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Cohort 7: 2024-25
Deka Abdi
Hello! My name is Deka, and I'm a first-generation student pursuing my BS in Biomedical Sciences. I love reading, traveling, Matcha, hiking, and Formula 1. In the future, I plan to pursue a Master's in Physician Assistant and specialize in Pediatrics or Emergency Medicine as a PA.
Isaiah Hunter
Hello, my name is Isaiah Hunter. I would say it is nice to meet you, but it is more of the other way around. Some past/lingering/transient/? hobbies of mine include boardgames, chess, writing, poetry, and reading (I like fantasy novels), but I switch up my interests a lot and I am currently enjoying rock-climbing between classes. This is my first year at UW, but I transferred to UW with credits through running start, so I am currently in the mathematics
Gustavo Vazquez
My name is Gustavo Vazquez, and I’m majoring in Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington Tacoma. Before coming here, I did Running Start in high school, where I took a lot of math, physics, and some coding in C. My experience in Running Start really influenced the interests I developed in those subjects. For example, I taught myself how to code in Java on my own, which was a big step for me. I feel like my interests in math, physics, and computer science all fit together really well with Electrical Engineering, which is why I chose this major.
Frida Russellwaring
Mustafa Al-Nidawi
Hello, my name is Mustafa! As of Winter 2025, I am a sophomore and I am working towards a BA in Computer Science. Career wise, I'm really interested in both the technological and creative aspects of making video games because I'm a very artistic person and I also thrive in STEM. Some of my favorite hobbies are listening to music, painting, gaming, and crocheting (especially crocheting)!
Harshaan Rai
My name is Harshaan, and I am a Computer Science and systems major, though this is my first year here at UWT, I plan on graduating with my B.S. within 3 years. I also have my A.A. degree in general arts, which I completed at Green River College during my 2 years of Running Start. And outside of school I like to play basketball from time to time, but I mostly just enjoy lifting weights, drawing, and playing video games.
Ivan Viloria
Hey! My name is Ivan, and I am a first-year student at UWT pursuing a career in civil or mechanical engineering. Some of my interests include working out, spending time with family and friends, and playing video games when I am not studying. One of my goals is to have a career at Boeing or as a Civil Engineer Project Manager. I look forward to my time at UWT and hope to have a wonderful year(s)!
Izzy Claeson
Hi! I am Izzy and am studying computer engineering and computer science. I moved to Tacoma from Spokane but lived in the Puget Sound area while I was younger. I love being back here and exploring outdoors and more of the area. I love playing video games and I hope to get into the field of video game development or something related to that field.
Zaire Sanders
Hey! My name is Zaire and I am a Biomedical Sciences major, here at UW. My interests include disease research and medicine. In my free time when I am not doing assignments, I like to cook/bake, play some call of duty mobile when I can, and workout. I also love eating and trying new things, along with spending time with my family, friends, and my sweet dog, Wrinkles. Thank you for reading. Stay strong!
Malak Alqasas
Joshua Gitari
Hello, my name is Joshua Gitari. I’m from Kenya and currently pursuing a BS in IT here at UWT. This is my first year and so far I love it. Growing up my interest lied in technology which made IT a perfect choice for me. I'm glad to be a part of Access program as not only do I get mentorship but also a system of support during my journey in pursuit of my interests. Getting to meet people who are working towards similar goals has been a great part and I'm excited to see what the future brings.
Hudah Shoka
Hello, my name is Hudah Shoka. This is my first year at UWT, I hope to get into the Computer Engineering program next fall. I switched my intended major to CE from computer science because I was always drawn to figuring out the way things work. Personally, I find it interesting how the usage of hardware and software can get computers or even robots to perform tasks. Moreover, a few things about me or what I like to do in my free time are binge-watching Netflix series, reading books usually psychological thrillers, romance, or fantasy genres, I like to play video games or puzzle games like Cryptogram, or cooking new recipes I see online.
Saein Pak
Cohort 6: 2023-24
Naima Abdulahi
Hello my name is Naima Abdulahi, I'm a freshman here at UWT, I intend to major in Computer Science. I enjoy reading and painting. I'm excited to experience being a student at UWT.
Eamon Challinor
Hello! My name is Eamon. I am a military child that was originally born in Washington state and have lived in both Hawaii and Okinawa. I am extremely passionate about both technology and the environment, which is why I am pursuing a degree in computer science along with a minor in environmental studies. My other interests include video games, animation, gardening, learning about the world and exploring nature.
