Outstanding Graduates--Fall 1996 Colorado State University Tuesday, December 10, 1996 Below are some outstanding students who will graduate from Colorado State University during commencement ceremonies on Dec. 20 and 21. Individual phone numbers are provided. COMPUTER SCIENCE GRADUATE TAKES LONG BUT FRUITFUL ROAD IN PURSUING DEGREE Susan Bush pursued her bachelor's degree in computer science in a rather unusual fashion--one class at a time. Bush, 39, enrolled at Colorado State in 1984 to pursue a second degree and graduates from the College of Natural Sciences this month with a 3.84 GPA. Bush earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1979, but after 15 years in the field decided to try something new. Bush took semesters off when each of her daughters was born and took a two-year sabbatical when her husband, Bill, was transferred to Hong Kong to work for Hewlett-Packard. The Bush family now lives in Fort Collins. "I was raising my family at the same time I was going to school," Bush said. "Spending time with the children was very important to me." A Girl Scout leader and active mom, Bush now plans to find employment that uses her newly acquired skills in computer science but also allows her to spend time with her family. Contact Bush at (970) 282-9104. 22-YEAR-OLD FINISHES TWO DEGREES IN RECORD TIME, PLANS TO PURSUE MASTER'S AND DOCTORATE Don't tell Elizabeth Clifford it's impossible to earn a bachelor's degree in four years. Clifford, 22, earned a pair of undergraduate degrees and minors in just three-and-a-half years in the College of Natural Resources. Clifford estimates she averaged more than 20 credit hours each semester at Colorado State to complete her degrees in wildlife biology and zoology. Her minors included fisheries biology and a concentration in conservation biology. Despite her mind-boggling academic schedule, Clifford still managed to find time to work a part-time job and participate in several school-related activities and volunteer organizations. Clifford graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and was active in the Society for Conservation Biology and the Wildlife Society on campus. The Los Alamos, N.M., native spent her first year of college at the University of New Mexico, pursuing degrees in ballet and biology. Clifford decided to transfer to Colorado State after hearing about the university's nationally-known wildlife biology program. When it comes to academics, Clifford admits she's a glutton for punishment. She plans to work as a research assistant for a semester at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, then pursue a graduate degree. Her ultimate goal is to receive a doctorate and teach at a university. Contact Clifford at (970) 407-8310. BUSINESS STUDENT'S COLLEGE CAREER STUDDED WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES College of Business graduate Travis Gray, 23, has a passport full of memories. As a student majoring in general business/entrepreneurship at Colorado State, Gray has visited Africa, traveled throughout Western and Eastern Europe and studied business in Australia. Last summer, Gray spent two months in Nkubu, Africa, near Mount Kenya, teaching business education to sixth and seventh graders. In 1995, Gray traveled as part of a business class at Colorado State to Western Europe to study how businesses there manage companies and productivity. He spent another five weeks in Eastern Europe learning more about international business practices. And in 1994, Gray spent a semester at the University of South Australia taking courses in business and management. With all that travel, it's no surprise that Gray wants to be involved in international business. "I found that learning about how other countries practice business is very valuable in my overall education," said Gray, a native of Saverna Park, Md. Before Gray plunges headlong into an international business career, he hopes to continue his business education through travel. Gray has applied for an assignment with the Peace Corps. Contact Gray at (970) 493-3978. HONOR STUDENT'S ACHIEVEMENTS MUSIC TO HER EARS As guest speaker for the College of Liberal Arts' commencement ceremonies Dec. 21, 22-year-old Lynne Snyder will emphasize the importance of education--a philosophy she has embraced at Colorado State. This year, Snyder received the Eddy Scholar Award for her musical and scholastic achievements. She also is a student in the university's Honors Program and member of three musical ensembles--the university's Wind Ensemble, Orchestra Ensemble and the City of Fort Collins Community Ensemble. Graduating in the top 1 percent of her class, Snyder's career at Colorado State has been marked with many successes. She began her musical career shortly before the seventh grade, when she borrowed her mother's vintage clarinet in preparation for junior high school. Within a few years, Snyder improved in musical proficiency to a level that earned her the Sallee Performance Award, a four-year musical scholarship to Colorado State. When she's not attending classes, Snyder instructs 16 elementary through high-school students each week. After graduation, Snyder will pursue her graduate degree in musical performance at Colorado