Assignment 1 Portfolio Statement (Why did you come to the UW and join the Honors Program?

What are your expectations of yourself while at the UW and in Honors?)

Although Seattle is my hometown, I have never been afraid of the thought of leaving my family and
friends to experience a new place, as my positive personality always allowed me to adapt well to new
environments. I initially wanted to go out-of-state for college, but I was unable to accept the offers of admission
due to the unbelievably high tuition. Although tuition was a large factor that affected my decision in attending
the University of Washington, the greatest reason I chose UW was the Honors program.
The Honors program seemed to be an excellent way for me to be part of a liberal education by engaging
in thoughtful discussion in small group settings in a large research university with equally motivated learners. I
also believed that UW had much to offer to me through its numerous research opportunities and wide range of
student organizations and clubs.
Throughout my life, I have always challenged myself with difficult coursework. Ever since I was young,
I had a great sense of curiosity and loved to acquire new knowledge; I learned the alphabet when I was two
years old and the multiplication table when I was four. Consequently, I tested into the challenge program for
elementary school and became trained with advanced coursework along with other highly capable peers. When
the challenge program failed to exist for middle school, I resorted to full honors classes. And in high school, I
continued with rigorous education in the International Baccalaureate program and gained the satisfaction of
obtaining my full IB diploma. Although my life has always been busy and composed of difficult classes and
numerous activities, I have felt myself become strengthened and more prepared for the future by taking such
courses.
I believe that the IB program has prepared me in many aspects to be successful in college. The IB Theory of
Knowledge course allowed me to develop philosophical and in-depth thinking in various areas of knowledge
such as the arts, natural sciences, human sciences, mathematics, history and ethics using the ways of knowing
such as perception, emotion, logic, and languages. I have felt myself become refined as I learned from a global
perspective and as I read the works of Hayakawa, Locke, Kuhn, and more. But in high school, I have seen
numerous students who did not care about what they were learning and I knew that in college, I would be able
to meet peers who are as fascinated by the things we are learning as I am.
I always deem it necessary to do more than less because in the end, it is only the knowledge one obtains that
lasts, not the time one wastes doing nothing. Because I believe that knowledge will open the door to many
opportunities and all the hard work pays off ultimately, I want to continue to challenge myself in college by
being a part of the Honors Program. I also want to put the knowledge I have accumulated over the years into use
by engaging in in-depth discussions and carrying out extended research in Honors. I trust that I will be able to
effectively apply the new knowledge I build in the Honors program to the real world and that it will help me
become a successful person as I move onto a prestigious law school and pursue a career in the law field. I
constantly try my best in all that I do, whatever area it may be, and I will once again aim for the best in Honors.
I am glad that the Honors program provides an interdisciplinary education that allows us to explore a variety of
classes in different areas rather than in classes simply related to our majors.
In the Honors program, I hope to gain valuable skills to help me become a better essayist, speaker, and
citizen that will allow me to become influential in any institution or career later on in my life. I believe I will be
able to engage in thoughtful discussions with my peers by effectively using the various protocols Ive learned
for discussions, defining questions of matter, and distinguishing the various fallacious claims presented. I have
much to contribute to the honors program and I am excited about what the honors program and my peers have
to offer me.

Assignment 2
This assignment was creating this website, my honors portfolio.

Assignment 3
Interview another Honors 100 student to find out something you are each interested in or that is
important to you; then you will research an Experiential Learning opportunity in the areas of Research,