Allech Cortes
Hi, my name is Allech Cortes, and I am pursuing a major in Civil Engineering as well as a minor in Urban Studies. Although my ulterior motive is to become an Architect, I will need to explore the worlds of engineering, design, and construction worlds that aid and overall determine how projects for houses, facilities, and skyscrapers are planned and made. While I strive for commitment to my work, I like to unwind by playing video games, progressing my art skills, reading mythological or fantasy action novels, or watching long YouTube documentaries on diverse topics like game analysis, lore dives, playthroughs, and more. In this world, I have one goal, and this is to make a long-lasting impact in anyone's daily life, while I can accomplish this task through acts of kindness, this goal feels a bit more selfish and personal, I want my buildings and monuments to be shown and presented worldwide where I am critiqued, criticized, and praised for my ideas and views of how my work changed to the world and with it the hearts and minds of the people as well. I have great ambitions for my future, and I will do my best to make all that I can dream of possible.
Ash Cossel
Bryan Crim
Hello! My name is Bryan Crim. As of the time I am writing this, I plan to pursue mechanical engineering. I like to play video games and I am from North Carolina.
Jasper Cushman
Hello, I'm Jasper. I come from the countryside of Yelm. This is my first year at UWT and I am pursuing a bachelor's in civil engineering. I am interested in hiking, reading, gaming, working out, and almost any form of arts and crafts. My hopes for being in this program are to make friends with my peers and to understand what I need to do in order to be successful in STEM. My dreams for the future are to have a deeper understanding of the world, design buildings and waterways, and to eventually plan out something on the level of a neighborhood.
Jared Dimacali
Yo! My name is Jared Dimacali. I am a 19-year old junior here at UWT going to officially major in Information Technology next fall! I will pursue a B.S. in Information Technology. I look forward to and have always been passionate in helping people with technology in some way possible. I am a first-generation student and eager to achieve my dreams to represent myself and my underrepresented minority community. I love to play, watch, and talk about sports, especially basketball and football. I also love to play video games and spend quality time with my family and friends. I believe you have no limitations to achieve anything in this world, the only limitations you have are the ones you put on yourself. And shoutout to God. I am not here without Him!
Husneha Ghafoori
Hello, My name is Husneha Ghafoori and my intended major is computer science but I am still exploring my options and seeing what I like best. I like to play tennis and badminton and I love reading. During the summers I try to volunteer and work with kids. I am also very interested in learning new languages as it really gives you a since of accomplishment when you understand a full sentence in a foreign language. I hope to graduate with a major that I like and go on to graduate school. Thankyou for reading.
Carmen Guerrero-Rios
Hello! My name is Carmen Guerrero-Rios, and I am majoring in Electrical Engineering. I have always had an interest in STEM and fell in love with the concept of Electrical Engineering. Growing up I have always loved building and helping with devices such as phones, laptops, and TVs. When it came to picking a major, I found out that Electrical Engineering entailed designing, developing, and testing electric equipment such as chips, and circuits. I am thankful to the ACCESS of STEM program for supporting me in pursuing this degree.
Hamda Jama
Hello! My name is Hamda Jama. This is my first year at UW Tacoma as a junior pursuing a BS in computer science. My hobbies are reading, painting, and playing bandminton. My goal is to become a software engineer.
Hassan Jama
Hello, my name is Hassan Jama. I'm currently a sophomore with plans to major in computer science. My hobbies include playing video games, reading books, and hiking. One of my goals is to pursue a career as a software engineer.
Salem Kidane
Hello! My name is Salem Kidane. I am a biomedical sciences major. Something about me, I like to challenge myself, read a book in my spare time and play a harp. My plan is to be a neurologist after completing four years of medical school and be a good resource for my community.
Thomas Lovitt
Riley Lux
Hello, I am Riley Lux and I am a Freshman this year at UWT. I am studying to major in Environmental Science and exploring other classes to see if other things may interest me. I have several hobbies like photography, sports, and gaming. I travel in the state quite a bit to go hiking and take photos of nature. I am an extremely introverted person, so that is a struggle that some may relate to. I wish to become a Park Ranger in the future, so I can take care of and conserve parks and wildlife, travel and explore beautiful parts of the world, and take pictures.
Gavin Matias
Hello! My name is Gavin Matias and I'm currently working towards my BS in IT. I'm more interested in the software and hardware portion of IT and have enjoyed working with it at my current workplace. In my free time, I mostly play videogames with friends or relax with some videos.
