College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Connections Project is being held on April 27, 2017 at the Nampa Campus Academic Building. The Connections Project is an annual event that provides an opportunity for CWI and the surrounding community to make connections, educate others, and inspire innovation and creativity.
CWI Alumnus, Hunter Carson, was a participant in last year’s Connections Project. Carson came to CWI in the fall of 2014 after graduating from Skyview High School in Nampa. Attending CWI was not Carson’s first choice, but his involvement in speech and debate kept him here in Idaho. In fact, it was his speech and debate coaches at CWI, Johnny Rowing and Jim Gatfield, along with his IDoTeach instructor, Molly Wolk, who encouraged him to participate in the Connections Project.
According to Wolk, Carson was an ideal candidate for the project. “He was a [communication] person…on the debate team…I thought he would be an excellent person to do this, and he rocked it”, she said. “He has this charisma that he can just make it work, and he did.”
At the event, Carson gave a 10-minute presentation on his experience participating in the IDoTeach program and also served as the Connections Project Emcee. Other highlights for him included a panel of CWI Alumni, a dance group, and an African drummer, as well as interactions with CWI faculty and President Bert Glandon. Additionally, Carson enjoyed walking around conversing with fellow students eagerly sharing research posters, artwork, and other learning artifacts. “It was a lot of people gathering together to show what they’ve worked on”, he said, “…allowing people to see that even at CWI, there are so many different and diverse people”.
In 2016, Carson graduated from CWI with an associate degrees in Liberal Arts, History, and Political Science. He currently attends Boise State University where he is a member of the Speech and Debate team while majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on International Relations. According to Carson, his long term plans include politics and international relations as well as studying abroad. “I really like how certain countries and cultures interact”, he said. “The Connections Project is really unique because it links several different cultures together and shows that very different people, ethnically and culturally speaking, can be in such similar places”.
The Connections Project, Carson says, was not only a good experience, but a lot of fun and a great way to finish his two years at CWI. “It’s kind of cool,” he said. “If it keeps growing, if it keeps expanding, I can say, ‘hey, I was part of the first one!’”.
To get involved in this year’s Connections Project, please visit cwi.edu/connections-project.
