Mia Honaker | Photo by Brett Hull | The Wright State Guardian
Mia Honaker is committed to promoting diversity and advocating for others. Through this dedication, Honaker has made a lasting impact on Wright State University (WSU) and the Dayton community.
Honaker’s background
Honaker was born in the Gyeonggi-do Province of South Korea, located near Seoul. Her father was in the Air Force and was stationed at Osan Air Base. They lived there for two years prior to moving to Dayton for her father to work at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
She attended Sinclair Community College and WSU after high school, majoring in Political Science and Communications. However, she left college before she could graduate in order to raise her children.
Currently, Honaker is finishing her degree in Organizational Leadership at WSU and will be graduating in the Fall of 2022.
Honaker’s passion for creativity, such as her interest in cake decorating and cooking, plays an instrumental role in her life as well. She shares pictures and recipes of her cooking online and has even been featured on the cooking television show “The Chew” where she met several famous chefs.
Honaker’s role at WSU and in the Dayton community
Honaker’s journey at WSU began at Sinclair where she was working in the Admissions Office. She then transitioned to an office management position at a therapeutic foster care agency.
The leadership changes within this business prompted Honaker to inquire about other job opportunities. With this, she applied for an Administrative Specialist Position for the Asian, Hispanic and Native American Center (AHNA) at WSU.
As WSU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion continued to evolve, so did Honaker’s position. She transitioned from AHNA’s Administrative Specialist to her current role as Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Matthew Chaney.
“The most difficult aspect of my job would be the constant moving of the centers from one area to another. Not having consistent leadership and staffing makes it hard to be the advocate for the students and community, when you have to deal with constant changes. With the creation of the new Division of Inclusive Excellence, I am very hopeful that we are moving forward in the right direction,” Honaker said.
Honaker credits her involvement in the Culture and Identity Center (CIC) as her favorite part about working at WSU.
“Being engaged and educating about culture and diversity is not only a career for me, it’s a passion,” Honaker said.
Honaker is the faculty advisor for Korean Club, Advocates for Cultural-diversity and Excellence (ACE) and the Asian Student Association (ASA). She is also an active member of the Staff Senate and the new secretary-elect so that she can advocate for WSU staff.
Additionally, she serves as an executive board member for the Asian American Council of Dayton and as a commission member for the City of Huber Heights Culture and Diversity Citizen’s Action Commission.
With these various positions, Honaker makes a difference at WSU and in the Dayton community. Her dedication to cultural awareness and diversity shines through her actions.
