Sam Powers is the inaugural Director and current BASW/MSW Supervisor of Student Veteran Life at the University of Washington. She provided oversight and management of hiring, development of new programs, and centralization of existing services and resources available to UW student veterans. She provided outreach and collaborates with internal and external constituents.

Sam is a combat veteran of the US Air Force Special Operations, where she served as an Aircraft Maintenance officer on the C-130 Gunship Spectres. Sam served in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. 

She began her post-military career in the field of higher education, working in Facilities/Physical Plant Operations as an administrative manager. She has additional experience in Continuing Education and Customized Training. She went back to school while working full time at UW and earned her Masters in Social Work in June of 2020 at the University of Washington. She is now a fully licensed therapist (LICSW) and owns a private practice in which she sees patients (mostly veterans/active duty) weekly. She volunteers for several veterans organizations in Washington State as a member and officer and is an adjunct professor at various higher education institutions across the state and nation.

Sam holds a BA in Military History from Virginia Tech, an MA in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma, a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University, and an MSW from the University of Washington.

Liz Oaksmith is a therapist at the University of Washington Student Counseling Center (UWCC). She assists Student Veteran Life as a liaison who does outreach to the SVL center where she is available for general discussions, provides psychoeducation, answers any questions about mental health services, meets with vets for counseling, and provides support for veteran’s mental health at events.

Liz is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with over 20 years of experience as a therapist. She has specialized in crisis work and intensive treatment in a variety of settings including inpatient psychiatry, community mental health, an Emergency Department, an outpatient medical clinic, and residential substance abuse treatment. She has experience working with both active duty and veterans.

Liz has a BA in Psychology from Seattle University and a Master of Education (M.Ed) in School Counseling from the University of Washington. She is a Seattle native but has also lived in Tokyo and Massachusetts. She is an avid road cyclist and has a passion for international travel and exploration.

Ying is a Navy Veteran, and recently finished his public health undergraduate work at the University of Washington. He transferred from Bellevue College and is looking forward to pursuing a career in nutrition or the medical field. Ying served from 2009-2015 as a nuclear electrician on the USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) out of Pearl Harbor. He has served on two Western Pacific and one Eastern Pacific Deployments. Originally from Miami, Florida, before serving in the United States Navy, Ying and his wife decided to move with their son to Seattle for a change in pace.

Jordan Houghton is the Interim Director of Student Veteran Life at the University of Washington. He assists SVL through programs, student needs, and day to day operations. Jordan formerly served as the President of Husky United Military Veterans (H.U.M.V.) that founded the office in 2016.

Jordan is a combat veteran of the US Army, where he served as a Combat Medic with an infantry battalion from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Jordan served in Kandahar, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom, exiting the service in 2013 and continuing to the University of Washington. Jordan serves within The American Legion and is a founder and Commander of a local Seattle post named after Marine Sgt. William C. Stacey (Post 206). Jordan received his Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from Northwest University in Kirkland, WA. His dissertation research focused on the therapeutic alliance between clinicians and veterans, specifically seeking to analyze the benefits of a veteran clinician in place of a non-veteran clinician.

Jordan holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Washington, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University, and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University.

In his free time, Jordan enjoys spending quality time with his partner Amy and his daughter Willow, playing games, and binging new shows.