Colette Marie

Colette moved to Walla Walla with her husband, daughter, and two small dogs in 2018 and joined the ARC, delighted by the opportunity to promote a supportive, accessible learning environment for Whitman students.

She has a BA in English and Writing from Whitworth College and attended graduate school at the University of Colorado and Naropa University (Writing for Social Change), before beginning a 33-year long career in human services in Boulder County, Colorado where she participated in the dismantling of institutionalization practices for people with disabilities and worked as an advocate for community inclusion. 

Outside of the office, when she isn’t reading or writing, Colette can be found dancing yankadi in her kitchen or tearing up the lawn in her yard to make room for more flowers. She adores her dogs, chocolate, and those acceptance letters she occasionally receives from publishers.

She recently completed an MFA in Creative Writing at Eastern Oregon University and is working on a novel. Her poetry has appeared in several publications, including Oregon East and The Sun.