WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY
NEWS EDUCATION
In her work leading ASWWU global service, Thompson drew upon skills she learned in her business classes. “I think MAKENA HORTON the most valuable and applicable class was WWU university relations fundamentals of leadership that I took student writer while holding this position. The class not only focused on our leadership skills, traits and how we all lead differently, but it put a huge focus on servant leadership,” she says. “As the global service director, and in every management position, I believe servant leadership is so important. Not only was my goal to serve my community and provide ways for fellow students to serve the community, but I also wanted to IMPROVING THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS HAS TAKEN A serve my team.” During Thompson’s leadership PROMINENT ROLE FOR BROOKE THOMPSON, SENIOR BUSINESS ASWWU service helped MAJOR. WHILE SERVING AS A STUDENT MISSIONARY PRIOR TO the Friendsglobal of Children of Walla HER JUNIOR YEAR AT WWU, THOMPSON HAD ALREADY DECIDED Walla and the Friends Club connect SHE WANTED TO CONTINUE HELPING THOSE AROUND HER WHEN university students with elementary SHE RETURNED TO CAMPUS. SHE ALSO KNEW SHE WANTED TO school students through a mentoring program. They also provided chapel PROVIDE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HER FELLOW STUDENTS. services for the homeless at the Christian Aid Center, worked on With those goals in mind, she applied restoration projects after flooding in the and was hired as global service director for valley, decorated Christmas cookies for the Associated Students of Walla Walla underprivileged children and collected University (ASWWU) for 2019–20. In that Christmas gifts for children in foster position she worked to multiply ASWWU care. At the end of the year, they were efforts by partnering with the WWU able to donate more than $7,000 of funds Center for Humanitarian Engagement they raised to Treehouse, a nonprofit (CHE) on a variety of projects for local organization that supports and advocates nonprofit organizations in the Walla Walla for children in foster care throughout Valley. Washington state. “I wanted to be able to get a variety Thompson has passed the leadership of students with a variety of interests and torch for ASWWU global service to Emma skill sets and passions involved in service, Tucker, senior business major, who has and working alongside the CHE made that taken over for the 2020–21 year. Tucker possible,” explains Thompson. “David Lopez, will continue to cultivate the relationships CHE director, was so excited about getting between WWU and local nonprofit me connected with local nonprofits and organizations in Walla Walla that made our dreams on global service a reality.” Thompson worked so hard to establish. Thompson focused on starting projects that could be sustained through yearly More online at ASWWU leadership changes. “Creating NWADVENT.ST/115-6-WWU-3 sustainable relationships is placing value in those individuals, and that is what service is all about. It is hard to continue that with Brooke Thompson mentored elementary global service as there is so much turnover school students as part of the Friends of every year, but working alongside the Children program. CHE has made that possible. CHE creates relationships with the community and maintains those relationships.”
Thompson’s Leadership Focuses on Service, Sustainability
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