Narielle Mendoza
Hello everyone, my name is Narielle Mendoza. I am currently a junior, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Healthcare amazes me with the extraordinary care of healthcare professionals with their attributions of science and care for their patients. I am deeply motivated towards this pathway because science is always all around us! I love STEM! In my free time I love to read, listen to music, cook, bake, go to museums, go on exciting adventures, play checkers, and anything that is mentally stimulating I am willing to try!
Kaitlyn Miller
Amaya Nielsen-Maxfield
Nghi Phan
Hi, my name is Nghi. I’m an environmental science major in the conservation and ecology track here at UWT. In my free time, I love trying new food and experiences with my friends. And in the future, I hope to give back to my community through advancing climate and food justice.
Sage Sands
My interests in college are primarily centered around geology, and natural sciences. I went into the environmental science pathway because I was my end goal to be to find a job that feels like more of a hobby. Natural sciences have always been something that I am interested in, every summer I always went to camps and clubs centered around STEM related activities. I hope to one day achieve this goal and get a degree in environmental science, so that I can put the classes that I am learning now to good use out in the world.
Hanifah Sen
Hello, my name is Hanifah. I’m a first year at UWT hoping to pursue mechanical engineering. Some of my hobbies are camping, baking, badminton, and photography. My career goal is to get into the product development field or renewable energy field. I’m glad to be part of the ACCESS in STEM program and excited to learn!
Leo Seo
Hey everyone! My name is Leo and I am a 19 year old junior majoring in Information Technology here at UWT! I graduated from Green River College and Auburn Riverside High School in 2023. My hobbies include playing video games, tennis, working out, and reading. I have always had an interest in anything involving computers ever since I built my desktop back in 2019, and my goal is to graduate and work while enjoying what I do.
Bao Trinh
My name is Bao, and I'm pursuing a Computer Science BS major. My interests include tennis, snowboarding, and playing video games. My current goals are to efficiently code computing software and excel in my classes. My dream is to become a successful coder, creating software that benefits everyone around me and contributes to making the world a better place.
Jesse Walton V
My name is Jesse Walton V. I am African American as well as Native American. I have two sisters named Aaliyah and Roxanne, who are attending the University of Washington Tacoma with me. My desired major is computer science. My hobbies include photography (mostly portraits), videogames, and sports. I also really enjoy movies and listening to music.
Cohort 5: 2022-23
Natan
Hey! I'm Natan and I intend to major in Computer Engineering. Some of my interests include music, board games, volleyball, and a variety of other things. I have always dreamed of being a professional musician (I play on the worship team at church and make music by myself), but never felt like trying to make a living out of it was my calling. Thus I settled on Computer Engineering mainly because I've always been interested in Science and Math and I think that learning to work with computers will be incredibly useful. Still, I think I can still achieve my goal of being a musician, and though I may not get a job out of my playing, I think the most important part is being the best that I can be in worship with God.
Connor Buie
This is my first year at UW so I look forward to meeting new people in the STEM field. My main goal for my time at UW is to get through the Computer Engineering program because working with computers and physical hardware has been interest that I've had since I was young. I also love playing and reading about anything fantasy related so I'm open to talking about it with anyone.
Josh Chang
Hello my name is Josh. Some of my interest are mountain biking and a little bit of drawing. My goals for the future are either become a computer scientist or a teacher. I am still thinking about other options, but I do not know what kinds of fields I want to be a part of. I hope I can enjoy my time here at UWT and have a great year!
Rosemary Roach
Hi! My names Rosemary, I'm a 17 year old computer science student from Olympia. I really enjoy computer science, and math, but my main interests outside of school include indie video games, cooking, and coffee!
Aziz Al Jubeer
Hello! My name is Aziz. I am an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Washington Tacoma. I graduated from Bonney Lake High School with an interest in many occupations including Psychology and IT. My hobbies include playing video games, tennis, and reading (on a good day). I am aiming to be myself and do what makes me happy while making my family proud and becoming the best IT you have ever known.
Quienten Miller
Hello, I'm Quienten Miller. I'm a freshman pursuing a BS in Computer Science. I love programming and hope to enter the software development field after graduation. I also like listening to music and gaming.
Christina Situ
Hello! My name is Christina Situ and I plan to major in B.S. Computer Science. I like to code, but I also enjoy activities like drawing, video games, sports, reading, and anything that’s fun. My goal is to become a software engineer or network security at a company.
