Breyana, special education
Sometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference. For special education student Breyana Wilson, that person was her Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts teacher and WMU alumna, Stephanie Hampton.
“Every day walking in, she always has that rockstar energy—that’s what I call it. She’s always on top of it, always 100 percent,” Wilson said of the 2019 Middle School English Teacher of the Year. “She gets really excited about books. That’s one thing that’s always stuck with me about her, is her enthusiasm when it comes to literacy.”
Wilson says Hampton has a passion for introducing students to literature they wouldn’t necessarily read on their own, and has taught her about different genres, writers and poets—fostering a new career option she never imagined pursuing.
“I love to read because of her,” Wilson explains. She “instilled something in all of her students that I wanted to have for myself, and not only that, but to give to other students. And that’s kind of what pushed me in the direction of wanting to become a teacher.”
“Not only that, but she was a Western student, so why not go where the greatest was trained?”
During her time on campus, Wilson has already made an impact, joining and becoming president of Future Teachers of Color, a registered student organization dedicated to bringing together future educators of color at WMU with a focus on various topics related to career preparation, academic success, mentorship, community service outreach, and networking skills.
Recently, Wilson was also selected as one of Michigan Reading Association’s ’30 Under 30,’ a campaign that spotlights and celebrates rising Michigan innovators, disrupters and visionaries in the literacy field.
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Brandon, sport management
As a kid playing on football fields around Highland Park, Michigan, Brandon Harlin grew up idolizing NFL players. Now he's working side by side with them as a communications intern with the New York Giants.
From managing media profiles and launching a new website to help players tackle press coverage, Harlin is seeing his dreams of sports management come to fruition.
"Just the ability to grab and coach players for camera time is cool; it's like I'm their PR coach," says Harlin, whose ultimate goal is to lead a sports franchise.
Harlin built a strong foundation for this experience through a previous internship with WMU Athletics.
"I can have an educated say in a lot that I do (with the Giants) outside of what I'm required. The WMU internship taught me hard work and to be a sponge for knowledge."
As his internship with the Giants progresses, Harlin is looking forward to gaining more experience and knowledge of the game and his position within a professional sports organization.
"I arrived (at Western) a boy from a small town with no clue where to go. Now I'm a man in the Big Apple with an actual path," he says. "I know this will unlock many more doors for me."
(Photos courtesy: Matthew Swensen)
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Julia, fashion design and development
Western's competition in fall 2022 was open to all members of the MODA registered student organization. Participants had to provide transcripts and a letter of recommendation as well as write an essay about why they would represent Western well at New York Fashion Week.
A group of finalists was chosen to compete for the grand prize: designing three to five looks for collegiate apparel, conveying what it means to them to be a Bronco.
A panel of judges made up of fashion merchandising and design faculty, Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications staff and students weighed in on each student's collection. They saw a wide range of styles, from retro patchwork overalls and corduroy jackets to jerseys and vintage vests.
“The students' designs blew me away with their levels of creativity they came up with. It was beyond my expectation," says Dr. Mary Simpson, assistant professor of fashion merchandising and design. "That speaks to the strength of both the academic program and each student’s commitment to their personal success.”
"Don't underestimate Western," says Julia Lekander, of suburban Chicago and the winner of the competition, who transferred to WMU for the fashion merchandising and design program. "It's a close-knit community where you get one-on-one attention. We get incredible lessons from our instructors. Even my small community college couldn't offer this intensive, one-on-one attention. Western is game-changing."