Hey, I'm Logan!

It's nice to meet everyone finally!

My name is Logan, and I've lived in Washington my whole life thus far. I just finished up high school at Edmonds Woodway last June, so this is my first "official" quarter at EdCC. But between a haphazard mix of Running Start, College in the High School, and International Baccalaureate classes, I've already become fairly acquainted with school here.

I plan to continue past Edmonds once I get my AA to the University of Washington. There I plan to join the College of Built Environments and get my BA in Community, Regional, and Urban Planning. In a nutshell, Urban Planners work hand in hand with architects, engineers, businesses, and communities to plan and build everything that goes into a city. The wonderful view of the Puget Sound you can get from almost any hill in Edmonds? That wouldn't be possible without the careful, diplomatic work of planners restricting building height. Even storefront signs need to be regulated so that business' aren't hindering each other.


I currently work as a Server's Assistant at The Hook Seafood and Broiler in Perrinville, but my passion above anything else is photography. I live by my motto "Do it for the shot" everyday, and I love that photography teaches me so many new things and brings me to unimaginable places.

          

          

Of course, if you're interested in seeing more of my work, check out my Instagram at @lhopkinsphotography, or email me at lhopkinsphotography@gmail.com for any other inquiries.


Always pushing me and supporting me for almost a year now is my girlfriend Kiyoko. Besides making me look like a 3rd grader in terms of intelligence daily, she is curious, artistic, hilarious, and my best friend.

          

The PNW is without a doubt my favorite place on earth. Not only calling it my home makes it special, but also the people, sports teams, culture, parks, forests, beaches, water, weather (yes, ESPECIALLY the rain). Just the overall incredible natural landscape around us will forever amaze and stun me. Anything that can help me discover and appreciate more of this little piece of the world is always welcome to me, which is largely my reasoning for taking this class. I largely just want to explore new places through the opportunity to have field trips, as well as simply learn more about the nature I already appreciate the most.

Hello, I'm Samantha.

Hello, I'm Samantha. I am 20 years old, and I currently live in Everett. I graduated from Mariner High School in 2014, and I am just now starting college. I worked as a dental assistant for almost a year at UW dental urgent care clinic, and decided that It's not what I really wanted to do. I took this class because I thought that it would be fun, and I wanted to learn more about the nature surrounding me. I want to become a pediatrician, specifically dealing with babies. I'm looking to volunteer at Seattle children's hospital, and to shadow doctors.

 I love the ocean, and I don't think I can live far from it. I love watching documentaries about nature around the world, especially ones about oceans and aquatic life. I haven't gone on too many adventures, but my favorite one was when I went to the Philippines to visit family, and celebrate my 18th birthday. I am planning to explore the coast of the UK, and to see castles.

These are some photos taken in the Philippines that I've chosen:

Hello, I am Alexandra

Hello everyone! My name is Alexandra and I am very excited for a fun quarter of learning and exploring this beautiful place we call home! I am spent many years living in Florida, by way of Texas, and I was definitely shocked with all of the differences when I moved here; I had never seen so many trees in my life! While there are many things I will still never be used to (the water here is always so cold!) this area is by far the most beautiful place I have ever lived. I feel very lucky to live somewhere where mountains, beaches, abundant wildlife and a metropolitan city are all within reach. The people here are so friendly and I love watching the seasonal changes that happen here.

I live in Mill Creek which is a very small little town so I attempt to get out and explore as much as humanly possible! I love spending time in and around Seattle as there is just so much to see. I enjoy spending time at Alki Beach (cliche, I know!), love all the restaurants and the vibe of Capitol Hill, and am always searching for the perfect cup of coffee and the perfect bookstore to enjoy it in.

I currently work full-time as a manager at AMC Southcenter 16 while attending school full time. After I finished high school I had no idea what exactly I wanted to do with my life and took some time to explore myself and figure out my interests. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have learned from my job as I have gained a lot of experience from being the head of HR, ordering all product for the theatre, handling all auditing for our theatre and, most importantly, learning how to be a better leader every day! I love math and would love a career as an auditer. Another great perk of my job: Seahawks come to see movies all the time! Meeting Kam Chancellor was my highlight as he one of my favorite players!

