Graduation profile: Whitney Mountain
Whitney Mountain, 21, will receive her bachelor’s degree on June 14 from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, in news/editorial. She is from Portland. “When I was growing up, my parents had their friends from college over to watch Duck games, and I would listen to them tell stories about their times in college — both inside the classroom and out,” she says.
Academic accomplishments:
I currently hold a 3.9 GPA and have been on the Dean's List for nine terms of my college career. I received the Columbia Scholarship for Academic Excellence from the UO School of Journalism and Communication. I have also earned a SOJC Hall of Achievement Scholarship and am graduating Cum Laude.
Extracurricular/leadership activity:
University Day volunteer, Duck Preview volunteer, Registration volunteer, journalism transfer seminar teacher's aide, Duck U participant, KD (Ethos) Magazine writer, Ed on Campus president, Mosaic News Magazine lead copy editor, Annual Giving Program blogger, Flux Magazine editor in chief and Dean's Award for Service recipient.
Attending and graduating college is significant to my family (or in light of my background) because … I am a recovering drug addict. In high school, I was enrolled in an inpatient treatment center for troubled teens in southern Utah after failing out of my Catholic high school in Portland. After five years, I am sober, happy and healthy — and now, with a college degree that seemed impossible before I went to rehab.
The reason I chose the University of Oregon for my education is … when I returned from Utah, I wanted to be close to my family. The University of Oregon is both of my parents' alma mater, so it felt like I was re-entering my family's value system, tradition and lifestyle by coming to the UO.
The most rewarding experience I’ve had while earning my degree was … taking part in the journalism transfer seminars offered through First-Year Programs. When I transferred to the UO, I was a student in the seminar. During that time, I was given invaluable professional and academic advice as well as encouragement that have helped me to form a clear picture for my career path. After I finished my time as a student in the seminar, I was asked to return for four terms as the teacher's aide. Over the course of two years, I helped four terms of incoming transfer students face one of the toughest classes in the journalism school (Grammar for Journalists) while passing on the lessons I learned while in my own seminar.
My proudest accomplishment while at the UO is … being the editor in chief of Flux magazine in the School of Journalism and Communication. Working on Flux is a dream come true because of its storied tradition of excellence. But to be asked to serve as the editor in chief was the chance of a lifetime, and it has been one of the most important experiences I have had at the UO.
While pursuing my degree I was most inspired by … the accessibility of extra-curricular activities and professional resources. These resources were at my fingertips at all times, so making a success of my college career was never out of reach.
My UO degree is valuable because … it has given me the opportunity to say I come from one of the top journalism schools in the country. Not only that, but I will go my entire life with the knowledge that I graduated from one of the best schools in the great Northwest. Earning the degree gives me the chance to compete for jobs that I actually want to have. The experiences that I had along the way to earning the degree will enrich my daily life for as long as I live.
After graduation, I plan to use my degree from the UO to … go on to Stanford University's department of communication for a master's degree in journalism. When I went to visit the school, I found myself participating in class discussions and contributing to the simulating conversations about media practices. It was then that I realized that the University of Oregon gave me the education I will need in graduate school as well as the professional world.
