CONTACT:
- Jason Juhala, freshman engineering student, 360/601-8329, jasons_solutions@hotmail.com
- Sheri Byrd, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360/546-9602, byrds@vancouver.wsu.edu
Vancouver, Wash. - Last fall, mechanical engineering major Jason Juhala was one of the first 157 freshmen admitted to Washington State University Vancouver. Years before, at the age of only 8, Jason had predicted to his mother that he would one day be a student here.
With a full semester now on his transcripts, and well into his second semester, this active student is taking full advantage of the rapidly expanding academic and student life choices available to Â鶹´«Ã½ underclassmen.
"The professors here are great," said Jason. "At first, the fast pace of learning they expect really surprised me. But I've also been surprised at how nice they are. I get all the help I need."
In the fall of 2009, Â鶹´«Ã½ plans to add an electrical engineering bachelor's degree program. Once that plan becomes reality, Jason - currently a part-time computer aided-design draftsman for Prairie Electric - plans to double major in both electrical and mechanical engineering.
But student life has not been all work and no play, even for such a dedicated achiever as Jason.
"I've made some really good friends here," he said. "I love all the student events. Bowling nights are a lot of fun, and the masquerade ball was a blast."
Financing his education was also easier than expected, said Jason, the first in his family to attend college. With information from Â鶹´«Ã½ financial aid seminars, various college fairs and help from his high school counselor, Jason's family found the path to higher education within their reach.
Jason graduated from Camas River HomeLink high school in 2006, with a 3.87 grade point average.
Â鶹´«Ã½ is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205. Â鶹´«Ã½ offers 14 Bachelor's degrees, nine Master's degrees and one Doctorate degree and more than 35 fields of study. Visit us on the Web at
Photo: Jason Juhala on the campus of Washington State University Vancouver. Click photo for high resolution image.