Alec Hunter
Civil Engineering, Associate in
Science- Transfer Degree
Alec was among the first cohort of students to be awarded a close to $15,000 scholarship from Whatcom’s second National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM grant, called STEM Excellence through Engagement in Collaboration, Research, and Scholarship (SEECRS-2) to support low-income students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. When WCC was awarded the NSF SEECRS-2 grant, the dedicated leadership team, comprised of Lauren Maniatis, Biology Instructor; Chloe Boland, Engineering Instructor; Liz Johnson, Dean for Healthcare Professions, Sciences, Engineering & Math; Tawny Townsend, Associate Dean for Student Services; and Jason Babcock, Associate Dean for Academic Support, jumped into action to share this opportunity with students.
Word-of-mouth about the College’s good reputation, along with its proximity, were the biggest reasons Alec Hunter chose to attend WCC. He had lots of friends and coworkers who attended WCC through Running Start or earned their associate degree at Whatcom and spoke highly of the College. Alec had attended Western, but stopped his studies and started working in the restaurant industry as a line cook for the next 6 years. He then wanted to do something that was both more meaningful to him and beneficial to society.
After realizing he was fascinated by the properties of concrete, why buildings are built the way they are, or how sewer systems clean and transport sewage, Alec chose civil engineering as his field of study.
“I found myself really invested and liked that it would give me an opportunity to use my brain more than my body for work.”
Alec applied for the SEECRS-2 scholarship after being contacted and encouraged to apply by the grant team. He was happily surprised and impressed that they reached out personally to him. This scholarship has lifted the burden of having to work as much.
Alec's future goals include getting a bachelor’s degree, working in a career to abate climate change with the intent to help make cities into places people enjoy living and spend time in, and he plans to continue with a master’s degree in sustainable infrastructure research.
Reflecting on the WCC services that supported him the most, Alec said: “My number one feeling about being a student at WCC is that everyone wants me to succeed. The professors, the staff, the other students—everyone I’ve met—contributes to the positive and supportive environment that picks me up when I fall and makes me feel rewarded when I succeed.
The Math Center is invaluable in this regard. As an engineering student, I’ve had to take a lot of difficult math classes, and I definitely couldn’t have made it through some of them without the assistance of the tutors and instructors who give their time to be there.”
He also used the library extensively in his English and history courses, and the Media Center for geology research projects. “The list of people who have helped me succeed is very long, but I’d like to shout out just a few. Jason and Misty from the Learning Commons for always being so friendly and helpful. Everyone in my physics series who helped me and others get through those tough labs. All the instructors who I’ve had classes with in the past and who are still genuinely invested in my success: Frazey, Seth, Pat, Eric, Chloe, Tyler, Kourosh, Anna, and more. Zander and Richard, who I’ve had a class with every quarter for the past two years. The list gets really long, really fast, so I’ll stop there. Thanks, everyone!”
Alec's advice for WCC students is: “Engage! Be engaged in your classes, engage in school activities, and engage with your classmates. Join a club, go to Orca Day, visit your instructor’s office hours even if you don’t have questions! I didn’t learn this lesson until fairly recently, and even still it has already paid dividends. Community college is a fun place to be, so why let those opportunities pass you by?”
