Linfield University

Rebecca Johns, a December 2023 graduate of the Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, was awarded the Wilma Pope Alumni Award at the Dec. 15 pinning ceremony.

Monica Salazar, a December 2023 graduate of the Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, was awarded the Professional Excellence in Nursing Award at the Dec. 15 pinning ceremony.

Linfield University had four players earn post-season Northwest Conference honors following the end of the 2023 soccer season. Anna Dazey earned second-team All-NWC and teammates Jenna Stanley, Janae Lewis and Riley Omonaka all were tabbed honorable mention selections. Lewis is the only repeat selection from the 2022 season. The Wildcats finished the season 6-8-6 and 4-7-5 in NWC play. Linfield finished with 17 total points to finish fifth in the conference, one point ahead of George Fox and Lewis & Clark and 12 points back of fourth place Whitman. The full list and announcement of the 2023 All-NWC Women's Soccer team is online at https://nwcsports.com/news/2023/11/14/023-all-nwc-womens-soccer-team-announced-lutes-cecil-merte-spidahl-and-blues-glorioso-earn-top-honors.aspx.

Linfield University volleyball player Claire Johnson earned her first career postseason award after being named All-Northwest Conference honorable mention on Wednesday afternoon. The senior setter ranked fourth in the NWC in assists per set with eight, totaling 656 over 82 sets in the 2023 season. The senior from Snohomish, Washington, racked up a career-high 53 assists in Linfield's five-set victory over Western New England on Sept. 2. She tallied over 40 assists on two separate occasions against Eastern Nazarene and Puget Sound. Johnson finished her Linfield career with 77 kills, 668 assists, and 29 serving aces. George Fox's Kassandra Mendenhall won NWC Player of the Year while her teammate Emily Blagg won Rookie of the Year. Halle Hetzler won her third straight Libero of the Year from Pacific Lutheran. Lutes head coach Kevin Aoki also grabbed Coach of the Year. Pacific Lutheran won the NWC inaugural tournament and earned the automatic birth to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Wildcats finished their season 8-15 and 4-12 in conference play. Linfield slotted in at eighth in the final NWC standings, finishing ahead of Lewis & Clark and just behind Pacific.

Linfield University had four men's soccer players earn Northwest Conference postseason awards following the conclusion of the fall season. The tally is the highest amount of men's soccer players Linfield has had since the end of the 2015 season. Angel Hernandez, Sid Kosaris and Seamus Miller all were selected NWC second-team, while freshman Ross Vargo was tabbed as honorable mention. Hernandez and Kosaris are repeat selections from last season, and Miller picked up his second award with his first coming in the 2021 season. Linfield finished the season with 5-12-3 record and a 5-9-2 mark in conference play. The Wildcats finished with 17 points to end the season seventh in the NWC standings. Pacific slotted in at sixth with 18 points while Linfield finished one point clear eighth place George Fox. For the full announcement and list of the 2023 All-Northwest Conference Men's Soccer team, visit https://nwcsports.com/news/2023/11/14/2023-all-nwc-womens-soccer-team-announced-lutes-dobson-kamau-yorke-and-pirates-friesen-earn-top-honors.aspx.

Three Linfield University accounting students were awarded scholarships by the Oregon Society of CPA's Educational Foundation: Caitlin E. Hillman of Gearhart, Ore., received the Ray & Marilyn Johnson Scholarship Laurel Quinn of Camas, Wash., received the Wilcox Arredondo & Co Scholarship Sophia vanderSommen of Portland received the Delap LLP Scholarship Associate Professor of Accounting Chris Dahlvig said that he was not surprised when he heard Hillman, Quinn and vanderSommen were scholarship recipients. "Accounting is one of those things that you can memorize, but the more you understand what's going on, the better you're going to be, first as a student and later as a professional," Dahlvig said. "They all have a curiosity that makes them stand out - they ask really good questions in class; they're not afraid to ask for clarification and they seek to understand." Hillman, Quinn and vanderSommen were among 51 Oregon college students to receive OSCPA scholarships, which range from $2,500 to $5,000. The organization has awarded Oregon students more than $2.5 million in financial assistance over the past four decades. "Since 1985, the OSCPA Educational Foundation's goal has been to grow the CPA profession in Oregon by providing financial assistance to talented accounting students. We are proud and delighted to help Caitlin, Lauren and Sophia realize their dreams of becoming a CPA," said Tonna Hollis, director of professional development for OSCPA and staff advisor for the Educational Foundation.

