life outside of school is very full but my favorite thing by far is spending time reflecting, laughing, and loving my two teenage daughters.

What is your favorite place to visit when you need to replenish your body and soul?

The PNW! I grew up in Seattle and spent most of my adult life in Portland before moving to Boise a few years ago. I didn’t realize quite how much I missed the PNW until I came to Seattle for my first residency and felt at home in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

What inspires you or gives you hope right now?

My daughters.聽They are the crowning glory of my life and I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing young women they are.聽

Learn more about our MACP and MATC 辫谤辞驳谤补尘蝉!听

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Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space by Sunghee Kim

This fall, our second-floor gallery at 2501 Elliott Ave. features watercolors created by Sunghee Kim, a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program. Through the Artist Statement and interview below, she shares more about her experiences as a 天美视频 student and artist.

Prints of these paintings are available for purchase in the , with proceeds supporting the BIPOC student group. More information about an online auction for these nine original paintings will be available early in the new year.

Artist Statement:

In my first year at 天美视频, I often sat quietly in the Back Alley in the mornings, watching the blue sky, the water, the trains, and the cruise ships pass by through the window. During these moments, the Red Brick Building became a liminal space for me鈥攁 place where I lost track of time, reflected on my past, grounded myself in the present, and held hope for the future. To capture the emotions, joys, and struggles I experienced there, I began drawing and painting the Red Brick Building.聽

Many thanks to my classmates and instructors who helped and encouraged me to discover my joy in painting. As we prepare to move to a new campus farther south of downtown Seattle, I hope these paintings will evoke memories of joy and gratitude, as well as the struggles and sorrows, for those who shared this space. I hope these paintings inspire people to embrace their own journeys, use their talents, and share their gifts with the world.

What drew you to 天美视频 and how did you choose your degree program?

I thought I knew why I came here, but now that feels like a question for me too, as I keep finding new answers along the way. I’ve always been interested in understanding the human mind, and I also wanted to understand why I was struggling so much to adjust to life here in America, even when I was surrounded by kind people. I’ve seen many of my friends, especially international students and immigrants, struggling in similar ways, but it’s difficult to find someone who is truly willing to listen to our voices. I thought I needed to be the first to listen to my own story, so I could develop my capacity to listen deeply to others. This is one of the many reasons鈥攕ome still not fully clear to me鈥攚hy I began studying Counseling Psychology at 天美视频.

What has been a favorite class at 天美视频?

So far, I鈥檓 both enjoying and challenged by all of my classes. Each one offers so much to learn and work through. Instead of naming a favorite, I鈥檇 like to share how certain classes have inspired me to draw and paint.

In the winter term of 2024, I took a course on Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences with Dr. Jermaine Ma. She encouraged us to express our emotions using just three colors with colored pencils or any other art supplies we had. At first, I picked random colors, started coloring, and then gripped the pencil in a sort of rebellious way. I drew lines and circles without any form or order. It felt like something was cracking open inside me, like I was opening a box I didn鈥檛 know I had. From that moment on, I kept art supplies close by on my desk, but did not begin drawing or painting. Suddenly, I remembered how much I had enjoyed drawing and painting when I was a kid.聽

In the same term, I was taking the Critical Learning Lab with Dr. Dwight Friesen, where I frequently heard the term “unlearning.” It prompted me to reflect on how I could become more flexible in letting go of what I was used to doing and believing. So, I decided to approach everything differently, what I called the 鈥渟tupid way.鈥� I dedicated the most time to the assignment with the least weight on the grade. For the final presentation of my “My Landmark” project, which I had already earned enough points to pass, I spent hours and hours working on it. Instead of using PowerPoint, I hand-drew all the slides for my presentation. After giving the presentation with my own paintings in this class, I got enough courage to paint as a way of expressing my Korean immigrant identity for the final assignment for Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences class. Those paintings were later displayed at the Underrepresented Students鈥� Voices Gallery throughout spring term and summer at the school.聽

In the spring term of 2024, I took an elective class called The Artist鈥檚 Way with Dr. Pat Loughery. Throughout the course, students were asked to create any kind of creative works, and I decided to try urban sketching, something I had never done before. Then, I ended up painting the 天美视频. Some of the paintings currently displayed at the gallery are pieces I created during this class.

What draws you to watercolor painting?

