This year’s Commencement Student Speaker dropped out of high school and toured with a punk band. Now a father of two, Travis Tribble is President of The Honors College at Shoreline.
Tribble attended a private Catholic elementary school where he “didn’t really learn much except about Jesus.” Facing bullying from teachers and students alike, Tribble failed several grades. “But they just kept moving me on to the next grade,” he said. “I dropped out of high school because I didn’t learn anything in elementary school and that kind of just snowballed.”
When he became a father, Tribble decided it was time to give school another try. Service industry jobs were unfulfilling and he wanted to be a good influence and role model.
He passed the GED and discovered he tested at college-level in some areas. “I was so excited to find out that I wasn’t a waste of air that I decided to take it super seriously. I started study groups in each of my classes, I took pristine notes, and when a professor said ‘do this assignment’ what I heard was ‘bring me a masterpiece,’” said Tribble.
English professor Katie Johansen encouraged Tribble to publish his work. So he submitted to Spindrift, Shoreline’s student-run art and literary journal. His creative nonfiction piece, “Freedom is Illegal,” was accepted by the journal.
“My self-worth started to grow significantly, and it was reflected in my schoolwork,” he said. After just one quarter at Shoreline, he joined The Honors College.
“I owe too much of my success to The Honors College,” Tribble said. “It shaped my education in such a positive way that it would have been twice as difficult to succeed if I had not joined it. The Honors College gave me a permanent study group, a focused and dedicated counselor, access to resources, an ego boost, amazing guidance and encouragement, and a close-knit community of friends that I will have for the rest of my life.”
The first in his family to earn a college degree, Tribble has good advice for new students.
“Do the things that scare you and make you uncomfortable,” he said. “Be completely honest, with yourself and everyone else. Socialize with your fellow students. Start study groups in all your classes, but with strangers. Sit in the front and invite those other people in the front to study with you. If there is an opportunity, take it. Don’t wait, just take it and make it work even if you think you can’t.”
Tribble is graduating with an Associate’s degree with a focus in Communications. Once he decides on a four-year college, he plans to earn a Bachelor’s degree and work toward becoming a creative director.
His other advice for students?
“Don’t be afraid of help. If you feel like you need counseling or something then you are right and don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise. Go to office hours as often as possible, even if it’s just to say hi. And last but not least don’t give up. No matter what, keep pushing.”
Tribble was The Honors College President from 2018-20, participated in the 2018 Study Abroad Jamaica program, was Political Editor for The Ebbtide student newspaper from 2018-20, and won a third-place award for feature writing from the prestigious Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators (PNAJE) contest.
Learn more about The Honors College at Shoreline.