New Endowment To Help More Students Enjoy the Full Whitman Experience
By Melissa Welling ’99
The Whitman College experience starts with top-notch academics. But what happens outside the classroom also deeply impacts the quality of students’ lives here and after Whitman—from amazing field trips and outdoor adventures to clubs where students connect over their shared passions to participation in sororities and fraternities and all the lifelong friendships formed in these various activities.
Soon, thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, more students will be able to access the full range of opportunities the Whitman community has to offer.
Creating More Connection & Joy
The Baker Family Whitman Experience Fund Endowment will provide need-based funding to enable students to enjoy valuable experiences at Whitman, such as those provided by the Outdoor Program, sorority and fraternity life, intramural sports, clubs, field trips, and other fee-related activities on campus.
“I am deeply grateful to this donor, who will help students access Whitman experiences that bring joy, connection, and the chance to lead and collaborate,” says President Sarah Bolton. “These opportunities empower students to broaden their views of themselves and their own capacities, while helping them see the world through new eyes.”
The new fund will be administered by Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Dr. John Johnson, who says it’s a step toward greater equity on campus.
“These opportunities empower students to broaden their views of themselves and their own capacities, while helping them see the world through new eyes.
”
“There’s a growing number of students here who don’t have access to the same resources as many of their peers,” Dr. Johnson says. “This fund—along with others that already exist—will help to remove the barriers to the various range of activities that really round out the Whitman experience.”
Over time, as the fund matures and grows, the plan is to build a scholarship option into the registration process for various activities, so that students with financial need can easily access support in a nonstigmatizing way, adds Dr. Johnson.
A Tradition of Generosity
Since 1866, when local businessman Dorsey S. Baker deeded four acres of land along Boyer Avenue to the seminary that would become Whitman College, generations of Bakers have served as alumni, trustees, volunteers and generous supporters of the college.
“I appreciate our donor creating this endowment in honor of the Baker family, which helped found Whitman and, through multiple generations, continues to shape Walla Walla and the college,” President Bolton says.
This gift in their honor will help ensure that their legacy continues to be recognized by the next generation of Whitties.
Give the Gift of the Whitman Experience
If you’d like to support the Baker Family Whitman Experience Fund, you can give a gift online.