Samantha Dewey, a current Linfield University student, and Jacob Straessle, a 2023 graduate, earned awards recently from Alpha Lambda Delta, the honor society recognizing first-year academic success. Dewey, a psychology and mathematics major from Troutdale, received a Jo Anne J. Trow Undergraduate Scholarship in the amount of $3,000 for the 2023-24 academic year. This year, Alpha Lambda Delta awarded 50 Trow scholarships to outstanding students from across the country. Selection is based on maintaining a 3.5 grade point average, academic records, participation in Alpha Lambda Delta activities, campus and community service activities, and the applicant's essay answers. Dewey is the newly elected president of the Linfield University chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta. She also serves as an intern at Juliette's House, a member of Circle K International and as a Math PLUS mentor. She was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta in 2022. When asked about the impact of Alpha Lambda Delta membership, Dewey said, "When I joined ALD, I became part of a group of students who are focused on their education and who set time aside to engage with their community. Being involved with this society has been encouraging because it has provided me with a set of peers and advisors that I can rely on and who have similar goals. From my experience, everyone in ALD is here to support one another because we all want everyone to succeed." Straessle earned one of only 28 graduate fellowships awarded nationally by the organization. The Miriam Shelden Graduate Fellowship provides $2,000 to offset the expense of pursuing graduate or professional studies during the 2023-24 academic year. Straessle is from Pacific City and was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta in 2020. As an undergraduate, Straessle majored in finance and economics. He was communications coordinator/secretary and administrative director of Linfield University's Alpha Lambda Delta chapter. While at Linfield, Straessle also served as a resident advisor, student tutor and president of the National Residence Hall Honorary. "I will be attending Oregon State University to obtain an MBA in corporate finance. I plan to then pursue a career in mergers and acquisitions or venture capital," Straessle stated. Each fellowship is named for a person of significance to Alpha Lambda Delta While pursuing his MBA, Straessle is working as a staff accountant at Linfield.

Linfield University is proud to announce that Salma Galvan Pelayo, a 2023 graduate from McMinnville, Oregon, received an English Teaching Assistantship from the U.S. Fulbright Student Program for the 2023-24 academic year. Galvan Pelayo, who earned her degree in anthropology and Spanish, will support the teaching of English at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) in Brazil as part of a project to engage in local civic activity. As a Fulbright participant, Galvan Pelayo will teach English, share knowledge, and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Brazil. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service. This is not the first prestigious international award for Galvan Pelayo. She was also awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador, during the 2021-22 academic year.

Linfield University congratulates the 32 students who earned Dean's List honors during the summer 2023 academic term. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Three Linfield University students were awarded both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts at spring 2023 Commencement. Vanessa Carlos Bowen, Katherine Jennifer Fellows and Jordan Kristin Worthington each earned enough credits for not just double-majors, but double-degrees.

Linfield University is pleased to release its newest list of graduates. Following the spring 2023 semester, Linfield awarded 127 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, 115 Bachelor of Science degrees, 81 Bachelor of Arts degrees and 15 Master of Science degrees to 335 students; three graduated with both a Bachelor of Arts and and Bachelor of Science. Honors are determined once a student's final grades have been submitted. For undergraduate students, these include summa cum laude (3.9-4.0 cumulative GPA), magna cum laude (3.8-3.89 cumulative GPA) and cum laude (3.65-3.79 cumulative GPA). Graduate students earn honors or high honors for earning a GPA of 3.8-3.89 and 3.9-4.0, respectively.