Nathaniel Mann
Hello! My name is Nathaniel Mann. I am an 18-year-old junior majoring in Computer Science and Systems. Taking the intro to programing during running start sparked my interest in the field and made me want to take more courses like it. My hobbies include building keyboards, working out, and making drinks. One of my goals is to be able to learn more about as many aspects of computer science as I can.
Balkirat Singh
Hi I am from Sumner Washington and graduated from Sumner high school. I am currently a full time student and UW tacoma planning on majoring in computer science. I like to keep and active lifestyle which includes going outside, socializing with friends, and doing resistance training. It helps me keep a positive attitude throughout my day. One think I truly find important to me would be my social circle around me. This could be certain friends, colleagues, and family members. I believe that your are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with and I try to surround myself with people that have the same morals and goals as me to push me further.
Yosan Habte Tesfay
Hi! My name is Yosan Tesfay, and I am a Computer Science major. In my free time, I love to try and cook new foods, watch shows, and exercise. As I work towards my degree, I am excited to see what skills and connections I gain.
Hanaan Ali
Hello! My name is Hanaan Ali, and I am going into Information Technology. I love henna, traveling, and learning languages! I am currently studying Arabic so that it can become my third language. In the future, my goal is to become a validation engineer or an IT security analyst.
Jay
Hey! My name is Jay. I'm 19 years old and a freshman here at UWT, and I intend to major in Mechanical Engineering. In my free time I love going to the gym, reading manga, sometimes playing chess, also I have a longtime passion for cars, and I usually work on them during the weekends with my uncle. Over the summer of 2022 I did get to intern at Kenworth which is a semi-truck company, and I was responsible for mounting the engine to the chassis, connecting the driveline to the transmission, and a couple of other tasks. Overall, it was a cool experience (almost lost a finger), and it made my passion for building things stronger.
Fatoumata Diallo
My name is Fatoumata Diallo, I am first year student at UWT majoring in biomedical sciences with a minor in global health. I am originally from Guinea, which is in west Africa. In my free times I like to paint, and watch shows. I’m really interested in going into the medical field to become a doctor and I hope to make an impact in underrepresented communities as well as do research. 
Henry Dinh
Hello I am Henry. I enjoy many things, like games, music, etc. On the scholarly end, I like my science and math. I am happy to be part of this wonderful program. I hope that I can continue my future and find a good career for myself
Anahad Judge
Hello, I’m a first generation US college student in my family, which originates from India. I’m an illustrator and I build models for fun. My goal is to graduate college in order to pursue my dream as a neurologist.
Liam Coalman
Hello there! My name is Liam Coalman, (which is a rather ironic last name considering my major is Environmental Science)! Currently I am 18 years old, and I am attending my first year at UWT after graduating from TCC and Peninsula High School. I enjoy traveling with my family and watching anime in my free time.
Favor Gesinde
Hi, my name is Favor Gesinde! It's my first year at UWT and I am planning to major in Biomedical Sciences. I went to high school at Curtis High. I participated in the running start program in TCC and was able to earn an Associates in Biology during that time. My dream career would be a physician and I would also like to participate in medical research!
Drew Kloetsch
Hello, My name is Drew. I am from Kent, Washington and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. I am planning on majoring in Information Technology because I love learning more about technology. Being a part of the Access in STEM cohort has been an incredible opportunity for me and I can't wait for what the future holds.
Rachael McCurrie
Hello, my name is Rachael McCurrie, I like animal facts, zoology, cartoons/animation, and I'm an artist. One of my goals is to graduate for University of Washington with a degree in environmental science. One of my dreams is to study aboard or visit other countries.
Salma
My name is Salma and I’m a first generation college student intending to major in biomedical sciences. I enjoy reading, watching tv and spending time with my friends and family. My passion is to help improve community health whether it be in a clinical or research setting. I’m really glad to be a part of the ACCESS program because of the resources it provides me to succeed.
Robyn Watkins
My name is Robyn Watkins, I'm a sophomore intending to major in civil engineering. . I'm originally from Alaska, but I moved to Washington when I was younger and have now been living here for more than 10 years. . I like to spend my time gardening, raising my chickens, and gaming.&nbs. My main career goals are to be able to reform the public transportation system to better serve more people, and to be able to redesign urban areas so that people are able to fully enjoy the many possible benefits available in urban environments.
