Ecampus Student Advisory Board

I’m Anna Ambrose, and I live in Southern Oregon. I am majoring in business analytics with a minor in international business. I’m passionate about data analysis, and I plan on becoming a data scientist after graduation. As a full-time Ecampus student, I balance academics with freelance gigs. I’m a certified medical coder, indie filmmaker and drone videographer.

Outside the digital realm, you’ll find me hiking, exploring nature or indulging in my love for reading and writing. As someone who values collaboration and learning from fellow students, I look forward to embarking on this academic journey.

I’m Esteban Contreras, your friendly neighborhood laboratory technician at my local wastewater plant from Lodi, CA. I am a full-time Ecampus student currently majoring in environmental science with a specialization in chemistry.

Once the lab coat comes off, I’m a devoted family man, savoring precious moments with my wife and our two young children. Life isn’t always easy, trying to balance the roles of student, employee, father and husband but with lots of coffee, planning ahead and focus, I am making it happen!

Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, I am a psychology student, an enthusiastic encourager and a steadfast believer in the power of engaged listening. I’m passionate about hearing different perspectives and coming up with creative ways to build bridges between diverse communities. I am an accomplished academic life coach to youth, completing my postbaccalaureate psychology degree online through Oregon State University.

As an OSU Honors College student, I hope to research the proliferation of practical resiliency tools as a protective factor for mental illness in youth. In my spare time, you’ll find me hiking or camping in the mountains of South Africa.

I am a woman of Jamaican descent, an adult HDFS student, a full-time employee and a devoted mother of two. Life has taught me resilience and determination. I am passionate about transforming the lives of at-risk youth and aiding women plagued by various traumas like domestic violence, homelessness and mental illness.

My unwavering commitment to education, self-improvement and making a difference in society drives me toward a future filled with promise where my goal of obtaining a master’s degree in counseling awaits. As an advocate for Ecampus students at OSU, I am committed to creating a supportive environment for all students.

I am an environmental sciences student, and I’m an ardent environmental enthusiast deeply invested in safeguarding nature from invasive plant species. With a profound interest in hydrology and GIS, I fuse technology and ecology to combat ecological challenges. My research experience in snowpack analysis exemplifies my dedication to understanding natural systems.

I aspire to nurture a sustainable future, leveraging GIS’s potential for informed decision-making. I also aim to bridge human actions with the needs of our ecosystems, ensuring their harmonious coexistence.

I’m Sean Maston, a veteran with 6 years of service in the United States Coast Guard and currently a 4th year undergraduate student. I’m majoring in botany with a concentration in marine ecology. After graduation, I want to pursue graduate studies in freshwater and marine ecology and to contribute to aquatic ecological restoration and conservation. I am a recipient of the 2023 Drucilla Shepard Smith Award and a ΦΒΚ National Honors Society inductee.

I currently reside in the capitol city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, with my husband. My passions include reading, writing, drawing, music, crochet and hiking.

I am double majoring in psychology and women, gender and sexuality studies. In addition, I am a member of The International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi). I am deeply ardent about creating social equity and improving both personal and communal wellbeing through an intersectional lens.

As a disabled student, I am particularly motivated to advance accessibility for OSU’s Ecampus students. I aspire to attend graduate school and conduct social science research alongside a career in advocacy. Outside of academia, I enjoy doing crafts, reading, going to concerts, playing both board and video games, listening to podcasts and endlessly showing off pictures of my fur-babies.

I’m Sam Bezzant, a Ford scholar and management major at Oregon State. I work as a Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA) and lead counselor, balancing my professional responsibilities with pursuing my education full-time through Ecampus. I hold associate degrees in computer science and business from Clackamas Community College. As a father to a 13-year-old, I’m dedicated to supporting my family while advancing my career and education.

My diverse background in mental health, business and technology fuels my passion for leadership and advocacy. I’m excited to bring my experience and perspective to the Ecampus Student Advisory Board, helping to enhance the online learning experience for all students.

My name is Megan McDonald, and I am a fifth-year college student pursuing my undergraduate degree in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences, with a minor in anthropology. I transferred to OSU in 2022 and have loved every bit of my academic experience since. I'm based in Huntsville, Alabama, but I have lived in six states and am originally from Iowa. I am a full-time student, and I live with my parents and our rambunctious Goldendoodle named Maggie.

I am a proud neurodivergent woman in STEM, and my passion for the environment, anthropological history, and protecting this beautiful planet we are lucky to call home have driven my educational journey thus far. Likewise, my enthusiasm to connect with like-minded individuals and develop nurturing and positive communities has guided the student involvement I've taken part in since I began at OSU. I've been on four different club boards, and currently hold the role of co-president for the Ecampus Environmental Alliance Club; Ecampus liaison for the College of Agricultural Science's Club Leadership Team; and my position here on this Student Advisory Board. I am also a student member of The Explorers Club.

I hope to offer an array of creative and beneficial ideas serving on this board that will only continue to improve our already-positive experiences at OSU. Outside of school, I am a self-proclaimed nerd and artist — you can usually find me watching a movie or TV show, reading a book or chipping away at a new story or painting.

My name is Ray, and I am an Ecampus senior living in Sacramento, California. My major is psychology with a minor in UX research. 

When not sitting in front of my computer — taking classes, doing research or editing videos — I am often outdoors with my two children, - spending time at the beach, hiking and looking for animals in the wild. I also coach my 8-year-old's soccer team. As for work, I am a dad, a chef, a tennis coach and a content creator.

Academically, as a teen and during my early 20s, I was unsuccessful with school. I barely passed my classes. I failed other courses because I was ignorant of the academic process of withdrawing and assumed that my professors would drop me when I stopped attending class. As I have matured and become a parent, I have come to understand my circadian rhythms and have found both my purpose and motivation for education. I obtained my associate degree in psychology online and enjoy being an Ecampus student at OSU. I’m passionate about researching student success and finding solutions to overcome academic barriers. 

I look forward to sharing topics and finding ways to help students as a member of our student advisory board.

I’m Katherine, and I am from Houston, Texas. I am currently in the post-baccalaureate computer science program, with my first bachelor’s degree being in Biology. My academic journey has always been rooted in a passion for understanding complex systems, whether they are biological or computational. I currently work in healthcare, where I apply my problem-solving skills to improve processes and patient outcomes.

In my free time, I’ve enjoyed tutoring calculus, which has reinforced my love for mathematics and teaching. After completing this computer science degree, I aim to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics, followed by a post-master’s program in bioinformatics. My ultimate goal is to combine these fields— biology, computer science and mathematics —into a career where I can contribute to advancements in medical research and technology.

When I have free time, you can find me drawing, cooking or cuddling with my dog and watching movies. In the colder months, I enjoy hiking and going on long walks.

I am Denise Hendrick, a non-traditional student, teacher, and entrepreneur now in my senior year at OSU. As a French major, I am thrilled to be spending the fall term studying abroad in France as a Gilman scholar. I am also passionate about historic clothing and textiles and am researching 18th-century passementerie for my Honors College thesis.

Outside the classroom, you can find me reading or working on projects in my studio, kitchen, or garden.