Linfield University congratulates the 561 students who earned Dean's List honors during the spring 2023 semester. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Linfield University congratulates the 142 recent graduates who earned Dean's List honors during the spring 2023 semester. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Two Linfield University women's golf team members have been named All-American Scholars by the Women's Golf Coaches Association. Senior-to-be Caitlin Hillman and junior-to-be Tori Schuller are among 1,401 women's collegiate golfers nationwide to be honored this week by the WGCA. To qualify for the All-American Scholar Team, honorees must carry a minimum cumulative grade point average is 3.50, making the selection criteria some of the most stringent in all of college athletics, according to the WGCA. Schuller was a repeat selection. The Clinton, Washington, resident recorded a 3.73 cumulative GPA during her second full year at Linfield. Hillman, from Gearhart, Oregon, completed her third year of collegiate golf while maintaining a 3.54 cumulative GPA. Together, Hillman and Schuller led the Linfield women's golf team to a fifth-place finish among nine teams in the final Northwest Conference point standings. See the complete WGCA All-America Scholar team.

Six student-athletes from the Northwest Conference were selected to the 2023 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Men's At-Large Team, released Tuesday by the College Sports Communicators. Representing Linfield University were Chris Cayford and Jakob Jarvis. The Wildcats' two selections matched Willamette's for the most in the NWC on the men's side. Puget Sound and Whitworth rounded out the conference with one honoree apiece. Cayford was part of a Linfield squad that placed fourth at the NWC Spring Classic and third at the NWC Championship this spring. The junior's top performance of the season came at the Logger Invitational on March 25-26, where he tied for fifth place with a two-round score of 146 (+4) on the par-71 course. His second-round score of 72 was his low of the season and led Linfield to second place of nine teams on the team leaderboard, marking the best finish of the year for the Wildcats. Jarvis went 10-16 at 141 pounds for the Linfield men's wrestling team in its inaugural NCAA season. Five of those victories came by decision while four others came via pin. The junior went 3-1 at January 15's Boxer Open to capture third place. The CSC Academic All-District Men's At-Large Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined success in both athletics and academics. Academic All-District selections will advance for consideration for the Academic All-America Teams, which will be announced June 21. See the full announcement from the CSC: https://academicallamerica.com/documents/2023/5/23//Acad_AtLargeM_2223.pdf

Four members of the Linfield baseball team were honored for their performances both on the diamond and in the classroom, earning their way on the 2023 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Team, announced Tuesday by the College Sports Communicators. The Northwest Conference saw 19 student-athletes earn CSC Academic All-District honors. Representing the Wildcats were senior Braden Thorn (exercise science), juniors John Over (biology) and Bodey Smith (management) and sophomore Nick Alder (applied physics). Thorn appeared in eight games in his final campaign on the mound, starting in three. He finished the season with a 3.95 ERA and held opposing lineups to a .180 batting average. Over started in eight of his 10 appearances. The lefty threw 38 2/3 innings, striking out 21 batters. Alder finished tied for the team lead with 16 pitching appearances. Smith played in 32 games and started in 30. The outfielder recorded 24 hits, 18 runs and eight RBI. He led the Wildcats with 21 walks. The CSC Academic All-District Baseball Teams recognize student-athletes for their combined success in athletics and academics.

Seventeen women across six Linfield programs received the Vern Marshall Award since its inception in 2002. Kate Walkup made history in 2022-23, becoming the first female swimmer to earn the award. The Vern Marshall Award is named after a former Linfield student-athlete and longtime college and professional sports referee. The honor recognizes the top male and female athletes who compete with the greatest tenacity. The Northwest Conference champion in the 400-yard individual medley and 200-yard backstroke, Walkup was also a member of four winning relay teams at the NWC Championships in February. A First Team All-NWC selection, the senior from Eugene led the 'Cats to their first team title in 30 years. She went on to earn an Academic All-District nod from the College Sports Communicators (CSC). Walkup defended her title in the 400 IM, winning with a time of 4:31.61 on Day 3 of the big championship meet. She returned on the final day of action to break the Linfield record in the 200 backstroke, cruising to a 2:04.11 finish. A constant Dean's List recipient and NWC scholar-athlete, Walkup recently graduated with a degree in journalism and media studies. In the spring semester, she served as the sports editor of the Linfield Review and helped manage the women's swim team's social media accounts. Walkup is a member of Linfield's chapter of Alpha Phi sorority.