Service, Leadership, or International Engagement that would be an appropriate and interesting way for
your partner to expand their discovery of the topic. Include both specific activities that your partner
could do, but also general resources to help him or her find their own opportunities.
Experiential Learning Suggestions for: Clare McGrane
Clares academic interests include pursuing a major in biochemistry with a minor in philosophy. There are many
wonderful experiential learning opportunities for Clare at the University of Washington. I have done some
exploration on the UW website to propose possible research, service, and study abroad programs that Clare may
be interested in.
Clare has expressed an interest in studying abroad so I would like to begin by suggesting some study abroad
opportunities. Because Clare is interested in pursuing a degree in biochemistry, I researched some study abroad
opportunities on the UW study abroad site that are related to biology. A program Clare might be interested in is
an exploration seminar called: Biology Peru From Andes to Amazon: Biodiversity, Conservation and
Sustainability. It takes place from August 26 September 18, 2012 in Cuzco, Peru and Puerto Maldonado, Peru,
and the estimated cost of the program is $3750, which is a reasonable cost considering the credit and experience
Clare will attain. Clare also expressed interest in studying in a developing country, so this is a perfect
opportunity for her. There are also study abroad opportunities fostered by the honors program that Clare might
be interested in such as the quarter-long program in New Zealand in the Winter of 2014 that will focus on
Health Equity in rural Built Environments: http://depts.washington.edu/uwhonors/.
There are currently research opportunities in biochemistry that include but are not limited to developing
biocompatible polymer coatings for iron oxide nanoparticles, identification of novel targeted therapies for
cancer, developing novel mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches to study gene regulation, and
chemical approaches to study protein modifications. If any of these are of interest to Clare, she may want to
look on http://webapps.ued.washington.edu/opportunities/Opportunities.aspx to make sure the research
opportunity is still offered the quarter she wishes to conduct her research and she may also find new
opportunities that may be greater interest to her on the website. Also, if Clare looks on the biochemistry
department website, there is a list of faculty that she may be able to conduct research
with: http://depts.washington.edu/chem/chemresearch/areas.php.
Because Clare is interested in biochemistry, I believe a great service opportunity would be for her to volunteer
at a hospital such as the Harborview Medical Center: http://www.uwmedicine.org/patient-care/patient-familyresources/pages/volunteer-services.aspx. I have previous experience volunteering at a hospital and it is a great
way to gain experience working with the hospital staff and interacting with patients. They also offer flexible
hours to work around Clares other commitments and involvements. I have suggested a few programs that Clare
may be interested in for experiential learning but there are many other opportunities for her to gain experience
in her area of interest, and many of those opportunities may be discovered by browsing the UW website.
Clare's Suggestion of Experiential Learning Opportunities for Me
Estella is a Polisci major, and would like to double major in economics, international studies, or business
administration. She would also like to study abroad during her time at UW, preferably in Western Europe or in a
Spanish speaking country. In keeping with her intended major(s), she would like to do research in law or
finance or business economics. However, she is also interested in doing research with the cancer research
center.
Study Abroad

The Foster Business School offers specific study and intern abroad programs for business undergraduates.
These will allow Estella to study abroad while pursuing courses and prerequisites necessary for her intended
majors. Several of these study abroad programs would also allow Estella to further her fluency in Spanish,
including a study abroad program in Chile and an exchange program in Spain. The Foster Global Biz Fest is
held October 23-25, and would be a good way for Estella to learn about Study Abroad opportunities affiliated
with Foster. Link to the Foster Study Abroad
program: http://www.foster.washington.edu/centers/gbc/Pages/ug_out_programs.aspx
Research Opportunities

The UW Department of Political Science offers research opportunities in conjunction with the Comparative
Law and Societies Studies Center. This combination of disciplines would fit Estellas wish to study law while
furthering her knowledge in political science. Contact information and specifics on research opportunities can

be found on the Department of Political sciences research

page: http://www.polisci.washington.edu/affiliatedcenter.html
Service Opportunities

Estella was interested in doing research with the cancer research center, and while this is a viable
Experiential Learning choice I would recommend a volunteer position with the UW Medical center. While
research positions are a large time commitment, volunteering is more flexible and would still allow Estella to
spend time working with hospital staff and patients. More information on volunteering with the UW medical
centers can be found on their volunteer web page: http://www.uwmedicine.org/patient-care/patient-familyresources/pages/volunteer-servies.aspx

Assignment 4 - Three-Year Planning Sheet

2012-2013
Autumn
Course
Econ 200
Pol S 203
Honors 230
Honors 100

Credit
5
5
5
1

2013-2014
Autumn
Course
Credit
Honors Science 5
Acctg 225
5
Mgmt 200
5

2014-2015
Autumn
Course
B Econ 300
Mktg 460
Honors I&S
Research

Credit
4
4
5
3

Winter
Course
Honors 221
Phil 160
Econ 201
Gen S 390
Winter
Course
Mgmt 300
Fin 350
Mktg 301
IS Bus 300
(Ad Hoc)
Winter
Course
Opmgt 301
Mgmt 320
Mktg 490
Research

