Catchin' Up With a Cookie: Hollie Joy Wagner

Hollie Joy Wagner

2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar; 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Washington

Hollie is a public philosopher and educator serving communities of all ages across the world. She has taught in independent schools, colleges, public schools, edtech companies, and nonprofits. Currently she is working with two innovative student-directed education start-ups, Synthesis and Nxtlvl, facilitating discussions around ethics, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking through game-based learning. She is also working on her certification as a yoga instructor so she can work with public schools to offer yoga as an alternative therapy for students with mental health struggles.

What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?

Being a Cooke Scholar means having the courage, confidence, and support network to pursue the road less traveled. It means harnessing the skills to quiet the parts of myself that say “that’s impossible” and being surrounded by mentors and Cookie Cousins that remind me I will persevere at whatever I put my effort and heart into.

Tell us about a memorable moment in undergrad or graduate school.

I worked with a fellow colleague on starting the first Ethics Bowl team at the Washington Women’s Correctional Facility. The group of women we collaborated with there were incredible - their desire and commitment to learn, debate, and push beyond the constraints of that which brought them there was not only inspiring but furthered my beliefs on the pursuit of prison reform and abolition.

In the words of Angela Davis, “The prison therefore functions ideologically as an abstract site into which undesirables are deposited, relieving us of the responsibility of thinking about the real issues afflicting those communities from which prisoners are drawn in such disproportionate numbers. This is the ideological work that the prison performs—it relieves us of the responsibility of seriously engaging with the problems of our society, especially those produced by racism and, increasingly, global capitalism.”

What is ONE THING YOU DID TO HELP TRANSITION TO YOUR FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE?

I had to accept that my career path was a journey and therefore may require several smaller steps before achieving the dream-come-true leaps.

What was the last show you watched that you really enjoyed and highly recommended?

I have read my favorite book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, for the 8th time in preparation for a podcast I’ll be creating on Philosophy of Education. I cannot recommend it enough!

If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?

The Rainbow Unicorn of Possibilities Cookie would contain rainbow sprinkles (colored with natural vegetable dyes of course), edible glitter, fairtrade chocolate chunks, cashews, almond butter, cinnamon, and magic.