Nineteen Linfield University student-athletes have been named to the 2022-23 All-Sportsmanship Team as announced by the Northwest Conference office. Each honoree was singled out by their teammates or coach for displaying excellent sportsmanship throughout the competitive season. The following Linfield Wildcats were honored with All-Sportsmanship Awards: Brett Joner, baseball Jack Stallard, men's basketball Peyton Bergevin, women's basketball Bradley Kiltow, men's cross country Anna Frazier, women's cross country Julien Sears, football Trevor Price, men's golf Tori Schuller, women's golf Grayce Miller, women's lacrosse Logan Clizer, men's soccer McCall Bennion, women's soccer Brynn Nelson, softball Casey Wong, men's swimming Kaylee Elsom, women's swimming Alexander Rosenquist, men's tennis Taryn Fujimori, women's tennis Ronan Krutzikowsky, men's track and field Siera Crawford, women's track and field Ellie Mead, volleyball

Linfield University recently announced the winners of the inaugural Lacroute Prize for Poety and Prose, recognizing entrants for the best students writing this year. The competition was organized by Linfield's Creative Writing Program. Finalists were chosen from nearly 60 submissions by the creative writing faculty, then sent to poet and fiction writer Genevieve DeGuzman, recipient of the 2022 Oregon Literary Fellowship, for final deliberations. The winner of the Lacroute Prize in Poetry was "Stage Whisper" by Summer Eves. DeGuzman's thoughts on the winning poem: "The prodigious world in "Stage Whisper" unravels like a runaway train and evokes a larger-than-life sensibility that astonished me. The speaker's odyssey aspires to poetry's epic proportions, not only in length but in detail-details of tender quotidian moments and brutal memories, and an anti-hero speaker filled with anger, despair, and longing." Finalists in the poetry category include: "A Prayer for Melanin" by Kalysa Dombrigues, "Earth: A Confession" by Zee Nace, "Loneliness Is a Barking Dog" by Zee Nace, "We Lay Together In The Way Only Corpses Can" by Zee Nace and "Smoke Bombs" by Sarah Reynolds. The winner of the Lacroute Prize in Prose was "Tree, Raven, Hillside, Fire" by Elana Gatien. DeGuzman's thoughts on the winning essay: "I couldn't pull away from the vivid, incantatory prose and metaphors in "Tree, Raven, Hillside, Fire." The narrator summons lush detail from the natural world to capture the struggle of acceptance and grappling with one's gender identity. In the vacuum of the burn scar comes life. Runner-up for the prose category was "Under the Lekumi Tree" by Colin Bellairs. Finalists were "To Leave" by Summer Eves and "Pesha" by Zee Nace. All finalist and winning entries were published in the spring issue of Camas: A Journal of Art & Literature. Winners each received $500, thanks to the support from the Lacroute Initiative for Advancing the Liberal Arts. More information about Linfield's Creative Writing Program can be found online at https://www.linfield.edu/programs/creative-writing/index.html.

Nearly 60 Linfield University students performed at the 50th annual Lu'au and Ho'ike held in McMinnville, Oregon, April 29, 2023. This beloved Linfield tradition was the result of months of work and dance practice from members of Hui O Lokahi student club and consisted of a plate lunch supplied by Ohana Hawaiian Cafe of Portland and the Ho'ike performances. This year's theme was "Ma'ohi Nui," celebrating multiple cultures and people of the Pacific. The dances took the crowd of nearly 1,000 to the islands of Oahu, Tahiti, New Zealand, Molokai and Lanai, among others. Linfield students were joined by guests from Hawaii. Napunui Gabriel from Waialua, Oahu, performed a fire knife dance, and Makani Tabura, host of "Culturized" podcast and television show, served as the event emcee. Dances were taught by kumus Cruz Braun (sophomore, Kahului, HI), Taetum Lynn Kalani (sophomore, Puuloa, HI), Citlalli Cruz (senior, Gresham, OR), Kayley Dombrigues (sophomore, Waimea, HI) and Mako Minoda (senior, Kailua-Kona, HI). Additional photos of the event can be downloaded at: https://linfield.photoshelter.com/galleries/G0000n23_NgoZS50/Linfield-50th-Luau

Travis Swanson is the 2022-23 recipient of the male Vern Marshall Award, recognizing student-athletes with the most tenacity on the playing surface