I do love various, different types of art mediums, but when it comes to watercolor, I particularly love its picky and sensitive personality. Watercolor painting requires a lot of patience. It never allows me to take a shortcut. It is also not forgiving. Once I make a mistake, there鈥檚 no going back. So, I have to slow down and learn to accept my mistakes as part of the 鈥淎rt.鈥澛�

Another thing I really love about watercolor is its transparency. Sometimes the color on the paper is really bold and vivid, and other times, it鈥檚 almost invisible. What I appreciate is that, no matter how strong or faint the color is, it never fully takes over the paper. If you let it cover the whole surface, it loses that delicate, shimmering beauty that makes watercolor so unique. I enjoy this challenging, sometimes even painful, process of creating a watercolor painting.

How did your classmates and instructors encourage you to find joy in painting?

What I really appreciate most is their presence. Instead of offering comments or advice, they were just there with me, spending time and sharing curiosity about my stories. That alone made me feel heard and seen. Once my story was heard by them, I became more curious about what I wanted to express. Their curiosity about me helped spark my own curiosity in various areas. This year, painting became one of the mediums through which I expressed myself.聽

At this point in time, what would you like to explore after graduating from 天美视频?

Well, like many students, after graduating, I want to complete the required clinical hours and pass the licensure exam as soon as possible, and eventually secure a stable position as a counselor. But these are just factual steps. At this moment, my main focus is to explore my own picture of the world and to cultivate a deeper curiosity within myself. By doing this, I hope to develop my capacity to see and listen to others鈥� pictures of the world and their voices more fully. Ideally, I would love to work with people of color, international students, immigrants, and refugees. If I could serve as a blank canvas on which they feel free and safe to express themselves, I couldn鈥檛 be happier. The journey I鈥檓 on now feels like it鈥檚 strengthening me to become like watercolor paper鈥攁ble to hold water and pigments without warping.

What鈥檚 your hope for these Red Brick Building paintings and reproductions?

Initially, I started painting the school building to capture moments of both joy and struggle that I experienced here. To finish just one painting, I鈥檇 spend hours looking at the same spot鈥攐r a photo of it鈥攐ver and over. Through that process, I noticed something special happening: an ordinary place would transform into something extraordinary, from a simple object into a meaningful and spiritual subject. I hope my paintings can remind others of their own moments at the school, prompting them to pause, reflect on their memories, and perhaps even experience a transformation of their own.

We often pass through doors, walk up and down staircases, or look through windows without paying them much attention. But when these ordinary objects are captured on paper, they stop being mere backgrounds and become the main subjects. I hope鈥攁nd this is a hope I carry for life鈥攖hat people who have been marginalized can receive this same level of warm attention, both in quality and quantity, so that their often invisible identities become visible and their unheard voices are truly heard, just as the doors and staircases became focal points in my paintings. This is why I want to donate all profits from selling my artwork to support BIPOC student groups.

Find the Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space prints at 天美视频 .

Learn more about our Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.

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We believe that the best way to learn the art of leadership is not merely through the obtaining and executing of good information and technique but through embodiment 鈥� entering into the wild drama and dance of pursuing life with one another on behalf of others. Each of you brings a richness of vision, ability, and desire. Embracing the fullness of who you are, we invite you to participate and to create on behalf of 天美视频 community. Student life at 天美视频 is a living collage reflecting the vision, interests, passions, and personalities of our students!

Student Groups at 天美视频 are peer-facilitated communities designed to connect and resource students in relation to their shared interests or identities. There will be opportunities for our new students to begin getting connected to student groups during Community Weekend and Fall Residency.

Underrepresented student groups are spaces wherein students gather with others who share similar experiences and perspectives related to underrepresentation around their culture and/or identity. We know that it can be costly and exhausting to engage in contexts where one is underrepresented. Student group gatherings offer space for processing, conversation, and deepening connections. These groups expand students鈥� network of support, help students to grow their capacity to learn and thrive in relation to their culture or identity, and provide resources for engaging in learning spaces and future professional contexts. We currently have the following three groups BIPOC Student Group (centers underrepresentation around race/ethnicity); LGBTQIA+ Student Group (centers underrepresentation related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity); and Access (connects students who have neurodiversities, disabilities and/or chronic pain).We are currently looking for students interested in joining the student facilitation teams for these three groups. If you would like to get involved, contact Becca (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu).

Interest-based student groups allow students to cultivate connections based on shared areas of interest. These groups ebb and flow depending on student desire and capacity. We currently have one active interest-based student group called Sage, which gathers students who are returning to school later in life, after a long time away, often while caring for their families or aging parents. Examples of interest groups from the past include an Artists鈥� Council, Lit (student print publication), and Eagle & Child for Theology students.

