Student Spotlight: Vanessa Vargas

Vanessa is nominated by Dr. Kim Kelly, who states, “Vanessa is a conscientious, hard-working, very bright, and generous student. I first met Vanessa in my HDEV 180 class, where she stood out among her peers as deeply engaged with class material. She showed great leadership in class by speaking up and contributing her ideas, even in a sometimes intimidating 100-person video lecture. Her discussion posts and replies to her classmates demonstrated her understanding of and ability to apply course concepts and her commitment to the learning community. In HDEV 470, Vanessa has continued her bold and courageous willingness to be a model student to her peers by volunteering to lead the first class discussion and setting a high bar with a fabulously prepared presentation. Vanessa also goes above and beyond the call of duty as a student. In January, she represented the department at the hearing for instructionally-related funds. She skillfully spoke to a panel of 10 students and faculty providing her perspective how HDEV events have supported her academic achievement.” Vanessa’s academic performance, leadership, and contributions to her department would shine in the HDEV student spotlight.