Owen Hand, a junior at Linfield University, was named the recipient of the 2023 Financial Executives International (FEI) competitive scholarship from the organization's Portland chapter. The award is given in recognition of a student's achievements and their potential to contribute to the profession of accounting and finance in the future. The chapter gives out only six scholarships each year, five of which are earmarked for students attending one of Oregon's larger public universities. The sixth is awarded to a student at one of the many other colleges and universities in Oregon and southwest Washington. Hand, who is majoring in finance, earned that sixth. "I was kind of drawn to finance because I love investing and the subject really interests me," he said. "I'm interested in both the stock market and helping people. If I can somehow combine the two, whether that's as an advisor or working for a wealth management firm to help people make money, I think that would be really rewarding." Madeleine Brady Romero, an associate professor in Linfield's School of Business, noticed his passion for the subject and encouraged him to apply for the scholarship. "I am so excited for Owen," Romero said. "It is quite an honor and coup for a Linfield student to get the award, and he is incredibly deserving because of his leadership activities and academic achievements." Hand and Romero attended FEI's award ceremony on April 20, 2023, in Portland, where Hand and the other five scholarships were honored. The Portland chapter of FEI has over 190 senior-level financial executives as members, providing networking opportunities and development sessions throughout the year. "A big thanks to Professor Romero for making this happen. This scholarship will make a big impact on my life and my ability to continue to go to school," Owen said. "And thank you to FEI for making this scholarship possible, it's really meaningful."

Three members of the Linfield University baseball team (13-24, 8-16 NWC) were named honorable mentions on the 2023 All-Northwest Conference Baseball Team, released Friday. Junior shortstop Jake Hoskins, sophomore catcher Tyler Marr and first-year pitcher Casey Struckmeier all made their debuts on the All-Conference Team. Hoskins transferred to Linfield after two standout seasons at Linn-Benton Community College. Marr spent time at the junior varsity level as a freshman last year while Struckmeier was still enrolled at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Washington. Hoskins is one of just two players who appeared in every game for Linfield, starting in 36 of the Wildcats' 37 games. The Hillsboro native batted .301 with 46 hits, a team-leading 28 runs and 22 RBI. He finished tied for the team lead with six home runs. Catcher was the deepest position for Linfield heading into the season, but Marr separated himself from the rest to become the team's No. 1 option behind the plate. The Great Falls, Montana, product batted .343 with a .411 on-base percentage and a .455 slugging percentage. He led the 'Cats with 11 doubles and posted a .986 fielding percentage. Struckmeier appeared in 10 games and started in eight in his breakout first season in purple and cardinal. He won two games on the mound to go with 25 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA. Struckmeier threw five or more innings five times, ending the season with a scoreless outing in 6 1/3 innings against Willamette on April 15 at Roy Helser Field. Read the full NWC release. More information on the Linfield baseball team is at: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/sports/baseball

Linfield University's softball team (41-4) continued its dominance on the diamond, by winning the Northwest Conference title April 23 and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. On April 27, the Northwest Conference announced its 2023 All-NWC Softball team with nine Wildcat student-athletes making the list. Star players Katie Phillips and Tayah Kelley repeated as the NWC Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, becoming the first duo in conference history to accomplish the feat. Linfield had an all-conference selection at every position on the field, including five players who earned First Team All-NWC honors. Joining Phillips and Kelley were sophomore first baseman Kaili Saathoff, graduate student right fielder Baily Paul and sophomore center fielder Claire Seats. Earning Second Team All-NWC nods were sophomore catcher Ashley Sutton, sophomore second baseman Brynn Nelson, freshman third baseman Cydney Hess and graduate student shortstop Katrina Johns. In addition to the student-athlete honors, head coach Jackson Vaughan was named the NWC Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his illustrious 22-year head coaching career. Vaughan was selected by his peers as the Coach of the Year after leading Linfield to its fifth 40-win season and first since 2012, the year the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Division III championship game. The 'Cats claimed the program's 18th NWC regular-season title with a near-perfect 27-1 record, matching the best conference mark in school history. The Wildcat softball team is currently ranked No. 4 in nation in the latest NFCA Top 25. Regionals for the NCAA Division III Championships take place May 18-20. The 'Cats await the NCAA Selection Show on May 15 to find out who and where they will be playing.

