Rylee Walter, who graduated from Whitworth with Honors in 2019, is back – only this time, she’s an adjunct Communication professor and the Assistant Director of Forensics. She attributes much of her life path thus far to the experiences and mentorship the Honors program provided.

While an undergraduate student, Rylee decided to take part in the Honors program for the challenges and growth opportunities it provided. She enjoyed the Honors and AP level classes she took in high school, and decided to see what she thought of Honors in college.
While in the Honors program, Rylee recalls that it allowed for “rich experiences” and connections between those “who were looking for deep, thoughtful exchanges.”

The most impactful part of Rylee’s participation in the Honors program was a research project she completed with Dr. Mike Ingram and Dr. Alan Mikkleson, two Communication studies professors. This project ended up blossoming into a large part of her undergraduate career as she presented it at conferences and published it. The research project also allowed her to learn from her professors “in a much more involved setting than found in the classroom.”

After Rylee graduated from Whitworth with a double-major in Speech Communication and English Literature, she decided to go straight to grad school. She credits a large part of that decision to her experience doing the research project.

Rylee chose to go to the University of Montana for an MA in Communication Studies. When admitted, she earned a scholarship and teaching assistantship position based on her application. These, she believes, were largely due to how the Honors program allowed her to become a qualified candidate.

“I remember feeling so grateful that I had the opportunity to build [research] skills as an undergraduate. I definitely felt like I had an advantage [in grad school], thanks to the research project.”

Now that Rylee is teaching at Whitworth, she has realized another effect that the Honors program had on her: allowing her to encounter professors that serve as role models. “I think back to the best professors I worked with as an undergraduate,” she says, “and try to emulate what made them so exemplary.”

Rylee encourages any student who is considering being part of the Honors program to connect with the Honors faculty, especially the director, Bert Emerson. “I would also encourage prospective students to take the plunge – Honors can seem daunting at first since it necessitates extra requirements, but I found the experience to be worth it in the end… [and for me], it opened doors that may not have been opened otherwise.”