Student Leadership is a team of students who volunteer to serve the student body as a whole, and meet on a weekly basis. This team is not elected, but open to all who have a heart to serve and to cultivate community together. Our mission is to foster student engagement in our learning community by facilitating collaboration, conversation, and mutuality among students, staff, and faculty. We practice active listening, turning towards one another, and cultivating trust and belonging in all our shared spaces. We seek to recruit a diverse team that represents as much of the student body as possible. Student Leadership hosts seasonal gatherings like Fall Vespers and Community Dinners, and engage ad hoc projects in collaboration with the other student group leaders, faculty, and the Student Services team throughout the year. . Anyone interested in joining Student Leadership can do so at two points in the year: in August, and in January. The initial term of commitment is one academic year from the month during which one has started. For more conversation about student leadership, email studentleadership@theseattleschool.edu or at Becca (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu).

Read more about Student Groups and Student Leaderships here.

The Student Leadership team is eager to meet you and we are planning some fun opportunities for students to get to know one another during Community Week and Fall Residency September 10-13! Look for us in the blue t-shirts around campus on September 10!

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But how do we orient and connect when students and classmates are joining at different times, from different places, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and identities, and with varying degrees of ease related to technology and access?

These questions have shaped much of our work within the Student & Academic Services team (SAS) in recent months and years. If you are a new student at 天美视频, I would imagine that questions like these have shaped your experience as well. Some of you in the 2024 cohort started taking classes this winter or spring. Others have just enrolled and are figuring out how to access student email and wondering where to get textbooks. Some have begun connecting during our monthly summer zoom coffee or happy hours. And some are also supporting children starting school while you prepare to start school yourself. Wherever you are today, however you are feeling about starting classes in September, we are here for you. We value your presence, our relationship with you, and the ways you will shape this learning community.

For many years we’ve held a tradition of asking our incoming cohort to reflect on who they are as they begin their degree program, and to introduce themselves creatively using a simple sheet of paper. This non-graded “Who Am I?” assignment is a way of collectively representing the people, perspectives, and stories that make up your incoming cohort.

During the fall term, we hang these compositions in an art installation in our Community Gallery on the 3rd floor of the school building. Afterward, we gather these pages into a portfolio and archive them alongside nearly two decades of cohorts who have participated in this assignment. We return to these portfolios every year as we are sending our graduating cohort, inviting them to look back at the person they were when they started, and to see the host of alumni that surround them as a great cloud of witnesses. These pages are a cherished part of our community鈥檚 story.

How to complete the Who Am I? assignment:

New students, here is your task: Using any media of your choice, answer the question Who are you? We invite you to consider three categories as you reflect and introduce yourself through this assignment: Who are you as an embodied listener, a meaning maker, and a community healer?

You may be as creative as you’d like: collage, paint, sketch, color, write a poem, a song, a story, include your picture or a picture of those people, places, or things you love. . . or don’t. In the case of a song or poem you are free to make an audio recording of yourself but please also prepare an image that connects to it, whether it is the lyrics or some other visual representation of you that can hang with the collection in the third-floor gallery

This assignment is due on September 11th. Bring it with you when you come to campus for Part 2 of New Student Orientation. We will spend some time sharing these pieces with one another that afternoon. We will then hang the visual pieces in the third-floor gallery for you to see and interact with when you come to campus. And, after the fall term, we will gather and keep these pieces in the portfolio archives alongside past cohorts.

If you have questions about this assignment, feel free to post them in the discussion in the Frameworks & Intersections group in Populi or email me directly at rshirley@theseattleschool.edu.

For a bit of inspiration, we鈥檝e included a smattering of Who Am I? pages from past cohorts below.

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And even as we savor this lingering summer sweetness, anticipation is growing for the arrival of fall.. The staff, faculty, and student leadership at 天美视频 are deep in the work of preparing for the coming school year, planning events to welcome and orient new and returning students into our learning community!

The Student & Academic Services Team is here to support our incoming students as you prepare to begin school this fall. We will be your hosts for New Student Orientation, and will continue to journey with you throughout your degree program.

Becca Shirley, Manager of Student Life Programs, she/her (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu). You will hear from me about details related to New Student Orientation as well as community-wide gatherings, such as our fall Community Weekend and other student life events throughout the year. I work with our student leadership teams to cultivate pathways of connection for students and your families. I also work with our underrepresented student groups to provide resources, support, and connections for our underrepresented students (BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, non-Christian students, international students, etc.). I am available for one-to-one conversation on campus or on Zoom whenever you have questions or concerns or need someone to talk to. I also manage the Nourish Market campus store and am available there on a regular basis.

