J.J. Hones (2010), Morgan Clyburn (2009), Karlie S. (2017) updates

    J.J.Hones (B.A. 2010, Masters 2011)
Jennifer (J.J.) Hones has rejoined Milestone in Portland, Oregon as the Western Region Key Account Manager. She was at Milestone from 2010-2015, then moved to Vicon as National Distribution Manager and National Account Manager, and on to Dahua as Enterprise Business Development Manager. In her new Milestone role, she assists partners in the management and growth of principal end user accounts, establishing Milestone in A&E firms focused on Fortune 500 companies and strategic vertical markets, and key community partner relationships. Jennifer is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in International Relations and an MA in Sociology. She was a starting guard for the Stanford women’s basketball team, playing in two NCAA national title games. Her competitiveness, experience, organization, and the relationships she has within the organization and industry are a winning combination!

 JJ also serves as the 2019 Webmaster and Security Liaison for ASIS International - Columbia River Chapter.   ASIS International is the world's largest membership organization for security management professionals.


Morgan Clyburn (2009)
Morgan Clyburn is now a Managing Partner at MD Ignite, headquartered in the Minneapolis area.
MD Ignite is a Minneapolis, MN-based healthcare firm. They discover and bring to market novel healthcare technologies with a specialization in Funding, Technology & Development, Business Development & Strategy, and Marketing & Commercialization. MD Ignite partners with an extensive network of individual contributors with medical device expertise in regulatory, quality, reimbursement, legal, intellectual property, technology and engineering.

Morgan Clyburn holds a B.S. in biomechanical engineering from Stanford and an MBA from Kellogg focusing on Health Enterprise Management, Finance and Marketing. She worked in engineering, clinical, and commercialization for a neuromodulation start-up and in Corporate Development at Medtronic focused on strategy, investments, acquisitions, and divestitures.


Karlie Samuelson with Great Britain's team
A 19-6 run by GB in the game’s final 4:33 made all the difference in a low scoring contest as Coach Buceta’s side pulled away to a comfortable 67-53 victory against #5 ranked Canada in Manchester. Talented guard Karlie Samuelson was integral to that late burst as she scored five of her 16 points in the game's     final quarter, with Jo Leedham adding five more down the stretch.

Samuelson (16 points, three rebounds, three steals) was also able to help GB grab an early advantage, but not before a slow start to the game with little scoring from either team in the opening four minutes. Temi Fagbenle (10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals) was key in restricting the visitors to just seven points in that opening frame, displaying a high motor from the outset to fight for loose balls and contest everything that came her way. That defensive pressure allowed Samuelson, Cheridene Green and Chantelle Handy to push GB to a 19-7 lead after one.

Karlie Interview
GB face Sweden this evening in the penultimate warm up game before travelling to Latvia next week for the start of FIBA Women’s EuroBasket. Ahead of this weekend’s double-header, GB spoke with Karlie Samuelson to get her thoughts on mood in the camp, Sweden and Spain and her first experience of EuroBasket.
How’s the mood in camp after the back to back wins v Canada?
“It’s good! Now we’ve travelled to Spain and I’m excited to play some teams that are actually in EuroBasket and see the difference. I know that the team played Sweden a couple of weeks ago and we’ll get a good look at Spain who are in our group so yeah, I’m excited.”
Looking ahead to these last two warm up games, what are you expecting from Sweden and Spain?
“Obviously they’re both really good teams. I know Sweden pressured the ball that last game and I think I just want to get a good feel of the pace of the game. I know Spain’s a really good team so I think it’s a good step to get ready for EuroBasket and see what we can do.”
Do you think at this stage the squad is well prepared for EuroBasket?
“yeah, I think so. We’ll use these games to help for sure but I think just playing together more and more wit the full squad will really help us get ready in these final two games.”
This is your first EuroBasket, what are you looking forward to the most?
“I’m excited to see the atmosphere. I know how big a tournament this is but for me spending a lot of time in the States I haven’t really followed a EuroBasket that closely before so I am excited to be part of it and I’m also excited to travel to new places that I haven’t been to before!”

