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November 1, 2010 From PLU, to Iraq, and Back By Nick Dawson When Barrett Bollen ’12 settled into the starting blocks for the 400-meter hurdles finals at the 2010 Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships in Spokane last April, 10 hurdles measuring 36 inches in height separated him from the finish line. Compared to the hurdles that Bollen crossed one year earlier as a member of the United States Marine Corps in Iraq, those 10 hurdles seemed like a walk in the park. Barett Bollen ’12

the field of sports psychology. “Because of the passion she brings to the table and the experience she brings to the table, she gets everyone excited. I had no idea sports psychology was even a profession. I always knew you needed to be mentally tough, but I didn’t know there was a whole field of study,” Leslie said. “By having someone teach it to us who has first-class and world-class experience really opened my eyes to how cool it was and interested I was in it.” Using her work with

’16 —studied all parts of the glacier ecosystem around Rainier, including meltwater runoff, moraines (piles of rocks created by glaciers) hydrothermal activity, glacial retreat rates and a glacial modeling project. The six came to their passion for geosciences through varying paths. Swanson said he was one of those kids who always collected rocks—and had boxes of them in his room when he left for college. Others were drawn into the field through a passion for volcanoes, the outdoors or the

said. Another is the sheer scope of opportunities students have to hone their craft. “We do nine productions in nine months, which means every single month there’s a new show opening,” Smith said. “So there’s a terrific amount of performance opportunity for students that exists at PLU that don’t necessarily exist at other institutions.” Read Previous How First Gens thrive Read Next Beyoncé and Black Feminist Theory LATEST POSTS Summer Reading Recommendations July 11, 2024 Stuart Gavidia ’24 majored

love for the Community Garden continued. The hobby grew into a passion, and after studying plant disease with biology faculty, Rebecca decided to pursue plant pathology. They’re currently at the University of California Riverside getting their PhD. Working with the Diversity Center helped Rebecca grow beyond the garden too. Rebecca values the Diversity Center for giving them a working understanding of gender theory and social justice, which helped them incorporate equity into their work after PLU