Westwind, Spring 2019

LIFE WORK Meet three biologists who

are thriving in career and calling p. 12

TRIAL BY FIRE Alumni get to work amid

California’s most destructive wildfire p. 18

FINDING HER PATH Elizabeth Jones lands Supreme Court fellowship in Washington, D.C. P.28

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FEATURE // LIFE WORK

“It is very fulfilling to be a part of something almost miraculous.”

—Cassandra Bliss ’04, veterinary ophthalmologist

p.12

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THE MAGAZINE OF WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY // SPRING 2019

12

PHOTO: MISS ANGEL PHOTOGRAPHY

18 About the cover

Elizabeth Jones ’13 takes a break from her work in Washington, D.C., for photos at the Library of Congress.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN DONNELL

Westwind Spring 2019, Volume 38, Number 1 // Westwind is published three times a year by Walla Walla University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution, and is produced by WWU Marketing and University Relations office.

This issue was printed in March 2019. © 2019 by Walla Walla University.

Mail Westwind, 204 S. College Ave., College Place, WA 99324 E-mail westwind@wallawalla.edu Telephone (509) 527-2363 Toll-free (800) 541-8900 Online westwind.wallawalla.edu Editor Kim Strobel Staff writers Charles Riseley, T. Brooke Sample, Malcolm Shaw Design L/Bailey Design

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From the President College Avenue

The latest from across campus

Faculty in First Person

Nursing professor Kari Firestone addresses the problem of pain

Life Work

Three biology graduates work to create a better planet for us all

Trial by Fire

California’s Camp Fire draws on faith, strength, and courage

Alumni Currents

24 AlumNotes 28 Alumni of Note Elizabeth Jones and Mathieu Williams

FROM THE PRESIDENT

A gracious welcome Exploring the value of faith-based higher education in our rapidly changing world

The stories offered here bear witness not only to the value of our own university but also to the value that faith-based higher education adds to our society. Recently, while attending the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Presidents Conference in Washington, D.C., I attended a panel discussion on that theme. Moderated by Peter Wehner, New York Times columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, panelists included five college or university presidents: Ari Berman (Yeshiva University), John Fitzgibbons (Regis University), Shirley Mullen (Houghton College), Kevin Worthen (Brigham Young University), and Hamza Yusuf (Zaytuna College).

The conversation illustrated the diversity of faith-based institutions in the United States. Through that variety, though, a single, clear theme emerged—the value of faith-based education and the wisdom of maintaining a free society that fosters such institutions.

As suggested by the title of the session, “Let’s Talk about Faith: Contributions and Misunderstandings,” the conversation took place against the backdrop of increasing opposition to religious-based education. To sample the contributions of just one panelist, Mullen alluded to this development in advocating for the value of faith-

based higher education. Tracing the sometimes destructive power of religion in human society down through history, she pointed to the opportunity of faith-based higher-education institutions to offer our society a new story, one in which religion creates space for dialogue, focuses on the restoration of human dignity, and practices radical hospitality that makes space for others. She argued that while the perception is that faith-based institutions are rigid and narrow, in fact, at these institutions tough-minded conversations occur that are centered on societal issues, with discussions that are rooted in ageless theological ideas. Students who are grounded in their faith identity, she affirmed, can be agents of confident pluralism, creating hospitable space for others because they are not operating out of fear.

The mission of WWU is not a narrow one. Ours is a broad mission that contributes to the wide marketplace of ideas. As our mission statement reads, “Committed to excellence in thought, the university seeks to impart a broad knowledge of the arts, sciences, and professions by careful instruction and open inquiry at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Recognizing that God is the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty, the university seeks to convey to students a wisdom that translates academic achievement into responsible citizenship, generous service, a deep respect for the beauty in God’s creation, and the promise of re-creation through Jesus Christ.”

Thank you for nurturing Walla Walla University as it seeks to fulfill its valuable mission of faith-based higher education.

Cordially, John McVay, president

FIND MORE NEWS ABOUT WWU AT WALLAWALLA.EDU/NEWS.

