Five years ago, Jonathan Wisman was at rock bottom. "Trapped in a relentless cycle of addiction," he said to thousands gathered for as student speaker, "Heroin had become both my prison and my escape."
And yet, during his second year of inpatient rehabilitation at Teen Challenge, Jonathan dreamed of becoming a doctor. His father was a practicing chiropractor in Seattle––"Growing up, I remember him always helping people,” he said–– but Jonathan, in his late 20s, worried it might be too late to become a doctor. He contacted his mom, who reassured him it wasn't "crazy talk." She said he could do anything he put his mind to.
Jonathan's first class at Թ was Communication 100 in the summer of 2023. "Professor Amy MacPherson took me under her wing," he said. "She said, 'Look, you want to go to medical school. Not everybody gets into medical school. That's a huge hurdle you gotta cross.' It kicked off an amazing relationship." MacPherson helped Jonathan figure out what classes he needed to take in the fall, introduced him to Dr. Robin Cotter in the Bioscience department, connected him with Safia Sampson in PC's Honors Program, and served as his advisor in the Honors Society, Phi Theta Kappa. Jonathan received the prestigious honors, which includes a full tuition scholarship to one of the three state universities.
After Jonathan completed COM 100, he wanted to see how much more he could do, taking 21 credits that fall. He met Math professor Marcia Corby and became a Student Success Specialist (SSS) the following semester, providing math students with extra peer support while taking a load of 20 credits. He worked closely with Stephanie Madison, who coordinates the SSS program.
The relationships he built with faculty and staff became key to his success. "They helped me feel like I had a family on campus and a team behind me, which has been a game changer for my life these last few years."
Jonathan elaborated in his commencement speech: "When I first stepped onto campus, I carried more than just textbooks. I carried shame, uncertainty, and the heavy burden of my past. I was worried people would judge me for who I'd been rather than who I was striving to become. Թ became a place of acceptance, encouragement, and limitless possibility."
Dr. Cotter's Intro to Bioscience class became an important foundation to Jonathon’s scientific training. She invited him to participate in a microplastics research project where he learned that humans ingest a credit card-size worth of microplastics a week through food, drink, and air sources. Jonathan's commitment to the sciences continued as an S-STEM / TRAIN scholar, which provided access to funding, a faculty mentor, and project or internship experiences.
He talks easily about the science projects he was involved in, including an internship at the University of Montana. "I worked with THP1 cells, human leukocyte cells, which are part of our immune system. I was able to differentiate them into different macrophages, types of white blood cells that attack viruses when we become infected with something."
For the last two semesters of his degree program, Jonathon worked on electrocoagulation with additional help from physics professor Dr. Bryce Harper. "With an FTIR [Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy], we used the infrared light to probe a microplastic sample. Microplastics are polar, meaning they have a slightly partial charge on one end and a negative charge on the other. They attract different drugs and then operate as vesicles for those drugs through wastewater. We were finding stuff like heroin, opium powder, streptomycin, and all these different chemical contaminants that were attached to the microplastics. Electrocoagulation is a new removal method that uses a low-voltage system. With an aluminum anode and a copper cathode, the charge goes through the system and causes the microplastics and the other contaminants to coagulate. The charges will line up and create a flotation at the top and sediment at the bottom. I think cities could implement this into stage four–the mechanical stage–of a wastewater treatment plant and have an arm that removes the contaminants from the top and bottom before they reach people's tap water."
Jonathan plans to continue his science training to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and work in addiction medicine, although he's staying open to how best to help people. "Life is more enjoyable when I can impact other people's lives. But I don't know what it's gonna look like."
Yet, he's already helping other students navigate college with his advice: "Go to your professor's office hours the first week of class. So many people are willing to go out of their way to set you up for success with a million resources at every intersection–the library, the study rooms, even interview clothes if you need them." Coming out of a recovery community he noted that Թ provided the community he was looking for in his next chapter.
With the rapt attention of PC graduates and their families and friends at commencement, Jonathon shared his final words of wisdom: "Our greatest strength isn't avoiding failure, but rising each time we fall. Our toughest experiences can become our most powerful tools for connecting with and inspiring others. As we step forward beyond graduation, let us remember that our experiences–especially our struggles–are gifts we can offer the world. Class of 2025, let's share not just what we know but what we've overcome. Let's show the world the impact that a dream can make."
Tap into all the student services available at Թ to find your community at Թ. Reach out to Academic Advising for help building your class schedule. Meet with a tutor in the Learning Commons. Find food in Bumstead’s Resource Room. Or explore ways to manage stress, set goals, and better understand personal and academic barriers with a counselor in our Counseling department.