Alum Notes

SMU ALUM PROFILE TIPWONHOFF'07

Tip Wonhoff '07, Deputy General Counsel to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee It was Tip Wonhoff’s first day on campus, freshmen move-in day, and as expected he was nervous about beginning the next phase of his life. His parents, who were there to help him move into his new dorm room, suggested a walk around Saint Martin’s University to relax his nerves. It was on this stroll that we ran into the school’s new music director, Darrell Born. “(He) asked if I had any interest or experience with music. I said that I had been in band and choir in high school, and he lit up,” Wonhoff said. “There, in a parking lot in the middle of campus, he asked me to join the choir program he was trying to build. In the moment, I was hesitant to commit to anything, not knowing how much extra time and bandwidth I might have to commit to choir as a new freshman, especially given that choir was an activity I’d had no intention of doing.” They parted with Wonhoff letting Born know that “I’d think about his proposal and I went on my day.” Wonhoff would run into Born periodically around campus over the next few weeks “Each time we passed, he greeted me with a smile, asked how I was adjusting to college life, and enthusiastically reminded me of his standing invitation to join the choir,” Wonhoff said. “Later that autumn semester, I dropped in to visit a choir practice, still unsure whether it was for me. Darrell welcomed me with warmth

and support – things invaluable to a freshman looking to find that sense of belonging. He provided sheet music and support through a warm-up and practice session. Just 45 minutes later, I was all-in.” Wonhoff would be a member of the SMU choir, under Born’s director, all four of his years at Saint Martin’s. “And today, when I think about the stories and experiences from Saint Martin’s that stick out to me,” said Wonhoff, a 2007 Saint Martin’s graduate, “I think about how Darrell Born encouraged me from my first day on campus to be a part of his program. And I’ll be forever thankful that he did. To me, choir was more than song. It was teamwork. It was laughter. It was fun. I attribute all of that to Darrell.” Wonhoff currently works as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Jay Inslee, a position he has held of nearly seven years, and while his SMU choir days are behind him, his time at Saint Martin’s still holds a special place with him. “The thing I remember most about Saint Martin’s was the way that so many of the faculty and staff took a real interest in their students,” Wonhoff said. “They genuinely cared that students understood the coursework; and for the most part, they worked to make classroom discussions and lectures fun.” Wonhoff studied political science at Saint Martin’s before receiving his law degree from the University of Washington. “The first day in Dr. Roger Snider’s

“Being a Saint means being community minded.

Saint Martin’s stands for helping others and lifting up and supporting those in the community who could use a hand.”

Survey of American Government course, Dr. Snider began by asking the class if any of us could define politics. After a few of us stumbled through our perception of politics, Dr. Snider offered, ‘Politics is the struggle for power.’ That blew me away. I will never forget that,” Wonhoff said. “And as (someone) who has spent the last several years working in government service and observing politics at all levels, I think about Dr. Snider’s definition of politics, and I tend to evaluate public policy decisions through this definitional lens by asking myself how those in power are choosing to wield that power and who is benefiting from that power.” Wonhoff lists three reasons for why he selected Saint Martin’s. “First and foremost, the school offered me a very generous financial assistance package that assured my enrollment. Second, both of my parents attended Saint Martin’s and I felt that special connection to the campus, and later, my sister also attended and graduated a Saint,” Wonhoff said. “Finally, because I grew up in rural western Washington, and my high school was relatively small, the similarly small Saint Martin’s campus community was a good fit for me.”

And what does it mean to Wonhoff to be a Saint?

“I’d ask prospective student to think about what kind of student experience (they) want,” Wonhoff said. “If that prospective student wants access to all the luxuries and opportunities found at a major research institution, like a broader array of fields of study, or even things like Greek life or the bigtime college football experience, then perhaps (they) may find a better fit elsewhere. But if the student is looking for an intimate setting where (they) will not exist in anonymity but will instead know (their) classmates and professors on a first-name basis, Saint Martin’s might be a good fit.” u