Word to the Wildcats CWU SLICE

Word to the WIldcats, Season 7, Episode 1 kicks off with our two co-hosts Zaire and Molly engaging in a conversation around Health and Wellness.

Ronnie Burris is a current senior at Central Washington University actively pursuing graduate school education in some of the top educational departments in the world. Ronnie has worked in a variety of different offices throughout his undergraduate experience including Housing and Residence Life, Orientation and Transitions Programs, and Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement/Diversity & Equity Center Mentoring. Ronnie hopes to further empower black students through the systems of education and the world!

Dr. Cindy Bruns received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.  Her experience includes 20 years in university counseling centers, with specialty background in college student mental health, trauma, and the interaction between social justice and mental health.  Dr. Bruns has been at Central Washington University for nearly 13 years, serving first as Counseling Services’ Training Director.  She has been the Director of Counseling for CWU since 2019.

Professor Andrea Eklund has been at CWU teaching Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising for 15 years. Starting out with 25 students she solely built the program for 11 years to a thriving industry-relevant program with graduates working at small and large companies like REI, Eddie Bauer, Zumiez, Zulily, Amazon, and Nike to name a few. Andrea’s time in the industry as a Quality Engineer for Nordstrom’s private label division, Nordstrom Product Group gave her experience working with men’s, women’s, kid’s, at home, accessories, and shoes. Part of her position at Nordstrom included social responsibility with the many brands she worked with. Andrea brings this experience into the classroom for industry-relevant content assuring students are prepared for the industry. Courses throughout the program include information on social responsibility-related topics and how students can make a difference in the apparel industry.

Makenna Thuringer is the President of CWU SISTERS and has been an officer on the board for SISTERS for three years and a member her freshman year. Makenna is a senior at Central Washington University majoring in Public Health with a specialization in Population Health. She intends to further her education after receiving her bachelor's degree by applying to MPH Graduate Programs around the US. She is heavily involved on campus and currently works at SLICE (Student Leadership Involvement and Community Engagement) as a student program leader and at the Wellness Center as a Peer Health Educator. Makenna gives credit to SISTERS for providing an environment to grow and be the leader she is today. She has volunteered much of her time helping better the CWU and greater Ellensburg community through her time at SISTERS. She is incredibly proud of how far SISTERS has come over the last few years and is excited to see the community grow with the next generation of leaders.

Katelyn Richardson is a Senior majoring in Food Science and Nutrition with a specialization in dietetics. Katelyn's career goal is to become a diabetes educator for kids. She is Vice President of Sisters, Public Relations Officer of Nutrition Science Club, and a contributor to Her Campus. She's passionate about getting involved at Central by creating memories and meeting different people. The roles she's taken on in her senior year have helped her enhance my leadership abilities and learn from others. I hope to take all that I've learned here at Central and continue to grow and excel.

Season 5, Episode 4 features Nathaniel McMillion with the CWU Black Student Union. Nate dives into conversations exploring Foundations of Leadership and the reality of being black in Ellensburg. During his time at Central, Nate has had the opportunity to serve as the student trustee, president for the Black Student Union, worked with multiple Equity and Service Counsel organizations such as CASA and Polycentral, and has worked in the Diversity and Equity Center since his sophomore year. He is majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Africana Black Studies. Nate's interest in Public Relations stems from his previous experiences serving as a youth pastor and making connections with people of all ages and ethnicities. He came to CWU after working at Verizon Wireless in Kent. He began as a sales representative but was later promoted to the assistant manager position right before coming to Central. Nate was born in Tacoma, Washington, and remained there until his graduation from Bethel High School in 2011. After receiving his diploma, Nate moved to Kent in pursuit of a career interest that later led him to rediscover his love for Public Relations and to apply to Central.