A group of Linfield University students, from various majors and class years, were honored at the Region VII Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) held February in Spokane, Washington. The annual event hosts theatre productions, workshops and competitions for colleges and universities in a nine-state region. Eleven Linfield students attended the 2023 event, the first in-person event since 2020, with many of them receiving awards for skills in various areas. Sydney Monroe, a sophomore majoring theatre arts and journalism and media studies, received the KCACTF Region VII Student Choice Award for her publicity work on "Eco-Tales: Student-Adapted Fairy Tales." Monroe's designs included original artwork, fonts, poster designs and social media blasts. Hannah Jones, a first-year student majoring in theatre arts and wine studies, won first place in the Improv Olympics with her four-person team, and she took home the "Golden Chicken" trophy for her comedic work. After a highly competitive audition process, Jones also was cast in one of the Ten-Minute Plays performed during the festival, titled "Our Dying Stars." Junior Nikos Rictor joined Linfield theatre staff members Laurel Peterson and Jesse Klug on the Linfield Technical Theatre team. The three-member squad competed in the Tech Olympics, eventually earning first place. Rictor, a theatre arts and education double major, was also elected to a one-year term on the region's Representation, Equity, Diversity Initiative Board, where they will help create workshops, policies and initiatives to serve the entire region. Tanner Coulter, a senior accounting major, entered the Design/Technology/Management Stage Management competition, where his work on the fall 2022 Linfield production of the musical "Firebringer" was displayed. His oral presentation, and subsequent interview, led him to receive a paid internship offer this summer to work with the Santa Fe Opera. Other students who participated at the regional KCACTF event included seniors Ellie Gossett, and Helika Campbell; junior Alexandra Newberger; sophomore MJ Rinehart; and first-year students Madeline Chandler, Irving Flores-Castro, Kaitlin Harwood and Hannah Jones. More information about Linfield's Theatre Program can be found online at linfield.edu/tca.

Mackenzie Kulick, a sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas, was recently recognized by the Broadcast Educators Association's Festival of Media Arts for her podcast "Factual Nonsense." As part of its Student Audio Competition, Kulick won third place in the "Specialty Program and Podcasts" category. The national competition features entries from universities of all sizes. Kulick is pursuing a major in marketing and double minor in media studies and wine studies at Linfield University. She is also a member of the Wildcat women's lacrosse team and the Linfield Presidential Impact Internship Program. She created the podcast as part of JAMS 112: Electronic Media Practices class. "Throughout this class I watched myself evolve behind the mic," she said. "My inspiration for Factual Nonsense stems from my daily life. It seems that every time I am having dinner with a friend, I spout off an odd fact that leaves people shocked and wanting more. Everyone wonders where I find all these facts, and to be honest, they are everywhere, people just have to look for them." Kulick entered an episode titled "Speak of the Devil," which educates listeners how the devil got its horns. "I feel this episode has the shock factor of an interesting fact and showcases my editing skills with all the included sound effects," she said. And though she created the podcast as a class project, Kulick plans to continue to produce episodes through the Linfield Pawdcast Network, a student-run organization. "I entered the class thinking that I will learn some cool skills, but nothing more," she said. "It's hard to believe where I started in my first episode and where I am now." With this award, Kulick joins a growing list of Linfield students who have been recognized nationally for their excellence in podcasting. In 2021, Kendall Harrison '21 and Nathaly Sanchez '21 received honorable mentions in the NPR Podcast Challenge, and Joe Stuart '20 won first place in the Specialty Program and Podcasts category and the Radio Sports Story/Feature category at the 2021 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. Listen to Kulick's podcast "Factual Nonsense" and her award-winning episode at https://soundcloud.com/mackenzie-480283378/factual-nonsense-episode-3-speak-of-the-devil.