In my spare time I love to watch and obsess over football, read anything I can get my hands on, paint (although not well!), and hang out with my friends or my adorable cat! I am not a very exciting person and spend most of my time working, driving to work, and doing homework. My guiltiest pleasure is sleep and I love nothing more than the rare days that I get to lay in bed until noon!

Hello Everyone, my name is Jamie Hennessy.

I am 25 and currently working on my Transfer Degree in hopes to getting into Western for a K-8 Education Certificate. I am mostly interested in teaching Kindergarten where I hope to instill my creativity and energy into progressing their education. (I'm also a perfectionist, and I am not really sure as to if it is a good thing or not, but I do know it makes for extra attention to detail.)

I just turned in a study abroad application for next quarter to be in Australia and New Zealand, so fingers crossed, next week I shall be notified if I have been approved. *positive thoughts*
I have never been out of the country before, so it will definitely be an experience of a lifetime.

I currently work a full time job as a Assistant Manager/Merchandiser. On my days off I enjoy seeking out new experiences, hiking, art expression, or catching up with friends and family. Learning or experiencing something new is always exciting to me, I would rather know/experience a little of everything than to have mastered and focused on a few things.

Hi! My name is Dana.

Hello, my name is Dana Gray. I live in Downtown Edmonds and am taking biology 105 to satisfy my science requirements. I am considering transferring to the University of Washington for an interdisciplinary degree. However, I absolutely love living in our beautiful state and I spend as much time outdoors as I can. I particularly love the water. I love stand up paddle boarding, hiking, going to the river, and just roaming around and discovering new and interesting places and things in Washington. I love reading, cooking, writing, and music. Most of all, I LOVE dancing. Although my original love of music is grunge rock and the classics, dancing to electronic music is an awesome rush and connecting with people through beats and dance is amazing. I am truly excited to discover cool places and learn more about the diversity in nature in our state!

Hey, I'm Devin

Hey everyone, my name is Devin. This is my second quarter at EDCC and I previously attended Meadowdale High School. Like a lot of you I've lived in western Washington my whole life and am excited to learn about all the different life forms around me!

I plan on becoming a history teacher with a specific focus on United States History. Between school, friends, and taking care of a new puppy I'm usually pretty busy. I am also a server at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Lynnwood.

I'm excited to learn more about ecology and to get to know the rest of you!

Hello, I'm Nick.

Hello, I'm Nick.

I am 28 years old. When I was in high school I took running start and attended Edmond's CC and stayed in till I was 20 years old. Then I left Washington and signed up for adventure in the USAF. Unfortunately it wasn't that adventurous and after 6 years I came back Washington. When I got home I spent a year and a half working dead end jobs trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life. Eventually I decided on pursuing something in Biology or Ecology. So now I am back at EDCC and on my 2nd quarter.

I love hiking, every opportunity I get I will go hiking. I'm also a big history buff and like to explore historical sites when I get the opportunity. I guess I'm just big on exploring in general. I like to do this with my wife, Jessica, and my two dogs, Murphy and Annibal, whenever I can.

My wife is in the military, she joined just after I got out. This means that I will soon be heading back to the southwest where she will be stationed. Until then I'm gonna soak up as much of the great Pacific Northwest as I can.

Hi! I'm Carman!

Hi, I'm Carman.  I live on Whidbey Island and that's also where I grew up.  I was on a different career path out of high school, for about ten years, but it didn't suit me all that well.  After that I started to become a gardener, which has been wonderful!  A year ago I started the Edmonds horticulture program as a full-time student and I love it so far! 



I should have my program completed, except for one class, by this coming spring.  The one class I'll still need won't be offered again until spring 2018.  I'm not sure if I'll take more classes at Edmonds during that time, like going through the Spanish program, or spend most of the time working.

