Congratulations to College of Western Idaho (CWI) Communication Adjunct Faculty, Thérése Woozley, who has been named Faculty of Distinction for March 2026.
Woozley has been a CWI faculty member since 2018, where she teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM 101). In the classroom, she focuses on helping students build confidence in how they communicate, both in person and online, while encouraging them to see themselves as capable, life-long learners.
For Woozley, teaching is about helping students see that learning is something they can continue to build on throughout their lives.
“I teach because I want others to realize their ability of becoming a life-long learner,” she said. “I am passionate about the impact our communication habits have on our personal growth and the culture we create around us.”
She first joined the CWI community nearly 15 years ago as a student. Woozley enrolled in the Fall 2011 with the goal of earning an associate degree while balancing a full-time job and raising five children. What began as a step forward quickly turned into something more.
She continued her education at Boise State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Nonprofit Management, followed by a Master of Arts in Communication. Along the way, she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Pedagogical Development, discovering a passion for teaching in higher education.
“When I had the opportunity to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant, something clicked,” she said.
That experience ultimately brought her back to CWI, this time as an instructor.
Woozley’s experience as a nontraditional student continues to shape how she connects with her students today. She understands firsthand the challenges of balancing school, work, and family, as well as the self-doubt many students carry with them into the classroom.
“I started college as a 40-year-old freshman, and it wasn’t easy,” she said. “But CWI taught me how to love the process of learning.”
One moment that still stands out from her time as a student came while sitting at the dining table doing homework alongside her children.
“As I was learning, they were becoming better students too,” she said. “We were all capable of becoming life-long learners together.”
That realization continues to shape how Woozley approaches her work today. In the classroom and across the department, colleagues describe her as someone who consistently looks for new ways to engage students, often bringing emerging media and technology into her courses and sharing those approaches with others. Her commitment extends beyond the classroom, including participation in the Wassmuth Center’s Education Fellows Program and helping develop opportunities like the Intercultural Living Library experience for students and the broader community.
Students experience that same level of intention in the classroom. They describe an environment that is both supportive and engaging, where they feel comfortable participating and challenged to grow.
“She makes learning feel like a blessing rather than a chore,” one student shared. “You can tell she loves what she does, and that positivity impacts the whole classroom.”
Woozley works to create spaces where students feel supported, challenged, and capable of growth. She believes CWI plays a key role in helping students build that confidence and create opportunities for their future.
“CWI provides everyone with the opportunity to create the future and career they want to achieve,” she said.
Through her own journey, she sees education as something that can reshape not only individual lives, but entire families.
“Because of CWI, I can provide for my family while enjoying my career and empower others to pursue what brings them joy as well,” she said.
Outside of the classroom, Woozley is an avid skier, gardener, and outdoor enthusiast. She has been married for more than 36 years, and her family continues to grow with five children, their partners, two dogs, and the anticipation of welcoming their first grandchild later this year.
