Amy Ly ’06: Envisioning Possibilities

Amy Ly ’06 is Project Manager for the Gates Foundation-funded Horizons initiative with United Way of the Blue Mountains to increase the rate of college-going students from first generation, low-income and Latine households in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. Prior to this role she was an employment lawyer in Seattle and then an entrepreneur and owner of the Gather Design Company. Ly and her husband Steven ’07 have two children.

Tell me about your life in Walla Walla.

I’m a connector. I love meeting people and having new experiences. I spend a lot of time on things I care about like volunteering at my son’s school and coaching youth soccer. I was a two-sport athlete at Whitman and athletics shaped who I am more than any other life experience and so coaching lets me give that back to kids. I’m active with a local political party to try to move our town in a progressive direction. And even with tennis, it comes back to connecting. We moved back here three years ago and have really worked to rebuild the adult tennis community—it’s fun and social!

How does your role fit into larger issues in or aspects of our region?

Growing up in Yakima and coming to Whitman is a big part of who I am. I wasn’t a first-generation student but I did come from a single-parent low-income household and so I see myself in a lot of the change we’re hoping to make through Horizons for youth in our region. As a parent, I hope we can keep the tight knit and small community feel here that makes this place special. I get to be involved with how we are shaping what Walla Walla will look like in five or ten years. I think one of the risks here is becoming a single-industry town—I know a lot of parents who lament when yet another tasting room opens compared to more of the kinds of places that kids and families would frequent and enjoy.

What is something you’ve learned about Walla Walla since you moved here that surprised you or that you weren’t expecting?

When I came here as a student, I very much felt the town-gown divide. I had an off-campus work study job tutoring at a nearby school so I was able to really notice that split. As a Whittie I felt like my life was on campus. Sometimes I would go to Coffee Perk but that was pretty much it for leaving the college—why pay for food downtown when I was getting it in a dining hall? Now, as a local resident, I really appreciate the deep sense of pride that Walla Wallans have for this place. And seeing how that pride has shifted away from just celebrating the old founding farming families to how we now also think about the Indigenous tribes and all of that history as part of our understanding. No matter who you talk with, people have a deep sense of pride for this town and that’s something that I didn’t see or experience as a student. I had that [pride] about Whitman College when I was a student but not about the larger area. 

In what ways is Walla Walla diverse?

I think the biggest way that presents itself is a viewpoint diversity. I live near campus—and so I’m in the liberal Whitman bubble! (laughs). Before we moved back to Walla Walla I lived in deeply blue areas. So, here, the political diversity has been a little challenging. I’ve learned that if people are open to productive discussions then that diversity can be helpful, though. So, it’s surprised and challenged me—especially in this job with Elevate where there are a lot of people with deeply conservative beliefs—this has challenged me but also pushed me to question some of the ways I think about things. Through my role now I’m also gaining more understanding about the Latino community and learning how to empower that part of our demographic—we want to make sure those voices are heard just as strongly as some of the more traditional leaders in the educational sector. We just made a fantastic hire of a Latino community leader who is going to be working with families to get them to consider post-secondary options, which will be a new option for many of them. He’s exactly the right person to do this.

What do you think Walla Walla will be like in five years? In 10 years?

My hope is that the community gets a little younger! Hopefully we’ll have more local students who want to stay here or go get education and then come back. It feels like there are more Whitman alumni living here than there’s been in the past. Walla Walla is a great place to live and I definitely didn’t realize that as a student. It’d be cool to have more Whitman alumni events connecting with Whitman students. It’d be great to connect with students who are considering lots of professional paths. Ultimately, I hope I can help Walla Walla be a place where my kids want to come back after they go to school.

If you could be involved in an aspect of Walla Walla life that you are not currently involved with, what would it be? Why?

Definitely the arts community. That would get me back to what I did for my business—I created large events and floral installations. I really miss the creative side of my life. So, I’ve thought about, when I have more time, getting involved in stage and set production and costumes for plays, musicals, ballet and similar productions.

Is there anything else Whitman students should know about our community that you haven’t discussed?

I think this region is much more diverse and interesting than you might realize. Like, the Blues – they’re real mountains! Or hiking or skiing or going to Joseph or Bennington Lake—I never really experienced these as a student and they are aspects of this place that make it much more interesting than just a place surrounded by wheatfields. Also, I encourage students to embrace that their paths can be a bit winding like mine has been and that’s ok. Having a circuitous path is often what makes life rich. So, it’s ok to go to law school and then run a small business doing creative things!

Beyond the interview:

Ly will be available for questions and further conversations on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at noon in Reid Campus Center, room 207. The Career and Community Engagement Center will provide lunch for the first 10 students in attendance. Questions or ideas? Please contact Noah Leavitt at leavitns@whitman.edu.