Assistantship-FA23-SP24-assistants

Introduction

Sumaya Ali

Sumaya earned a Bachelor's in English and Education from the University of Washington. Upon graduating she worked as an ESL paraeducator and received her TESOL certificate. Currently, Sumaya works as a program coordinator for a non-profit supporting immigrants and refugees. As an aspiring instructional designer with a background in teaching and writing, she hopes to use these skills to create effective and inclusive learning materials.

In her free time, Sumaya loves to watch documentaries, write poetry, play tennis, and spend time with family and friends.

Sumaya is working with Dr. Martinez.

Alexis Bolick

Alexis is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in OPWL at Boise State. She is originally from North Carolina but has been living within the Bay Area in California for the past five years. Alexis received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Psychology in 2020 and has a professional background in customer service and operations; however, her true passion has always lied in employee development. Alexis will become a full-time student as of Fall 2022 and is excited to obtain experience in instructional design and consulting.

In her free time, Alexis enjoys kayaking and rock climbing with her fiancé.

Alexis is working with Dr. da Silva.

Madison Bovee

Madison earned a Bachelor's degree and an Idaho Teaching certificate from the University of Idaho in Elementary Education with a certification in Cultural Pedagogy, along with endorsements in Math, Literacy, and English as a Second Language. During her undergraduate studies, she had the opportunity to conduct research in the education field in the Galapagos Islands. After graduating, Madison initially started teaching in a 2nd-grade classroom and later transitioned into house management. These experiences have now motivated her to pursue a Master's degree in OPWL, along with the WELDD certification, as she aims to transition into a related career.

In her free time, Madison enjoys reading novels, baking bread and other delectables, and traveling as much as she can. Madison also loves to spend time outdoors hiking or biking. She recently moved to the Boise area so she hopes to explore the green belt as much as she can during the summer and Bogus Basin in the winter.

Madison is working with Dr. Roy.

Tori Bowser

Tori is currently pursuing her master's Degree in OPWL and Graduate Certificate in Workplace E-Learning Design and Development at Boise State. She has been living in the Bay Area for the past ten years, where she has actively engaged in work promoting Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion (DBIE).

During her undergraduate studies at San Jose State University, Tori was heavily involved in on-campus organizations, where she collaborated with several campus departments to develop and facilitate training workshops related to student leadership. After graduation, Tori served two years with AmeriCorps, where she supported the California State University system in implementing asset-based programs and initiatives to support and improve STEM education. Throughout her educational and professional experiences, Tori has always been passionate about developing training programs that uplift learners' voices and celebrate the diversity of her audiences.

In her leisure time, Tori enjoys hiking with her friends, supporting local artists, and attending outdoor markets.

Tori worked with Dr. Winiecki during Fall semester of 2023.

Jonathan Buwalda 

Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, he researched the role of cognition in learning while studying cultural and linguistic anthropology.

After graduation, he attended different graduate programs, from family therapy to business administration, before finding his perfect match in OPWL.

Outside of OPWL, Jonathan loves to spend time with his family and pet rabbit, Coconut. He also likes video games, hiking, and working on his research project, a situated cognition-inspired framework for facilitation and workplace mentorship, affectionately called DREAM.

Jonathan is working with Dr. Martinez, Dr. Pokimica, and Dr. Winiecki during Spring semester of 2024.

Andrew Clark

Andrew earned his bachelor's in East Asian Studies from the Ohio State University. Post graduation Andrew has worked as an English Language Teacher while abroad in South Korea.

Andrew enjoys table-top games and online gaming. 

Andrew is working with Dr. Chyung. 

Michelle Green

Michelle earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Studies from Whitworth University and is joining the OPWL team with 6 years teaching English as a foreign language in Japan and 7 years in Banking and Finance.

Michelle enjoys learning languages, embroidering, taking her dogs for walks, gardening, and playing video games.

Michelle is working with Dr. Giacumo.

Kevin Kepple

Kevin is an Illinois native who currently resides in the Philippines. He received a BA in English creative writing from Southern Illinois University and completed an editorial internship at Fantagraphics Books in Seattle, WA.

After completing his degree, he spent 10 years in the PNW involved in content management and quality assurance for companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, and Nintendo. Most recently, he was an ESL Instructor teaching young adults at universities in China while earning an online MAS in Film and Media Studies from Arizona State University.

At the moment, Kevin is consulting for his friend's start-up company providing feedback on content and social media management. Kevin's goal is to transition into ID so he can utilize his tech and education background.

When Kevin has free time, he enjoys trying out new apps and testing A.I. he also has days when he is a movie junkie and needs to veg out to recharge.

Traveling and exploring is essential for Kevin every 6 months or so to satisfy his wanderlust. His favorite country that he has visited so far is Nepal.

Kevin is working with Dr. Pokimica.

Karyna Mangusheva

Karyna has been working in the teaching English as a foreign language industry for over seven years. She became interested in instructional design after creating a painting course for an online learning platform. Karyna has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a certificate in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

In her free time, Karyna enjoys painting, hiking, and traveling.

Karyna is working with Dr. Martinez.