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Westwind Spring 2019

PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE

I am imagining your reactions as you read your way through this edition of Westwind. I suspect they will track on my own. The excellence of thought in Kari Firestone’s recap of her Distinguished Faculty Lecture addressing chronic pain will enlighten you. The career trajectories of three alumni who earned degrees in biology will captivate you. The heartening examples of four Walla Walla University alumni who ministered with compassion and courage amidst the destructiveness of the fire in Paradise, California, will bless you. That a 2012 alumnus is Hawaii’s Teacher of the Year and a 2013 alumna has landed a Supreme Court fellowship will impress you. All the other good things in these pages about WWU and its graduates will feed your fresh confidence that your alma mater, tucked away in the southeastern corner of Washington state, is making a difference in the world.

College Avenue The latest from across campus

Peacemaking

A peaceful march through downtown Walla Walla brought together WWU students, Whitman College students, and members of the community.

Weeklong series of events highlight civil rights and civil discourse

PHOTO: GIANNI PAQUINI

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ALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY’S ninth annual Peacemaking Week took place Jan. 21–26. The weeklong series of events coincided with the national holiday celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and built on King’s commitment to a more just society.

Keynote speaker for the opening event was Kazi Joshua, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Whitman College. Joshua’s address to WWU students, “It Is Not Clear What We Shall Become,” encouraged listeners to “be the best of what God has called us to be” and concluded with the urging that we are all called to insistently see the good in everyone.

Later that day, WWU students, faculty, and staff joined community members from Walla Walla and Whitman College for the annual MLK Peace March through downtown Walla Walla. The march began on the Whitman campus and ended at the Gesa Power House Theatre with a program honoring King’s life. The program featured performances by the WWU Berean Choir, the Whitman Freedom Singers, and an original solo piece titled “Dear Freedom.”

Timothy Golden, WWU professor of philosophy, spoke for the event,

encouraging listeners to be more committed to movements and to take stands that are unpopular. “The magnitude of injustice is greater than the desire to resist it,” said Golden. “Commit yourself thoroughly to a movement; don’t just celebrate the monuments.”

Friday evening after vespers at WWU, Peacemaking Week concluded in the Student Association Center with students writing on pieces of paper what they think makes a good peacemaker. They then linked their comments together to create one long chain symbolizing the strength made when people unify.

The Walla Walla University Peacemaking Weekend Committee and the Office of Diversity are already beginning preparations for next year’s Peacemaking Week, with a commitment to peaceful struggle for social justice.

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College Avenue The latest from across campus

‘The Last Erasmians’

Dodds presents plenary lecture at international conference

In His name

ASWWU Global Service supports childhood literacy in Nepal

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HE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS of Walla Walla University Global Service team is working to raise $35,000 during the 2018–19 school year to support Room to Read, a nonprofit organization that works with firstand second-grade teachers, librarians, and school administrators to develop literacy skills in Nepal.

“In Nepal, many children do not advance to secondary education,” says Laura Egolf, senior biology major and ASWWU Global Service director. “We believe that one of the best ways to spread Jesus’ love is to empower these children, opening doors and building connections for a brighter future. Through effective teaching training programs, purchasing of books in the local language of Nepali, and structurally improving the schools, children for years to come will be equipped with the invaluable tool of literacy.”

ASWWU Global Service also partnered this year with the Friends program in College Place, Washington, to support the mentoring program at Davis Elementary School. “The Friends program is hoping for sustainability in the sense that instead Learn more about of only mentoring kids at the elementary age level, the opporASWWU Global tunity is available for kids who have been mentored to turn Service projects at around and mentor kids younger than them, fostering a chain wallawalla.edu/ global-service. of mentorship,” says Egolf.

Shark Tank CoLab

Competition encourages entrepreneurial spirit A Shark Tank-inspired competition at Walla Walla University called Shark Tank CoLab is giving student entrepreneurs the opportunity to work in teams to create new products and develop innovative solutions to problems.

The event is hosted by

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Westwind Spring 2019

the School of Business, the Department of Technology, the Department of Computer Science, and the School of Engineering to bring together students from diverse areas of study to collaborate on entrepreneurial projects, such as business startups

The Global Service team sells T-shirts as a fundraiser.

and product inventions.

