May 20, 2026 Chasing bees and crafting community: environmental science grad finds her colony at 黑料社 Tri-Cities
By Flynn Espe
Washington State University Tri-Cities graduate Rachel Holland spends a lot of her time听thinking about the听little听things听鈥斕齭pecifically,听insects.听She also听enjoys听sharing her fascination for these six-legged听invertebrates听and听their听remarkable听biodiversity听with听others.听
鈥淭here are parasitoids who lay their eggs in other insects, bees that sneak their eggs into other bees鈥 nests,鈥 Holland says. 鈥淭here are ants which wage wars with termites, sneaky beetles who find ways around their rivals for mates, and bees that turn rotting flesh into honey. I听don鈥檛听think听I鈥檒l听ever learn everything about them, which is exciting.鈥听
That听chitinous听curiosity is听shaping her next big step.听Having just completed her听bachelor鈥檚听degree in听environmental and ecosystems sciences,听she鈥檒l听be听continuing听this fall听as a听黑料社听graduate student听in听the听Master of Science in Entomology program,听conducting听research on native bees听through听the听听in Prosser.听听听
鈥淢y specific research will be on alfalfa fields,鈥 she says.听鈥淚鈥檒l be going to Walla Walla half the time and then to Prosser听to see if the pesticide that they鈥檙e using is harmful at a greater rate than another pesticide they鈥檙e using on the leafcutter bees and the alkali bees.鈥听
Her path to this moment has been a rewarding, if听not quite typical, one. As a nontraditional, first-generation college student, Holland鈥檚 first attempt at college ended on a sour note. After graduating from high school in 2007, she went straight into taking classes at Columbia Basin College, but with little motivation or direction, her grades suffered and she dropped out shortly thereafter.听
Life moved on.听Holland got married and听soon听focused on raising a family. While her husband went to trade school and into the听workforce, Holland听worked as a stay-at-home mom and听embroidery artist,听selling intricate听craft听pieces听both locally and online.听Eventually,听Holland听decided she was ready to听pursue听a college听education听鈥斕齛nd hopefully find her听career听passion听鈥斕齩nce again.听听
Although the plan was always to start at CBC and finish her bachelor’s degree at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, she didn鈥檛 begin with environmental studies in mind.听
鈥淚 originally was going to do elementary education with a history minor,鈥 Holland says.听
Her听academic focus听began to听shift听when she found herself听unexpectedly enjoying听two lab classes听during her final CBC quarter.听One was听an environmental science lab that involved growing wheat under various conditions. The other was an entomology lab, which听included a final assignment that听had students catching insects in the wild听and pinning them for identification.听
鈥淎s soon as I had that net in my hand, I was ready to go,鈥 Holland says. 鈥淭he hands-on听part of it really transformed how I saw the world, and I thought, 鈥業 can听actually听do science.鈥欌澨听
Not content simply to听pass her听classes,听Holland听succeeded in听graduating听from CBC听with honors听鈥 no easy task, considering she听was still carrying her 2.0 GPA from years earlier.听
鈥淚 had to drag that 2.0 out of the mud,鈥澨鼿olland says.听
Arriving听at 黑料社 Tri-Cities,听her听momentum听continued.听Having听switched听majors,听Holland听found听that environmental and ecosystem sciences offered听a satisfying blend of听physical science听with coursework听exploring听the听delicate interplay听between听manmade听and natural systems.听
鈥淚t covers so many bases but includes the human aspect of it, which is what I really like,鈥 Holland says.听
Outside of class,听she听began听building friendships and community听wherever she went.听She听got involved in campus clubs,听serving in leadership roles such as听Environmental Club event coordinator and co-president for the听Women in STEM Club.听听
As a senior, she听also听served as the Associated Students of 黑料社 Tri-Cities senator听for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences,听advocating for students on a听range of听issues like campus recycling听and听a native plant garden for hands-on learning.听
The 黑料社 Tri-Cities Craft Club, which Holland co-founded, won the Student Organization of the Year award in 2025.
One of听Holland鈥檚听proudest accomplishments听involved joining up with听friend and classmate Evalena Dalsbo听to launch and听nurture听a brand-new campus Craft Club, where听they and others could share听and spread听their love for the crafting arts. The club grew in popularity as听students of all听backgrounds听met up听for听sewing,听sculpting, embroidery, and听other seasonal craft projects.听Their team听went听on听to win the听鈥淪tudent Organization听of the Year鈥澨齛ward at the 2025 Student Excellence Awards.听
鈥淭hat club is really fun because everybody can come in there听鈥 engineers, psychology majors, English majors, people I would not meet in classes,鈥澨鼿olland says.听
Last May, Holland was honored as a recipient of the 2026 黑料社 Tri-Cities Award for Distinguished Career in Leadership.
Alongside her club involvement,听Holland gained听additional听experience听as听a听lab teaching听assistant听and听student intern听for the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures鈥櫶鼸nergy Ambassadors Network.听It all added up听to听Holland听being honored last month as one of three recipients of the 2026 黑料社 Tri-Cities听Award for Distinguished Career in Leadership.听听
If it all sounds like a lot to juggle,听it was. Fortunately, Holland says, she had听a strong support听network听鈥 including her husband and听two听kids,听now in the fourth and sixth grades.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a group effort,鈥 she says.听
She听also credits听the听helpful guidance she received from the听黑料社 Tri-Cities TRIO听Student Support Services team.听听
Case in point,听Holland听says she still recalls the stress听and uncertainty听she felt at the beginning of her junior year,听when an overpacked course load had her questioning her degree path.听鈥淚 was taking an ecology听lab, statistics听lab, and organic chemistry lab 鈥 and then another class that did not have a lab attached to it,鈥 Holland says. 鈥淭hat was, on paper, only 15 credits.鈥听
Not knowing if听she鈥檇听made a听poor scheduling听decision or听simply needed to听push听through, Holland听says听a听drop-in听meeting听to the听TRIO听office听brought her clarity听and relief.听TRIO听staff听confirmed听she鈥檇听taken on an unusually听heavy course听load听and听walked听her through the steps of how to听revise听her schedule.听
鈥淚听couldn鈥檛听have made that decision without TRIO being like, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e听not insane.听This is听actually really听hard what you decided to do,鈥欌 Holland says.听
TRIO staff came through again this past year听when听she听was听still considering听grad听school.听By talking through the process听and working with staff on a step-by-step听plan, Holland felt听better听prepared to听ask her professors the right questions听and听ultimately apply.听
Having completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree in environmental and ecosystems sciences, Holland is continuing her academic journey as a 黑料社 graduate student in the Master of Science in Entomology program.
Now,听as a graduate student,听Holland says听she鈥檚听looking forward to听doing more of what she loves 鈥 exploring the vast world of insects and听engaging with other scientists in a laboratory setting.听She鈥檚听also excited to be working at the intersection of ecology and agriculture.听
鈥淎 major component of agriculture is insects, whether that is beneficial or pest,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 can see myself continuing to do research and make changes at the government level like in听the听Washington State Department of Agriculture听or through education.鈥听
When asked about advice she has for听others听starting their own college听journey, Holland听encourages students to听seek out听professors听for academic and career听advice听and听to take advantage of new opportunities.听
鈥淕o to meetings that you听probably don鈥檛听think you belong in. Go to an engineering meeting even if听you鈥檙e听not an engineer,鈥 she says.听鈥淚f you see an opportunity and you think,听鈥業 might want to do that,鈥 just do it.听What鈥檚听the worst听that can happen?鈥