Bethel is an Economics and Politics student at Whitman College. She is a recipient of the United World College Davis Scholarship and the Whitman International Student Scholarship. Bethel's academic foundation spans microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and political economy.

Academically and professionally, Bethel bridges research and finance. She conducted independent undergraduate research in political economy and contributed to a Whitman course syllabus. She also completed the Whitman Financial Accelerator, helping to produce an investment memo for Trilogy Search Partners, and helped manage a $2 million student portfolio as a Board Member of the Whitman Investment Company.

Beyond research and finance, Bethel has demonstrated a commitment to community building and student advocacy. She has served as Vice President of the Economics Club. She has also organized campus events through the Intercultural Center, built internship resources for fellow students as part of the Career Community Engagement Center, and works as an academic coach at the academic resource center.

My name is Luke Winkes, I’m a current Film and Media Studies major at Whitman College in Walla Walla. Although it is fair to say that my love for film comes from exactly that, an admiration for the art form, I believe that it also stems from a desire to understand different perspectives and articulate our own. I was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Washington, a small town with a large Spanish-speaking community. Due to this, I began learning Spanish relatively young, and am now considering completing the Hispanic Studies minor alongside film. My experience in actual Spanish-speaking countries comes largely from the nine months I lived in Costa Rica, where I was able to fully hone this skill by receiving education at a local school and interacting within the community. Outside of an academic setting, most of my work experience comes from farmer’s markets and farms themselves. For several years, I worked as a vendor for a berry farm down the road from my home, selling their products at markets in the greater Seattle area. Through this job, I gained crucial customer service skills and my communication abilities were strengthened as a result, affording me the opportunity to connect with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

I'm Sayora Idibekova, a senior Economics major at Whitman College, originally from Khorog, Tajikistan, a picturesque mountainous country in Central Asia.

After high school, I was fortunate to attend the United World College (UWC) of East Africa in Tanzania, where studying in an international environment opened my eyes to new ideas and perspectives that inspired me to keep pursuing education abroad. That's what brought me to Whitman College, During my time at Whitman, I've completed two study abroad programs, one in Australia and one through Semester at Sea, both of which deepened my understanding of global economies and communities.

I'm passionate about economic development, community engagement and using data-driven insights to approach and solve real social and economic challenges I've also had the privilege of interning with the Central Asia Institute and the Central Office of Poverty Elimination in Tajikistan, supporting financial operations, community development initiatives, and poverty alleviation programs, work that feels deeply personal and meaningful to me.

I'm especially drawn to economic development, public policy, and community-focused initiatives. I love finding ways to bring my analytical skills and creativity together to make a tangible difference.