Credit
5
5
5
3

Spring
Course
Engl 131
Math 126
Acctg 215
Research

Credit
4
4
4
4

Spring
Course
Credit
Honors Science 5
Mktg 450
4
IS 300
5
Research
3

Summer
Course
Credit
Internship
5

Credit
4
4
4
3

Spring
Course
Mgmt 495
Mgmt 430
Mktg 499
Honors 496

Summer
Course
Credit
Internship
5

Credit
5
5
5
3

Credit
4
4
4
1

Summer
Course
Honors 210
Honors 499

Credit
10
5

Assignment 5
Drawing on what you have learned in Honors 100 and your other courses and experiences thus far,
prepare an Autumn Quarter portfolio statement. This will be the foundation of your three to five
minute presentation of your Autumn Quarter portfolio. Both the portfolio statement and the presentation
should tell your first quarter story to your peers in your Honors 100 section. Consider the following
questions as you prepare your portfolio statement and craft your presentation:
How have your goals and expectations for yourself changed since the start of Autumn quarter?
What is something that has surprised you about yourself in your first quarter?
Was there anything that you learned about in Honors 100 that you would like to investigate further?
What at UW is not what you expected?
What do you hope to achieve by the end of your first year? By the end of your time at UW?
Remember that the assignments from Honors 100 are just a starting point. Please include artifacts
(papers, photographs, presentations, projects, etc. ) and annotations from other first quarter courses or
experiences (Honors and non-Honors alike) that will help you present your story.

My goals and expectations for myself have changed drastically since the beginning of Autumn quarter.
Right before I entered college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do; I wanted to be a double major in Political
Science and Business Administration to go on to a prestigious law school. Throughout high school, I have been
involved in many activities related to law and politics such as being an active participant of the Teen Court
program, assistant at the Edmonds Municipal Court, and Senate Page for the Washington State Senate. So I met
up with a Political Science advisor over the summer and discussed going on a three-year track as a Political
Science major. But when the political science advisor told me that it would be difficult to graduate in four years
with both degrees and honors, I resorted to going on a three-year track with a double major in Political Science
and Economics instead. However, when I realized that taking a full load every summer would be too costly and
would not give me enough time for the internships I wanted to pursue, I decided to stay for four years with a
political science degree. Then I came to think that if for some reason law school did not work out for me,
business would be a more practical degree for me than political science. And because I have always wanted to
study business administration, I decided on becoming a Business major. I was planning on completing business
in four years, but when I formulated by four year plan using my Dars report, it seems like I will be able to
complete all the requirements in three years. I am still planning on going to law school but now I also have the
option of taking the GMAT and applying to the MBA/JD program.
In my first quarter here at the UW I was surprised on how independent I am and how ready I am for
college and the world. I have always been able to adapt well to new environments but this is the first time I am
living away from home and my parents, and I have been astoundingly not home sick and was able to make a
smooth transition. Currently, I am taking Honors 100: Introduction to Honors; Honors 230B: Leadership,
Democracy, and a More Thoughtful Public; Econ 200: Introduction to Microeconomics, and Pol S 203:
Introduction to International Relations. One thing, I have noticed about college is that although people study
hard, they fret less about grades and are more open to their peers. I love engaging in active discussions and
sharing insight with my peers in my political science and honors classes. One of the things, I would like to
further investigate from what Honors 100 put forth for us is study abroad opportunities. I am currently looking
into the Honors art exploration in Italy next summer. I believe that living in new city half way around the globe
and experiencing a new culture will be an enriching experience that will open my eyes to the world and allow
me to grow as a person. I have also never had the chance to take art history in high school as I was focused on
taking more science classes and geared up towards receiving my IB diploma, so this is a wonderful opportunity
for me to study something new.
When I entered UW, I was surprised by how many activities and clubs were offered to students and
because in college each organization requires much more time commitment, I was not able to join as many
organizations as I had hoped. I am currently a senate member of the ASUW Senate and the co-president of the
Good People NGO club but I am still on a time crunch because I am also working 8 hours a week as a Case
Management Intern at the Seattle Municipal Court. However, I would like to join the Undergraduate Law
Review next quarter and also participate in research opportunities sometime in the future. Another thing that
really surprised me was how tight-knit the honors floors are here at the UW and I didn't expect the honors
students to be so social as well as studious. I feel very blessed to make my transition into college with the
honors program and my honors peers.
By the end my first year, I hope to be close to being ready to apply to Foster to get into my major and
have a solid sense of the direction I am going. And by the end of my time here, I hope to have gained many
research and internship experiences and have completed both the interdisciplinary honors and departmental
honors so I can receive a diploma with college honors, which has been my goal since before fall quarter started.
I hope to see myself as a more developed, educated, and well-rounded person than I was ever before and I hope
to become an intellectual adult that is prepared for law school and the world.