As an international student pursuing her computer science degree, Merra Migora is a hardworking student that shows us the power of possibility. Through determination and her openness to adaptation, Migora has officially completed her time at Highline with a degree in STEM.

Compared to her hometown, Welkite, Ethiopia, Migora believes that transferring to Highline was a major change in not only schooling, but in environment. While she began her time here slightly worried about the unknown, she, nonetheless, chose to direct her focus and efforts in pursuing her educational goals.

If you’re like most college students, the weight of academic stress might be overwhelmingly all too familiar. When stress and anxiety begin to form due to the nagging need to meet both school and personal expectations, self-control and precision might be something you immediately fall back on.

Maybe you’re in the midst of figuring out how to pay for school, filling out internship applications, or simply feeling the anticipation of finals. It’s only natural to resort to a routine that ensures your ability to get things done. And, although this can combat the daunting feelings that arise from uncertainty, it can also add onto initial worry or stress.

From plants and animals to fungi and bacteria, biodiversity is the remarkable variety of life on earth. Through its many forms and interactions, biodiversity performs valuable functions that support life itself, including humans. But as human activity is increasing the planet’s damage, we also face the risk of imbalanced ecosystems.

Biodiversity is the most complex system on our planet, as it provides plants, animals and humans with our most vital resources. It’s the sole responsibility of why we are here, and without it, there may be no future for humanity.

Young generations are increasingly becoming more aware of global issues and concerned with the impacts of climate change. As this burden has practically been put into their hands to deal with, Gen Z continues to tackle the topic head on – but at what cost?

Whether it’s the noticeable long-term shifts in temperature or sporadic weather changes, most teens have a general understanding of what’s currently happening to the planet. While the changing climate is projected to continue this century and beyond, Gen Z shares a common characteristic of wanting to help the environment.

In moments we feel wonder, admiration or an almost foreign feeling of pure connectedness when we take a second to stop and look, we are experiencing “awe”. It’s the feeling we get in the presence of something greater than ourselves as it challenges us to reconstruct our understanding of the world.

Take having the privilege to witness the birth of a child for the very first time, or simply listening to a song you had no idea would be your favorite from there on out. It’s often we come across experiences that should make us feel that warm, yet strangely daring feeling of “awe.”

We are living in a digital age. With applications like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and more, trends are constantly coming and going. Although the digital detox trend might be here to stay, as it has become an increasingly popular millennial movement.

A digital detox is no new treasured insight, at least not to Facebook users who in 2012 made a collective attempt to break free from the taunting notifications of the app for several weeks. Although this moment was named as “media refusal” or “social media rejectors,” it was nothing short of this modern day act of improving well-being.

One of the most inspiring and rejuvenating seasons has arrived. If you’ve been feeling the weight of winter’s eternal gray clouds and the sting of sharp cold air, dread no longer. Spring season officially began March 19, and with that, a renewed sense of you.

For most of the year, the earth’s axis is either tilted towards or away from the sun, meaning that the warmth, light, and of course, energy the sun provides us with is spread out unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. But spring equinox, where the earth’s axis and its orbit finally align, allowing both hemispheres to get an equal amount of sun occurred March 19. 

Decades ago, the topic of global warming lacked attention regarding basic research, funding, and societal interest. Today, the issue is increasingly gaining more awareness, as its impacts on our environment are becoming more prominent through sea-level rise, disastrous storms, increased drought, and even loss of species worldwide.

This world renowned debate first took place in the late 1980’s, where the issue was perceived as something that wouldn’t impact us for generations. Well, that day has come, and its effects on us as humans are evident in these strangely warmer temperatures, rapid weather changes, and especially poverty and displacement.

With new tech capabilities constantly on the rise, there’s little we can’t do without electricity, a wifi connection, and a few simple swipes of a finger. Technology has improved the way we live our lives in a myriad of way, yet we would be remiss to ignore the wealth of problems it has brought along with it.

Technology makes our lives easier as it allows us to stay uninterruptedly connected to the world around us. Yet, with its advancement continuously evolving, our engagement with our smartphones, laptops, fitness trackers, and other home devices is evolving as well.

Washington’s scenic hikes offer a place for you to leave behind your chaotic reality and enter the silent world of nature. You might think you’ve seen it all already, even so, whoever said discovering gems is easy? Commonly known as the “Evergreen State,” here, trails thrive anywhere and everywhere.

Hiking may not seem like the best idea with our ongoing rainy climate, but with spring season drawing closer, trails are bound to be fused with the complexity of Washington weather: damp grounds, blooming wildflowers, and sunbeams peeking through the trees. 

The dark, the eerie, the strange. At the Seattle Art Museum, embracing supernatural, spiritual art is a common theme for their events, including the “Deities and Demons: Supernatural in Japanese Art” exhibit.

These qualities can be seen as having a heavy influence on the traditional beliefs of Japan, especially as being represented through their historical art. This event features a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, textiles, and prints representing the root of Japan’s historical yokai.

Through each piece, it’s evident that the artists deeply cultivate their appreciation for this popular folktale. One largely renowned belief includes the folktale yokai: a mysterious phenomena of Japanese folklore, explained only by the yokai (or entities) themselves.

Mindfulness is a practice, which, if done regularly, can produce positive outcomes surrounding the reduction of stress and anxiety.

To practice mindfulness means to “calm, silence, or train the mind,”according to Dr. Renee Enriquez, an assistant professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center. Telling your mind to calm down when you have a list of assignments calling your name isn’t always easy, which is why there are multiple ways of going about this exercise.