Let's Welcome the Class of 2020!
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After an "unprecedented" senior year—ending in a closed campus and online classes—this group may not quite feel ready to take on the alumni title... and that's fair! It's safe to say that your graduating year has been unforgettable, but probably not for the reasons you hoped. Know that we are with you in this strange mix of grief, confusion, and celebration; luckily, few alumni communities are more equipped for complex emotions than this one.
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For our newcomers: this occasional newsletter is one way we will help maintain WPHP community post-grad. You'll be able to stay connected to your peers through alumni updates, interesting program news, and upcoming events (whenever "events" start existing again... oh man.)
Enough rambling! Enjoy our latest alumni content below—and make sure to check out the Book Club announcement—in case you want to have something planned for this summer ;)
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Participate in the 1st
WPHP Alumni Book Club!
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This Summer (think June/July) We're going to pilot a virtual book club. All alums will be invited (including the class of 2020); any faculty who want to join will be welcome as well.
How will it work? All interested parties will vote for the book they want to read together—we'll start with a book that's been added to the WPHP curriculum in the last few years. Then, we'll use an online platform (not necessarily Zoom, but something like it) to facilitate a virtual discussion.
The sign up window will close May 25th.
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And since we don't just read books... future events could include broader Content Clubs, where we can discuss movies, shows, albums... anything worth talking about! If this sounds fun, be sure to give your input using the "Give Us Feedback" link at the end of this newsletter.
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Anastasia Schaadhardt
Class of 2018
Living: Seattle, WA
Doing: I'm close to finishing my first year of the PhD program at the University of Washington's Information School! I've also been volunteering weekly at Roots Young Adult Shelter in Seattle's University District.
Consuming:
- Watching - Star Trek (Voyager and Deep Space Nine), The Expanse, Bojack Horseman, Mad Men, Steven Universe, Shrill
- Reading - Educated (Tara Westover), The Dispossessed (Ursula K. Le Guin), Bad Indians (Deborah Miranda)
- Listening - Ayla Nereo, The Decemberists
Life Changes: I married Alex Davis last May, and we changed our last name to Schaadhardt!
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Johnny & Katherine Walker
Classes of 2018, 2019
Living: Princeton, NJ
Doing: We are both seminary students at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Consuming:
- Watching - The Circle, Love is Blind... We've also joined the bandwagon and have been watching Tiger King.
- Reading -
- Johnny: A Profound Ignorance by Ephraim Radner, Blessed are the Organized, by Jeffrey Stout, anything by Joan and Oliver O'Donovan, and, of course, the Bible
- Katherine - All the Light We Cannot See and Faith in a Hard Ground by Elizabeth Anscombe.
- Listening - Josh Garrels, Gregory Alan Isakov, Deeper Well
Life Changes: For those that don't already know, we got married in 2019.
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Rachel Nguyen
Class of 2019
Living: Seattle, WA
Doing: I'm teaching high school biology at Seattle Christian Schools and preparing to apply to PhD programs in Molecular Biology!
Consuming:
- Watching - Imposters, House MD
- Reading - The Epigentic Revolution (Nessa Carey), East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
- Listening - NPR: How I Built This, BibleProject, Science VS
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Aliya Whitehill
Class of 2018
Living: South Bend, IN.
Doing: I'm currently in my second year of graduate school at Notre Dame. I'm researching the solution chemistry of uranium nanoclusters, which keeps me pretty busy.
Consuming:
- Watching - Honeyland, Parasite, Doubt.
- Reading - Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits, the Witcher books, and all things Brandon Sanderson!
- Listening - Gillian Welch, Ordinary Time.
Life Changes: In my free time I've been enjoying hanging out with my pet snake and frequenting the campus Performing Arts Center and the Chicago Art Institute.
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Outstanding Senior Awards
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Brianna Martin-Ortega
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Kiale Palpant
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Ellie Watts
Thesis Topic: "The Obligation that Blacks Must Meet and the Tension that Lies Beneath"
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Content Recommends from WPHP Alumni
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Hearts on Fire
by Michael Harter
Suggested by Aliya Whitehill
"Hundreds of Ignatian prayers are included here, many written by the most illustrious Jesuits—Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Anthony de Mello, Karl Rahner, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and others.
Each gives eloquent voice to Ignatian spirituality, which affirms that God is present in all things and at all times. Thus, this collection includes Ignatian prayers for all occasions, including the most familiar and seemingly mundane."
- Amazon description
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This Land
a Crooked Media podcast
Suggested by Anastasia Schaadhardt
"Patrick Murphy was convicted of murder by the state of Oklahoma in 2000. But defense attorneys soon discovered that his conviction may have been based on a lie.
Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, an Oklahoma journalist and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this ... cut and dry murder case opened an investigation into half the land in Oklahoma and the treaty rights of five tribes. Find out ... how one unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history."
- Crooked.com description
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A Hidden Life
Directed by Terrence Malick
Suggested by Katherine Walker
"Based on real events, A Hidden Life is the story of an unsung hero, Bl. Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife, Fani, and children that keeps his spirit alive."
- IMDB description
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Ethics as Theology
Oliver O'Donovan
Suggested by Johnny Walker
"For those who are willing to brave it, I recommend O'Donovan's Ethics as Theology trilogy, especially the second volume, Finding and Seeking. It is an especially powerful reflection on Christian discipleship and the teaching of Jesus and, when read slowly, it has a capacity to focus the mind and heart on the form of life God has summoned us to in Christ."
- Johnny's recommend
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Check out our Bonus Books List!
Did you ever wish for more seminar reading? If so, something is seriously wrong with you. Still, it is interesting to know what books the profs would have included if there was room—books that were historically relevant, ideologically interesting, or just downright enjoyable.
Thanks to the initiative of alumna Quinlan Morrow, we have collated a list of these "bonus books" from the program faculty. The Bonus Books List will be updated and expanded each year, and includes not only "academic" works but other important cultural pieces that the profs think you'd enjoy. Take a look and add some books to your GoodReads list!
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Looking for more academic opportunities?
The Fulbright US Student Program is open!
Are you interested in having global experiences? Are you wondering what unique opportunities are still open to you after graduation? Consider the Fulbright US Student Program—now accepting apps from rising seniors and recent graduates.
"The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs... During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences...Through engagement in the community, the individual will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding."
Applications are due October 13th, but most recommend applying by October 6th. Fulbright scholars encourage applying to countries with less tourism to increase the chance of your application being received.
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Ideas about this Newsletter?
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We want you to keep feeling connected to the honors program - not send you things you don't care about.
If you have ideas about what should (or should not) go in this newsletter, we want to hear from you!
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