Washington State Senator
What/where did you study beyond high school?
"Political science at the University of Washington, urban planning at the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and law at the University of Washington School of Law."
What are you doing now?
"Practicing law and serving as a member of the Washington State Senate."
Would you do anything differently?
"I'd be born wealthy--it will be 28 years from the time I entered college until my student loans are paid off."
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
"Take easier courses during your first two or three quarters, so that you can adjust to your new surroundings without destroying your GPA--you'll need it later. Sign up for a quarter overseas, and take an extra (summer) quarter to travel while you're there--once you leave college it will be much more difficult. Enjoy every second of being young, bright, and good-looking, and being surrounded by the same. It'll never happen again."
Carrie Brownstein
Guitarist/Singer for Sleater-Kinney
What/where did you study beyond high school?
"Sociolinguistics at the Evergreen State College."
What are you doing now?
"Playing in a rock band, freelance writing, assisting a university sociolinguistics research project, and substitute-teaching high school English."
Would you do anything differently?
"No."
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
"Try not to be career-oriented--it can feel too limiting. Use college as a means of edification and exploration. Now is the time to shed bad haircuts, manners, or nicknames that held you back in high school. Work on your vocabulary."
Robert Mancenzio
a.k.a. Gaysha Starr
What/where did you study beyond high school?
"I studied communications and journalism at Skagit Valley Community College, but I dropped out. I was tired of school and I wanted to live life."
What are you doing now?
"I'm a writer and ad executive at the Seattle Gay Standard newsweekly. And I'm a drag queen, Gaysha Starr."
Would you do anything differently?
"I don't think so. It took a while to be what I wanted to be--I had to go through retail and selling insurance--but it was all worth it."
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
"Don't get caught up into people's expectations of you. Play hard and study hard at the same time. When in doubt, do it."
Jamie Redd
Seattle Storm
What/where did you study beyond high school?
"I studied speech communication and played basketball at the University of Washington."
What are you doing now?
"Right now, I divide my time between playing in the WNBA for the Seattle Storm, working part-time for Butler Enterprise Group, and playing professionally overseas."
Would you do anything differently?
"No."
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
"Be focused from day one, and prepare yourselves to juggle multiple responsibilities."
Nicole Brodeur
Seattle Times Columnist
What/where did you study beyond high school?
"I went to Glassboro State College in southern New Jersey. It's now called Rowan University, because some alumnus gave them $100 million several years back. I took law classes, then changed my major to journalism. After graduation, I went to Temple University's graduate school to study history."
What are you doing now?
"Writing a column for The Seattle Times, and raising my son."
Would you do anything differently?
"I would have paid more attention, gotten better grades, gone to a better college, been more in tune with internship programs, and had a little more focus. But had I done that, I would have missed a lot of Dead shows, missed meeting some of my closest friends, and never learned how to waitress, which is the best way to learn about people. One other thing: I would have dated Jim Quirk. That was a HUGE boat I missed."
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
"Follow your gut, be yourself, and be open to things. Work hard, play hard, and get enough sleep. Say 'no' loud and clear. And call your mother."