Val Whiting


Val Whiting is currently the Director of Business Development for DiscNW, the largest regional Ultimate Frisbee organization in the country. In addition, she runs the Val Whiting Hoop Academy, which is an after school basketball program that uses sports to teach life. The story follows below.

It’s been a couple of years since Val has been on campus. She was supposed to get back to Stanford over spring break, with her children, to see the Hall of Champions, but she  ruptured  her achilles tendon. So maybe next year you will have a chance to see her on campus.

Bullied as a Child, Former Pro Helps Girls  Gain Self Esteem Through Basketball

Val Whiting has cold memories of a cruel adolescence. Growing up in Delaware, the former WNBA player was taunted in middle school. It got so bad that she switched schools looking for relief.
“I had low self-esteem,” Whiting said. “I didn’t feel accepted. I felt ugly. I was teased for being tall, for being shy, for being smart and for being a nerd. I just wanted to be accepted.” Now at the age of 46, she’s giving back. Whiting runs after school girls-only basketball programs in the Northshore and Lake Washington school districts.  

She’s got the pedigree. Whiting was a two-time National Champion at Stanford. She was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year. After college, she played in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx and the Detroit Shock then in the ABL with the Seattle Reign.

But her life wasn’t earmarked for success. Not by a long shot. By age 11, Whiting stood six feet tall. It marked her as a target for taunts. She tried out for the cheerleading squad, with hopes of gaining popularity and acceptance. But she got cut. A math teacher suggested she try out for basketball. By her own admission, Whiting was “horrible.” In a moment of epic embarrassment, she even got confused and scored a basket for the other team.

But even as she struggled, the team provided her a place where she felt like she belonged. She began working on her game. Her dad woke her up on weekends 6 a.m. to go practice. “I said I was going to show these bullies, these people who said that I wasn’t good enough, that I was good enough,” Whiting said. “Basketball empowered me. It gave me leadership skills. Sports showed me what hard work can do.” It all amounted to a stellar collegiate and pro career.

In 2011, Whiting and her then-husband moved to Woodinville. Last year, she had a moment where she asked herself, What am I doing to make a difference? She reached out to elementary schools in the Northshore, Lake Washington and Monroe areas. Her first after-school classes were at Redmond Elementary and Wellington Elementary. Both sold out. She added a boys session, and that too sold out. “I’m not easy on them, that’s the thing,” Whiting said. “I’m not like `Heeeeeeey, let’s just have fun!’  We’re going to work, but we’re going to have fun while doing it. And they love it. Kids respond to structure, discipline and competition.”

While teaching the kids, Whiting thinks back to her own playing days. “Some of the best days were the journey,” she said. “Working hard every day at practice with my teammates. Being so exhausted we couldn’t walk. But knowing that we were sowing the seeds for what we’d see down the road as success. That’s what I try to pass along to the kids.”

Whiting described one of her recent success stories. “There was a young lady, a nine year old girl,” Whiting said. “I could tell she didn’t want to be there. Every five minutes she’d ask what time it was going to be over. Her body language made it clear she wasn’t comfortable. Every time there was a water break she’d go open up a Harry Potter book.” Whiting was shocked when the girl signed up for the next session.

“I talked to the girl’s mom,” Whiting said. “I asked `are you sure you want to sign up for the next session?’ The mom said that her daughter considered herself the worst player and not very good. Her confidence and self-esteem were very low.” “She felt self-conscious about being out there. I said, `First of all, everybody at that age is bad. She’s doing a good job. She’s always sprinting. Always hustling.’ “I think the mother communicated the message to her,” Whiting said. “Because the next day there was a complete turnaround. She had enthusiasm and was smiling more. It was almost like I had given her permission to not have to be perfect. I let her know she was just fine.

“It was okay to not be the best as long as you’re giving your best.”