State. Snyder can be reached at (970) 493-3917. BUSINESS MAJOR JUGGLES TWO CHILDREN, SMALL BUSINESS WHILE ATTENDING COLORADO STATE When Alencia DeAnda's parents both died, the young girl looked to her older sister as a role model. DeAnda, 22, remembers going to college courses with her sister, Elizabeth Gonzalez, who is now a microbiologist. Her sister's success motivated DeAnda to pursue her own education. On Dec. 21, the Denver native finishes college at Colorado State with a degree in business marketing from the College of Business. She starts her new job as a management trainee with Enterprise Rent-A-Car Inc. in Denver two weeks after graduation. DeAnda earned several scholarships to attend Colorado State, including the Outstanding Diversity Award and the Advocacy Diversity Award. She served on the President's Commission on Ethnic Diversity Issues and the President's Minority Advisory Committee and for three years worked at El Centro, the university's Hispanic student services program. In the summer of 1995, DeAnda also ran her own business-- College Pro Painters--while raising one-year-old son, Kareem Davidson Jr. She gave birth to a second son, Kashus Davidson, three months ago. DeAnda, her children and husband Kareem Davidson will live in Denver. "The one thing I've always lived by is that no matter how hard you have it, someone has it worse," she said. "There are challenges for everyone. To overcome them makes you a better person." Contact DeAnda at (970) 491-5772. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STUDENT'S ACHIEVEMENTS HELP WILDLIFE, HABITAT Lynn MacClary channeled her concerns about the environment into a career that will help make a difference. MacClary, 22, graduates with a degree in environmental health in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The Littleton native graduates cum laude from the department of environmental health, which named her Outstanding Graduating Senior because of her notable academic and professional achievements. She also was active in the Student Environmental Health Association, serving as treasurer for the past year. Her professors say she was instrumental in developing an internship in an evolving area of study--ecologic toxicology and ecological risk assessment. During an internship as a biological technician at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MacClary studied how metal in streams affect fish and other wildlife. Because of her contributions to the research, she was asked to return this summer for a second internship. But her education isn't over yet. MacClary plans to enroll in graduate school at Colorado State next fall, after taking a semester off to travel through Europe. Contact MacClary at (970) 204-9639. GRADUATE IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RECEIVES HONOR, JOB OFFER FROM WORLD-RENOWNED CHEMICAL COMPANY Jennifer Tonso impressed her supervisors at Dow Chemical Co. so much during her two internships, the company offered the College of Engineering graduate a job. Tonso, 23, graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. In March, Tonso will join Dow as a production engineer in the polyurethane division at the company's plant in Freeport, Texas. Her job will entail managing the flow of raw materials into the plant and distributing finished products to customers. Tonso's work with Dow started when the Colorado native was awarded the Dow Chemical Outstanding Junior Award. The award included a $1,000 scholarship and a summer internship with the company's polyurethane division. She was able to return for a second internship prior to her senior year with Dow's chlor- alkali division. Tonso is past president of the Society of Women Engineers and an active participant in many student clubs, including the Engineering Honor Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Contact Tonso at (970) 416-1226. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE PLAYS KEY ROLE IN ANALYZING WATER FLOW NEEDS FOR FISH IN COLORADO RIVER As part of her education at Colorado State, College of Engineering graduate Heather Baker will be able to take credit for helping endangered fish return to portions of the Colorado River. Baker, 23, graduates Dec. 21 with a degree in engineering science and a concentration in environmental engineering. Baker was involved in a one-year project analyzing calculations used by federal agencies to determine how much water is needed to sustain endangered fish in a 15-mile reach of the Colorado River. Baker's analysis of the calculations is a vital step in accurately pinpointing how much water should remain in the river to sustain fish runs. Baker discovered early in her research that the issue was controversial, because not everyone agrees on the amount of water needed by fish. "I didn't realize how controversial it was until I started working on this project," Baker said. "It taught me a lot about recognizing everyone's viewpoint with regards to research. I really enjoyed being involved in it." Contact Baker at (970) 224-4596. Return to the Colorado State University News page. This page © 1997-1998 World Wide Express, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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