26/01/2025
This January, our founder, Rhonwyn Hagedorn, graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, concentration in Environmental Sustainability.
Bario and Project WHEE played a huge role in Rhonwyn's choice to pursue anthropology. Her assignments were largely centered on her experiences running this organization and her time with the Kelabits. So, it was only natural that she would have her graduation ceremony there!
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"It's really hard to put into words the emotions I feel. When I received my bachelors diploma in the mail, I didn't feel like I quite deserved it yet. While I could have flown to New Hampshire for SNHU's graduation ceremony, it didn't seem complete because there were so many people that would be missing. So instead, we brought the graduation ceremony to the place I owe it all to - Bario.
Bario truly holds a special place in my heart. I may not have been born or raised in the Kelabit Highlands, but I certainly grew up there. My degree may have been a personal achievement but I owe everything to the people and the place that shaped me to be the human I am today. I want nothing more than to make them proud and champion them. Without them, I would not have even thought about studying anthropology. And now, more than ten years since I first set foot in Bario, I had my graduation ceremony in the very longhouse where it all started.
A graduation ceremony in the longhouse?? Yes. Full cap, gown, honors cords, and might as well wear my beads for extra traditional flair. I must admit it was weird having all the attention on me for a night - usually I move in the shadows during longhouse celebrations. Instead, I was surrounded by both my parents, two of my dearest friends, new friends, and the Bario community. That was enough to bring me to tears, even more so as I listened to speeches by the community for me. I got to walk down the longhouse to the Jurassic Park theme song with a surprise standing ovation. With 4G signal now up in Bario, my dearest professor Janice Cobb who couldn't make it out Zoomed in from across the world to represent SNHU, followed by my Bario mom Aunty Jenette representing the community to confer my diploma to me. I shook so many hands after that.
The entirety of my 20s was dedicated to the Kelabit Highlands, with Project WHEE being a big part of that. When asked if I would eventually go to school, the answer was usually "no". There was a lot to do and I didn't want to drop what I started. When the pandemic hit and we had to put a pause on our activities, that was when I decided that it was finally time to start my bachelors. Even then, my time was dedicated to the Kelabit Highlands. As an anthropology major, I wrote about them every chance I got in my classes. They were always on my mind, and I was constantly brought back to my experiences and having "aha!" moment after another, connecting what I had learned and experienced on the field to the concepts in my textbooks. When we could travel again, I brought my homework up to do there while resuming Project WHEE. Naturally, my final project was also about the Kelabit Highlands, and something I hope to continue to build and work on for grad school. More to come soon.
I love this community with all my heart, and they have returned it tenfold. I am eternally grateful.
Graduation done and dusted. "
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WHEE love you Rhon! - Admin Glo