Ligaya Good Avila, Academic Programs and Financial Services Manager, she/her (lavila@theseattleschool.edu)

Ligaya is the primary point of contact for manages Financial Aid for all students, and is available to help with any financial questions. (low-residency and on campus). Ligaya is also the Residency Coordinator for low-residency students. If you鈥檙e enrolled in a low-residency program, you will receive emails from Ligaya ahead of each residency with information to help you plan logistics for your travel, schedule, and lodging.

Mac Martin, Academic Advisor, she/her (mmartin@theseattleschool.edu)听

Mac is available to discuss course planning and scheduling throughout your time at 天美视频. She is here to make sure you are on the path that is best for you!

Daniel Tidwell-Davis, Manager of Accessibility and Vocational Programs, he/they (dtidwell@theseattleschool.edu)

Daniel works one-to-one with students around licensure, vocational discernment, accessibility, and academic accommodations. If you have an academic accommodation related to a learning or physical disability and have not yet talked to Daniel, make sure to with him soon!

Kelsey Wallace, Registrar, she/her (kwallace@theseattleschool.edu)

Many of you have likely been in touch with Kelsey as you have enrolled and begun registering for classes. Email Kelsey if you have questions related to forms, academic policies, course planning, or school/life balance. .

Altogether, the Student & Academic Services team (affectionately known as SAS) works to ensure that students are holistically and equitably supported as they engage in their learning at 天美视频. Students who have a question or concerns can reach out to any SAS team member and we will be glad to help you find what you are looking for.

We are so glad you are here! And we look forward to seeing you soon!

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Dr. Allender has pioneered a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse therapy over the past 30 years, which led to the creation of . He travels and speaks extensively to present his unique perspective on the impact of sexual abuse and trauma, the journey of recovery, and the art of knowing and telling our stories. Dan is the author of Healing the Wounded Heart and The Healing Path and has co-authored several books with Dr. Tremper Longman (Intimate Allies, The Cry of the Soul, Bold Love, and Bold Purpose).

Dr. Allender co-teaches an integrative class, Lost at Sea, with Dr. Chelle Stearns. He and his wife, Rebecca, live on Bainbridge Island. They have three adult children, Annie, Amanda, and Andrew, two son-in-laws Jeff and Driscoll, one daughter-in-law Elizabeth, and six beautiful grandchildren.

What are you currently reading?

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross

What have you been listening to lately?

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (My son鈥檚 favorite band)

What research do you find yourself drawn to at the moment?

I am involved in several research studies on the methodology of the Allender Center鈥檚 Narrative Focused Trauma Care experience.聽

Any exciting summer plans?

I am taking my 15-year-old grandson to camp in Montana and I get to fly fish with him for a week beforehand.聽聽

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would they be?

My Mother: My mom and I had a difficult and contentious relationship. She is with Jesus and fully and completely mature. I鈥檇 love to meet her again.

If you weren鈥檛 in your current profession you鈥檇 be鈥�?

A trial attorney.

Who is your literary or living hero?

Soren Kierkegaard.

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The role of Instructional Assistant at 天美视频 is somewhat different from what you may have encountered as Teaching Assistants in other academic contexts. All of our IAs hold Master鈥檚 degrees from 天美视频 or similar programs, and are practitioners at various stages within their chosen fields. Instructional Assistants work with faculty to ensure that you get the most out of your learning experience. They provide feedback on papers, are available to meet for office hours, and periodically teach and facilitate classroom interaction. Moreover, we ask IAs to bring their experience as former students and as practitioners in their current vocational contexts into all they do here at 天美视频. Instructional Assistants are dedicated to your growth and development as students and are eager to walk alongside you in this journey. Get used to seeking them out! They are here for you.

Today we’d love to spotlight two of the IAs who are working specifically in First-Year courses this fall (see below). And while we move quickly towards the start of the academic year, on behalf of all of the instructional staff here at 天美视频, we can鈥檛 wait to engage with you in the classroom soon.

Chris Curia (he/they)

Welcome, new students! I look forward to getting to know you more personally once the academic year begins. But first, I wanted to introduce myself here, extend my congratulations, and offer my best wishes for embarking on this next chapter in your professional journey. Having completed the MACP program in 2023 and the MATC-Community Development track in 2024, I am a recent 天美视频 graduate and know what it is like to begin such an undertaking. I commend you for leaping!

