10 Years of Connections at CWI

Published: April 25, 2025

The College of Western Idaho (CWI) hosted its 10th annual Connections Project on April 24 at the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB), celebrating a decade of student creativity, research, and innovation. The event provided a platform for students across all areas of study to showcase their hard work through posters, presentations, artwork, and more.

Designed to highlight academic and creative achievements, the Connections Project invited the entire CWI community to explore a wide variety of student projects. From hands-on demonstrations to research posters and recorded talks, the event once again demonstrated the impressive talents and passions of CWI students.

Connections Excellence Award Winners

Chalk Art Competition:

– Caleb Chereji

Logo:

– Megan Smith

Juried Art:

– India Dockery, Self Portrait

HASS Posters:

3rd Place – Mikeila Renwick, Phillis Wheatley

2nd Place – Meggie Hudson, Individual Actions for Suicide Prevention

1st Place – Wesley Dunow, Enneagram Personality Framework

STEM Posters:

3rd Place – Helen Neves, Differences in Urban Bird Diversity Between Parks & Wildlife Reserves

2nd Place – Sheyenne Casebolt & Alicia Addison, Daphnia’s Heart Rate in Monster and Red Bull Energy Drinks

1st Place – Nathaniel Walker, How Does Temperature Affect Pollinator Biodiversity in the Campus Garden?

HASS Recorded Mini Talks:

3rd Place – Halle Sheets, Empowering Others Through Servant Leadership

2nd Place – Jared Kartel, The Power of Peer Support

1st Place – Spencer Martin, Imposter Phenomenon & Publishing as an Undergrad

STEM Recorded Mini Talks:

2nd Place – Nahum Dass, Mathematical Analysis of the Gateway Arch

1st Place – Makayla Echevarria, Bipolar Disorder: Myths and Facts

HASS Live Mini Talks:

3rd Place – Angel Carrera, I Joined the Military to Help My Mom Stay – That Shouldn’t Be the Only Way

2nd Place – Jonna Houck, Ethical Analysis: Immigration Rights and Deportation Policies

1st Place – Lindsay Bennett, Wild Horse and Burro Project: Rebranding American Heritage: Innovative Solutions for Reducing Public Spending on Long-Term Holding

STEM Live Mini Talks:

3rd Place – Caelan Lampe, When Art Inspires Math

2nd Place – Hannah May, Measuring the Width of Human Hair Using Light

1st Place – Dylan Hoag, Stockbot From Code to Cash

Other Cool Stuff:

3rd Place – Cassandra Conner, Emergency Self-Care Plan

2nd Place – Brandon Solotky, Eight Welded Pieces

1st Place – AvaMarie Madrigal, Reflections of Stillness

Clubs:

– Psychology Club, Jared Kartel and Jordan Hamilton, Introduction to Mindfulness

Enrichment Groups:

– Psi-Beta, Jared Kartel, Jordan Hamilton, and Spencer Martin, Understanding Stigma, Identity, and Academic Experiences in Community College Students: Insights from CWI Compared to National Trends

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