The panel of judges for the competition includes entrepreneurs and WWU faculty who will evaluate projects based on innovation, originality, and creativity. The winners receive a $10,000 cash prize, funded by a donation from

a generous WWU alumnus, and semi-finalists receive $100 prizes.

“Yes, there is prize money up to $10,000; however, this is not all about the money,” says Patience Taruwinga, dean of the School of Business.

“In this fast-paced, globally connected world, it is important to have an entrepreneurial spirit.

With it, our students will succeed in life. This event

is about encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in all of our students.”

The semifinals will take place in March, with finals scheduled for April.

Watch for Shark Tank CoLab updates and other news about the WWU School of Business at wallawalla.edu/

business-news.

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE, LAURA EGOLF

Greg Dodds, professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, gave the Roland Bainton Plenary Lecture at the 2018 annual meeting of the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference, which met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last fall. The conference, which just celebrated its 50th year, is a major international conference that focuses on the early modern era— circa 1450 to 1660—and covers a broad area of interFind the latest disciplinary studies. news about WWU In his lecture, “The Last history faculty at Erasmians: Contesting wallawalla.edu/ the Public Memory of the history.

Reformation in Restoration England,” Dodds explored how 150 years after the Protestant Reformation, English Protestants were engaged in a heated debate about the nature of that Reformation. He explored how England was struggling with questions such as: Was the English Church the offspring of Erasmus or of Luther and Calvin? Should Protestants tolerate Catholics in England? How much unity was necessary in a church?

“The central factor was the struggle to shape the public memory of the Reformation in order to control the future of the English nation,” says Dodds. “The world they created is, it would seem, our world: party politics, propaganda, Greg Dodds, ideological news, and professor of the battles for public history memory.”

University Church welcomes new senior pastor Andreas Beccai has accepted an invitation to lead the Walla Walla University Church as senior pastor. Since 2015 Beccai has been lead pastor at the Volunteer Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in Seattle. In that role he has guided the church’s strategic planning, been a campus chaplain at the University of Washington and helped lead its local Seventh-day Adventist Student Association, been a community ambassador for local nonprofit organizations and government officials, and facilitated a summer internship program for theology students.

Beccai graduated from Keele University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in law with business and in 2012 earned a master of divinity degree from Andrews University. He has been chaplain for Adventist Information Ministries, associate dean at Auburn Adventist Academy, and associate pastor at the Green Lake Church of

The Beccai family includes senior pastor Andreas, Cassandre, and Eden.

Seventh-day Adventists.

Beccai was born in Accra, Ghana, and spent his formative years in England. He enjoys soccer, reading, traveling, and cooking. His wife, Cassandre, has a master of divinity degree from Andrews University and has worked in Microsoft’s Global Human Resources Department. They have a daughter, Eden.

“My family and I are looking forward to serving on campus, and we are excited to seek the flourishing of the campus community and our neighbors in the Walla Walla Valley,” says Beccai.

“I relish the opportunity to partner with bright minds to be agents of God, bringing help and hope and healing.

As we dream and hope for the next season at the Walla Walla University Church, we covet your prayers. We hope to foster a culture of faithful presence and gospel renewal as a dress rehearsal for the earth made new.”

Western Society of Naturalists Biology student presents octopus research at regional conference

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ALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY biological sciences graduate students Sarah Anderson, Pictured from left: Jon Eilers, JoMarie Alba, JoMarie Alba, Jon Eilers, and Monica Culler, and Sarah Anderson.

Monica Culler attended the Western Society of Naturalists Conference last fall in Tacoma. This annual conference focuses primarily on ecology, natural history, and marine biology and provides a framework for scientists to share their research and discuss ideas pertinent to the scientific community.

At the conference, Culler presented research she is working on in collaboration with Kirt Onthank, associate professor of biology, about the effects of ocean acidification on octopus physiology. Through their research, they have concluded that when temperature and acidity is increased in the ocean, octopuses have increased metabolism and decreased ventilation efficiency.

At the conference, students had the opportunity To learn more to listen to presentations by their peers from other about Onthank’s colleges and universities. Culler said that she esperesearch with cially enjoys this conference because of the focus octopuses, visit wallawalla.edu/ on marine biology and the opportunity to network onthank. with other young scientists.