As an alumnus, I credit many aspects of my formation at this small, beautiful, complicated graduate school for how my life looks today. Apart from my role on the Instructional Staff team, I am a psychotherapist based in downtown Seattle and a commissioner on an advisory board with the City of Seattle. I am proud of my academic and personal work and the questions about belonging, equity, justice, identity, and liberation I wrestled with throughout my graduate years that have followed me into my career. As such, I returned to 天美视频 as an Instructional Assistant because of my belief that your graduate student years can be just as formative if you let them. So, it is my joy to come alongside you in whatever that journey will hold. I wish you all the best and plenty of rest in the weeks ahead, and I look forward to our work together this academic year!

Jessalyn Jackson (She/Her)

Welcome! My name is Jessalyn. I am looking forward to another academic year filled with the highs and lows of learning and self-discovery and supporting you along the way. I graduated with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University across the pond in Kirkland in 2019. Since then, I鈥檝e worked in a community mental health setting for about three years before transitioning to private practice. The emphasis on reflection and depth work at 天美视频 has had a profound impact on my personal and professional life. Because personal growth is a journey that never ends, I encourage you to engage in the work authentically and with curiosity and see where it takes you. Practice embodied self-compassion as you are seemingly inundated with knowledge and information. You will find that once your time here is done, you鈥檝e retained more than you think. Finally, enjoy connecting with your colleagues! You each have a wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and unique understanding to contribute that is invaluable. When I鈥檓 not a therapist, I’m a wife and mom to an 8th month old boy (Graham). I enjoy design, sports, and used to like going to the movies. I look forward to meeting you!

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Ron鈥檚 education is an eclectic blend of social work, counseling, and theological studies. Ron holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Complex Urban Settings from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. His dissertation title, Welcoming Kids to the Table of Community: New Horizons Ministries as a Model of Service to Homeless Runaway Adolescents, addresses the psychosocial and spiritual issues surrounding homeless adolescents and describes a relationally based and theologically-supported delivery strategy to serve these marginalized young people.

Ron is a senior fellow with the Center for Transforming Mission, providing training and support for grassroots urban leaders serving youth and families in hard places around the world. Closer to home, Ron is on a regular preaching schedule at several local churches. He lives in the Rainier Valley, a multicultural neighborhood in the south end of Seattle with his wife, Linda, with whom he has served for nearly 30 years. Their two adult sons, Ben and Clayton, live close by.

Ron teaches courses focused on Biblical ethics, social justice and community development, such as 鈥淏eing the Word on the Street,鈥� 鈥淓ngaging Global Partnerships,鈥� and 鈥淐are of the Soul and the Call to Sacred Activism.鈥�

What are you currently reading?

Over the past six months with the political climate in the US conflates nationalism, and whiteness with Christianity, I have been drawn in two directions. First to understand this shift, both theologically and psycho-socially.聽 I have read The Flag and The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy by Philip S Gorski and Samuel Perry American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens The Church聽by Andrew Whitehead and The Psychology of Christian 聽Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Great Divide by Pamela Cooper-White. The second direction is a strategy and corrective action taken to counteract the theological misappropriation and social narcissism that has led to the myth of exceptionalism and its misguided mandate regarding the election, doctrines of discovery, and manifest destiny.聽 For this I have been reading Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin, Jr. as well as other community organizing books. The best of which is Ben McBride’s Troubling the Water: The Urgent Call of Radical Belonging聽

What have you been listening to lately?

Sturgill Simpson, Yola Carter, Amythyst Kiah, Tyler Childers, Brandi Carlisle, and Marcus King are always on my playlist. I also just finished the Podcast The Walk Home, a public radio journalism project that tells the story of murdered Tacoma resident Emmanuel Ellis. For live music, you鈥檒l find me at the Tractor listening to alt-country and Americana music, or following my son’s band, Miss Prince. I love watching Clayton鈥檚 band play loud all over the city.

What research do you find yourself drawn to at the moment?

I鈥檝e been reflecting quite a bit on whiteness and identity. Dr Hoard and I are at the beginning stages of a project regarding the embodiment of Antiracist practice in contrast to ideological platitudes.

Any exciting summer plans?

I am always trying to be a more proficient motorcycle rider! Gardening with Linda. This July we hope to be on the Oregon Coast.

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would they be?

No question: Johnny Cash.

If you weren鈥檛 in your current profession, you鈥檇 be鈥�?

I would love to own a tavern/BBQ joint that played blues and Americana music. I would also love to be a prison chaplain.

Who is your literary or living hero?

Arnold Spirit in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Also, my sons: My oldest is an elementary school teacher. His way of teaching and connecting with kids, being attentive to social/emotional learning, and actively working to address the opportunity gap is inspiring. My youngest is an artist and musician. His art is filled with complexity, and his music is loud and truth-filled.

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