My plan after graduation is to have my own garden management company on Whidbey Island.  That's sort of similar to what I was doing before starting at Edmonds but I'll offer a lot more services now and just generally do a better job of it.  I might also be interested in working for a city or a public garden for a couple years out of Edmonds, just to get the experience.  It depends on how well I continue dealing with the commute and if an opportunity presents itself.

My degree from Edmonds will be in Landscape and Restoration Horticulture.  The Restoration part of that started in the spring when I took an Introduction to Restoration Ecology class.  It was in that class that I started focusing on the fact that I've never really had an ecology class before.  When I have my own company I'll be interested in forest restoration (ecology) practices when I get large estate garden clients that also have natural woodland.  It'll also be possible that I could have clients that have wetlands on their property, or other unique ecosystems, although my interest is currently mostly about forest ecosystems.  But I am excited about all the things we'll learn in class this quarter!

This class is contributing to my program as a substitute for a sustainability energy class that's not currently being offered.  I live on 4 acres with my parents.

Hi, I'm Melissa!

Hi everyone, I'm Melissa! I'm currently finishing up my associates degree and I intend to transfer to a university to pursue a career in art. My long term goal is to work as an art teacher. I love taking classes at Edmonds, the art department is really fun and I encourage everyone to take at least one art class.

 I've lived in Western Washington for my entire life and I absolutely love living between the ocean and the mountains. I can't imagine living anywhere else. My family absolutely loves animals and wildlife, at our home in Mountlake Terrace we've gotten pretty good at attracting lots of local birds, squirrels, and other less-welcome creatures.

 When I'm not at school or hanging out at home, I really like going on hikes with my dad and brother. My dad and I like exploring less popular trails and finding new places to adventure up in the mountains. We're both really into photography, and to be honest we're pretty stubborn. When my dad and I find a new trail, we're not very good at turning around even if we get really tired or the trail turns out to be a little more intense than we were expecting. It's always worth it though, Western Washington is a beautiful place to live!

 

Hello, I'm Cody

Hey I'm Cody, I'm a second year edmonds cc student pursing a career in teaching or film. I'm really torn between the two, the greater Seattle area is the best in the country for hiring male history teachers, but I may not want to stay in Seattle my whole life. I would enjoy a career in film, however a career is never guarantied.

I grew up in Monroe and Woodinville, and now I'm living in Kenmore with my wife an two adorable 13 week old kittens Gohan and Bear. Gohan is the cross eyed one.



I'm really excited to learn a lot more about ecology. As a kid my mother was a plant broker, until middle school my sister and I would travel all around Seattle discovering hard to find plants for sale, and delivering them to a landscape crew. I'm exited to resdiscover some of the plants I knew back then.

In my free time I enjoy learning new music to play on my keyboard or guitar. However I hope to discover new hobbies here at Edmonds CC.

I'm Carly

Hello everyone!

I'm Carly Rigby

This is my first quarter at EdCC. Previously I attended Glacier Peak High School. My sister Courtney is also attending EdCC, but sadly I wasn't able to convince her to take this course.

I am (since September 14) 19 years old, and have always appreciated the early or late (never on time!) birthday present that is school.

I decided to take this course because I've always been interested in Washington's nature. My grandfather was a career park ranger and worked at North Cascades National Park for around 10 years, and since my dad grew up in the National Parks, he never hesitated to acquaint me and my sisters with the places and nature he grew up with. I'd like to learn a little bit more about the native plant life besides the basic tree, fern, and flower names that I know. 

I currently am volunteering at the Everett Animal Shelter, I enjoy TV, and love Science Fiction.

The photo is a selfie of me in one of the plazas in Dubrovnik, Croatia this summer.

Hey, I am Julian

Hey, I am Julian!

I am 16 years old (Not for long, My birthday is November 17th) and this is my first quarter in running start!

I live right next to Martha Lake with my mom, dad, and sister. I currently have 1 dog, a miniature pinscher  named Rory! Hopefully sometime soon I will be getting a tortoise as well!