Linfield University led all Northwest Conference (NWC) institutions with a combined eight selections to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2022-23 Academic All-District Swimming Teams. The Wildcats are the only program in the NWC with four honorees on both the men's and women's teams. Pacific Lutheran boasted seven Academic All-District student-athletes, including four women and three men. Willamette saw six players earn honors while Whitworth had four to round out the NWC's 25 total selections. Representing the Linfield women both in the pool and in the classroom are seniors Alexis Matthiesen-Johnson (exercise science) and Kate Walkup (journalism and media studies), junior Emma Campbell (political science/mathematics) and sophomore Avery Campbell (undecided). Walkup won individual titles in the 400-yard IM and 200-yard backstroke at the NWC Championships, leading the Wildcat women to their first league championship in 30 years. Avery Campbell placed first in the 100 backstroke. Both Walkup and Campbell were named members of the All-NWC First Team. The men's side features seniors Nathan Herde (exercise science) and Casey Wong (computer science), junior Alex Landry (physics) and sophomore Gavin Smith (applied physics). Smith won the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NWC Championships on his way to earning a First Team nod on the All-NWC Team. The 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes student-athletes for their combined efforts in both athletics and academics. The honorees will advance to the Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced by the CSC in late March.

Sixteen student members of the Linfield University Latinx Adelante (LULA), a student organization that seeks to educate and share awareness about cultural diversity in South and Central America, attended the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) Feb. 16-19, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. This national event seeks to promote education and leadership development and empower Latinos and others through civic engagement and research. The USHLI is a member of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda. "This conference is a reminder that representation matters. It's an invaluable opportunity for Latinx students to learn from policy makers, community organizers, industry leaders, activists, educators and changemakers who look like them, who speak the language and who know the struggle," said Abby Thomas, director of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Linfield. "Students get to see themselves in positions of power and learn how they use this to empower others. The USHLI is a reminder of the incredible impact higher education can have on your family, your community and beyond." During the conference, students attended various workshops and forums on topics that included leadership development, career opportunities, power and influence, and upward mobility. Featured speakers and panelists were Melody Gonzales, executive director for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics; Sol A. Ortega, senior advisor for public engagement for the White House Office of Public Engagement; Celeste Carrasco, director of public affairs from AT&T, Inc.; Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, the consul general of Mexico in Chicago; and Robert Santos, director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Leading up to the USHLI, students participated in professional development workshops organized by Linfield's Office of Career Development and hosted fundraising events to pay for the cost of the trip. More information on LULA is online at https://www.linfield.edu/life-at-linfield/inclusion/campus-engagement/lula.html.

Trey Bryant, a sophomore guard on the Linfield University men's basketball team, was recognized as a First Team selection to the 2022-23 All-Northwest Conference Team, released Tuesday. During the season, the Springfield product knocked down 45.5 percent of his shots, ranking fourth in the NWC in scoring with 15.2 points per game while also ranking second with 6.8 rebounds per game. His 4.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game also finished in the top three of the conference rankings. Bryant scored in double figures 21 times in 25 games and put up 20 or more points on seven occasions. He registered six double-doubles, including his second career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists against Willamette on Jan. 3. Although the 'Cats couldn't secure a spot in the NWC Tournament, Bryant finished the season strong with a career-high 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists on the road against top-seeded Whitman on Feb. 18. He reached another milestone in a 15-rebound performance at Willamette on Jan. 31. Bryant's full bio is available at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/trey-bryant/16846.

Junior Sarah Forester has been a force so far for the Linfield University Wildcats in both No. 3 singles and doubles. On Monday, she was named the Northwest Conference Women's Tennis Student-Athlete of the Week. Forester led Linfield to a 2-0 week in California. The 'Cats opened the road trip with a convincing 8-1 win at Whittier on Wednesday. Their match at Redlands on Saturday was canceled due to rain, but the 'Cats came back on Sunday to edge out Occidental by a score of 5-4. The Corvallis native went 2-0 in singles and won both of her doubles matches with teammate Alexis Garner. Against Whittier, Forester won No. 3 singles with a 7-6 tiebreaker, beating the Poets' Maci Davis by scores of 6-0 and 7-6. She and Garner took down Jasmine Saunders and Emily List, 8-6, in No. 3 doubles. It was a similar story for Forester against Occidental. She beat the Tigers' Alexis Matabuena, 6-1, 6-4, in No. 3 singles before she and Garner won No. 3 doubles over Emma Silber and Lillian Lin with a score of 8-5. Forester is 3-1 on the season in both singles and doubles. Her only losses came to Division I Portland State. The 'Cats (3-1) open the NWC portion of their schedule this weekend, hosting Willamette on Saturday before playing at George Fox on Sunday. Both matches will start at 10 a.m.