Starting from back left: Max Smoot-Brown, Layla William, Nancy Montecinos, Wolfie, President Peters, David Echevarria, Hunter Hall, Brenda Rocio Martinez, and Aneli Godinez-Martinez at The College Tour VIP launch event.

Written by Maureen Brakke

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University is featured on The College Tour, an award-winning TV series from Amazon Prime. 

The series focuses on different colleges or universities in the United States in each episode and includes stories of multiple college students’ experiences. Host and Executive Producer of the series is Alex Boylan, who won the CBS series The Amazing Race and spent the last 20 years as an award-winning onscreen personality and producer.  

Filming for Western’s episode took place last September and students were encouraged to audition for the episode. Ten were selected to be featured in the episode, each with unique backgrounds and stories. The episode is compiled into one 30-minute video and is also divided into ten segments, one per student. Each student collaborated on their segment’s script. 

“I am excited that we now have the opportunity to share our unique story with a nationwide audience through this exceptional episode,” expressed President Jesse Peters. “Western holds a special significance, particularly for first-generation and historically underrepresented students and those seeking a personalized education that equips them for success in life.”

The featured students are Brenda Rocio Martinez, from Woodburn, Justin Conklin, from The Dalles, Hunter Hall, from Portland, Nancy Montecinos, from Sisters, Hannah Rispler, from Gresham, Max Smoot-Brown, from Camas Valley, Keisha Taylor, from Aberdeen, Washington, Aneli Godinez-Martinez, from Hillsboro, Layla William, from Beaverton, and David Echevarria, from Caldwell, Idaho.

Meet the featured students which is now available on Western’s The College Tour website, and will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime on May 28, 2024, in season 11.

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About Western Oregon UniversityWestern Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Together we succeed.