In the past I used to like to stay busy by doing athletics(generally martial arts) I am a 2nd degree senior black belt in Taekwondo(7 years), and a white belt 2 stripes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu(1 year). I hardly remember any of my training though!! Recently i haven't been able to be athletic because I am prone to injury!! I get concussions all the time, i have fractured my back, and recently I subluxed my shoulder(dislocation that keeps slipping back out for weeks). Not fun!!!

I am currently employed at the Alderwood Mall Jamba Juice! I also have a side job as a paintball zombie at Thomas Family Farms!!

Just like Gwen, I really enjoy nature and i plan on pursuing a career in ecology. I really care about the Earth and I love being out in nature. I would consider myself a very curious person. Because of this, I find the smallest things SUPER interesting.

Im sure that I could find more to talk about but that is all that I can think of for now. I am really looking forward to this class and meeting you all!

-Julian Markfield

This is me at the peak of a mountain that i cant remember the name of! Also, i look upset because the sun was directly in my eyes.

Hi, I am Gwen.

Hi everyone!

Welcome to our blog!

I am hoping that this will be a place that we can get to know each other and share what we have learned and discovered on our adventures in Western Washington. 
This is an informal place but we want to be welcoming and respectful of all people and all ideas. We are a community and sharing and respect will help us build a place that we feel comfortable to learn. Okay? I am hoping that you can help me make this a cool blog that you like to post to and visit. Please share any ideas you have for this blog in your personal blog posts!

Your Blog assignment #1 is super easy. Simply introduce yourself (again) to your classmates. Please include a photo so we know what you look like since we will only meet you face to face a few times.
Then tell us a little bit about yourself. Photos and videos are always fun to see if you have some to share. Tell us what interests you about Western Washington and what you would like to learn more about. I will do my best to address as much as I can.

Okay, let me start!

I am Gwen. My real name (in case you have not noticed) is Jennifer but there were a lot of Jennifers the year I was born so I have gone by Gwen since high school. My last name is difficult to spell and so I usually have "bugheart" in my email. The name bugheart also came about when I was in high school, long before I decided to study insects. It's a long story and a strange coincidence.

I go my BS in Entomology and Microbiology with minors in French and German at Washington State University. Then I worked at UW and UNC for several years in labs working with butterfly evolution. Finally I decided to go to graduate school and I ended up at University of Maryland in the Entomology Department working with Pedro Barbosa (most awesome advisor ever) on Insect Ecology of forest insects. My PhD was in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. I worked on tritrophic interactions. This means I was interested in how the plant that insects eat influences things that eat the caterpillars- in my case that was parasitoids that lay their eggs inside caterpillars and eat the caterpillar from the inside out - like in Aliens. I did a lot of teaching in graduate school, including teaching biology, ecology, entomology, genetics, and plant-herbivore interactions. When I (finally) finished my PhD, I moved with my partner from Washington to DC to Switzerland for my post-doc. 

I worked at the University of Neuchatel on Lima bean beetle evolution - how beetles that eat beans adapt to the highly toxic (cyanide!) wild lima bean. I lived in Switzerland for 4 years and spend 3 months every winter in Oaxaca, Mexico- a tiny costal town called Puerto Escondido.

It was pretty awesome but a lot of work. I spend a lot of time in the field but also had time to surf and lay on the beach. Science & surfing was living the good life.

I moved back to Seattle in 2014 to be close to family and return to what I call the Switzerland of the USA - the Pacific Northwest. My favorite place in the USA.

I have always loved to teach so I was excited to get a position here at Edmonds Community College. I have mostly taught at universities but I love the students best here at EdCC. The students (you!) are awesome and make it fun to come to work.

When I am not working my favorite things to do are thrift shopping for vintage stuff...

collecting...

go to music shows, usually on capitol hill, where I live, or downtown, and of course I am always running around in the forest or on the beach looking at things and picking up things...

and getting excited about all the cool organisms that surround us.

Anything else you want to know about me? Just comment below.

Now it's your turn!
Tell us about you.