Category: Student Voices
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From GED to Portland MBA: A Journey of Resilience and Purpose
Brandi Swiderski’s path to Portland State University was anything but typical. A recovering addict, mother, and first-generation college student, Swiderski turned a moment of truth with her child into the spark that launched a transformative academic journey. Now graduating with a double major from The School of Business — with plans to return for her…
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Brains and Brawn: PSU Graduate Student Athletes Excel Beyond Sports
For a select group of student athletes at Portland State, this fall brings new opportunities to excel in their sport — and new academic challenges to overcome as they enter their first season as graduate student athletes at PSU. We talked with these driven individuals about their decision to attend graduate school at PSU, and…
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May the (musical) force be with you: A postcard from Skywalker Sound
For 40 students in Portland State’s acclaimed Chamber Choir, Memorial Day weekend brought the thrill of a lifetime. The award-winning ensemble boarded a plane bound for San Francisco to spend six days recording at the legendary Skywalker Sound, on George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch.
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Muralist Kyra Watkins Celebrates Jason Washington’s Life Through Portraiture
Kyra Watkins, a Portland-based public and digital artist hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, served as PSU’s Artist in Residence during the 2023-2024 academic year, during which she created the new Jason Washington Mural now on display in Smith Memorial Student Union. Watkins’ background is primarily in portraiture and figurative work, as well as in large-scale public…
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The 4Ts of Portland: My Experience with the Trail
Portland’s 4T Trail takes you through the city, the forest, local parks, and downtown neighborhoods, and incorporates four different ways to get around: the trail, the tram, the trolley and the train. The 4 Ts of Portland, if you will.
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Creating a Culture of Care
Many people fear that asking someone about suicidal thoughts may plant the idea in their head. But as students in the Center for Student Health and Counseling’s (SHAC) suicide prevention course learn, there isn’t any evidence that supports this misconception. Studies show that talking about suicide does not increase suicidal ideation or behaviors, though it…
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Her Name is LaMoosh: Alum’s memoir book award finalist
Alum Linda Meanus, who is 73, has published her own book, up for an Oregon Book Award. The words in the book are her own — but it was a collaborative storytelling effort with fellow alum Lily Hart ’18 and Prof. Katy Barber that helped bring it to life.
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Empowering Girls and Changing the World
Happy Women’s History Month! To recognize and celebrate the value and contributions of women and girls to society, we are highlighting the PSU capstone course GirlPower!, taught by Professor Sally Eck. GirlPower! is not your average class. Over the course of a term, PSU students in the University Studies track work closely with a group…
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Conversing and Collaging with Contemporary Artist Jay Lynn Gomez
In late February, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU (JSMA at PSU) invited nationally recognized, contemporary visual artist Jay Lynn Gomez to campus to facilitate a student art-making workshop and participate in the museum’s first “Art in Conversation” event, featuring PSU students and faculty in conversation with contemporary visual artists.