Whitman Stories

Becky Avila ’09 knows how hard it can be for first-generation students of color to succeed in college. As a first-year student at Whitman College in 2005, she worked hard to overcome hurdles. Since graduating with her degree in race and ethnic studies, Avila went on to earn a graduate degree and return to the Los Angeles neighborhood where she grew up.

As CEO of the Walla Walla Symphony, Leah Wilson-Velasco '03 brings people together through music. Starting with her undergraduate work managing the Fridays at Four recital series at Whitman College, Wilson-Velasco found her calling in the arts administration field.

A politics major at Whitman who currently resides in Seoul, McCullough provided this statement to accompany her portrait: "I'm Korean. I'm American. I'm an adoptee. I don't care to hyphenate or qualify; if I did, where would it end? I push against the rigid boundaries of Koreanness." Korean-Canadian photographer Hannah Yoon, who is behind the project, says connecting with other Koreans abroad while collaborating on her work led to a deeper understanding of her own life experience.

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Garrett Fellow Alissa Cordner, who specializes in environmental health and risk management, talked about the public safety concerns associated with a group of fluorinated pollutants known as PFAS, common but little-understood chemicals used in water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture, nonstick cookware and many other consumer products. Cordner is one of the organizers of a nationwide PFAS contamination list.

Professor of Politics Aaron Bobrow-Strain spoke to NPR Weekend Edition host Scott Simon about his new book, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez, which chronicles one undocumented woman's journey through the U.S. immigration system.

Lukas Koester graduates from Whitman in May 2019. From trombone playing to working in the student engagement center, Lukas has learned a lot during his four years at Whitman, a place he knew he could call home the first time he visited.

At Whitman College, students are learning the critical role that well-honed arguments and careful listening play in the art of debate. Led by Lauran Schaefer, director of Debate and Forensics, and Baker Weilert, assistant director, the Whitman Debate Team is training students not just to argue, but also to listen.

This spring, the Fouts Center for the Visual Arts is the site of a new arts program bringing bilingual first-graders from Edison Elementary School in Walla Walla to Whitman’s campus.

Debi (Aucutt) Toews '76 journey to Whitman College began in a hair salon. That's where her mother ran into another mom whose daughter was a sophomore at Whitman. Her mom loved the idea of the small class sizes. For Toews, she loved the friendly approach of then-director of admissions William Tingley, whom she met at a college fair shortly thereafter.

Kate (Pringle) VanDonge ’11 met her future husband in the History of Ancient Greece. But it wasn’t the battle of Troy or the birth of philosophy that ignited young love. It was the wardrobe of a guest lecturer.

Nancy Tavelli and Keith Farrington came to Whitman College in 1977. Farrington took a faculty position in the Department of Sociology. Tavelli was a resident director in “new dorm” — now William O. Douglas Hall.

Opportunities that strengthen the experience for Whitman’s scholar-athletes come because of the generosity of donors. Experiences like when the team got to play at what was then Safeco Field in Seattle. Or when Kitamura saved up to purchase a new pitching machine. Or this year, when the team was able to travel to Tucson, Arizona, and play in the Kino Sports Complex, a former MBL spring training facility.