LET’S TALK

PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE

Philosophy professor speaks across the state about fairness and equality Timothy Golden, WWU professor of philosophy, has been named to the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau for 2019–20.

Throughout the year, Golden will speak across the state about fairness and equality in relation to race, gender, and ethnicity. Golden’s presentation, “Equality on Trial: Race, Fairness, and the U.S. Supreme Court,” explores the story of a Supreme Court case about two students—one white and one black—and how they navigated the

medical school admissions process.

Golden has a doctor of philosophy degree in philosophy from the University of Memphis and more than 20 years of experience practicing law. He teaches philosophy and critical race theory at Walla Walla University where he is also the director of the Donald Blake Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture.

The Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau provides communities across the

state access to more than 30 speakers who give free public presentations on topics including history, politics, music, and philosophy.

The roster of speakers includes professors, artists, activists, historians, journalists, and more who speak at schools, libraries, museums, community centers, and civic organizations.

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College Avenue The latest from across campus

Student teachers foster the unique gifts of every individual.

BY THE NUMBERS

books sites Reading and browsing recommendations from our experts

WWU intramurals

You Belong Here

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CEED launches e-journal to cultivate diversity and fairness in education

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HE WWU Center for Educational Equity and Diversity (CEED) is launching a peer-reviewed e-journal titled Diversus to cultivate inclusivity by encouraging research and discussion within education.

Diversus will be an open-access, scholarly, peerreviewed e-publication intended as a vehicle for discussing equality and celebrating individuality within the professional educational community. The CEED editorial team, which includes editor Austin Archer, professor of psychology and education, is currently seeking research articles, book reviews, and commentary by educators, parents, and others interested in equality and diversity.

CEED was formed in 2017 Contact Austin Archer by faculty in the School of to learn more about Education and Psychology to Diversus submission strengthen practices related guidelines: to diversity and fairness in austin.archer@ education. wallawalla.edu.

New members join WWU Board of Trustees

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1 / Minervino Labrador joined the university board as the new president of the Upper Columbia Conference in April 2018. Labrador was previously vice president of ministries and director of ministerial stewardship and men’s ministries in the Southwestern Union Conference.

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Westwind Spring 2019

Pearl in the Sand: A Novel

By Tessa Afshar (Moody Publishers, 2010)

714 Student participants

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Faculty and staff participants

I enjoy Christian fiction and Tessa Afshar is one of my favorite authors. Pearl in the Sand is the story of Rahab.

While this book expands on what we know for sure about Rahab, the author stays true to the biblical account and the customs of the time period. Pearl in the Sand made me think about Rahab’s story in a new way, gaining a new understanding of how difficult life must have been for her and how amazing it was for her to have such faith in a God she knew nothing about. It is a beautiful story about forgiveness, redemption, and understanding your value through God’s eyes.

—Jennifer Carpenter, director of human resources, Title IX coordinator

Atomic Habits

by James Clear (Avery, 2018)

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Men’s and women’s intramural basketball teams

2 / Bill McClendon joined the university board after his election as vice president of administration for the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in April 2018.

3 / Terrance Taylor joined the Board of Trustees in 2018. He has a bachelor’s degree in theology from Walla Walla University and a master of divinity degree from Andrews University. Taylor is pastor of the Pasco 3 Ephesus Church in Pasco, Washington.

This heartwarming children’s book holds a message for each of us about how important we are in the spaces where God has placed us.

Its pages hold especially affirming messages of belonging for adopted children and foster children. Lovers of nature will be delighted by the warm, serene illustrations that remind us of the beauty in the world.

—Renee Unterseher, administrative assistant for Marketing and Enrollment Services

Find more WWU news at wallawalla.edu/ news.

If your New Year’s resolutions are long-forgotten, this super practical book will get you back on track. Through research and stories from science, sport, business and art, James Clear introduces you to a multitude of ways to start new habits and break bad ones. The secret is tiny changes, not drastic ones that are hard to maintain. It’s reassuring to learn that it’s not your own lack of willpower that keeps you from your goals; it’s your system. With the tweaks and “hacks” Clear suggests (Wanna read more? Hide the remote and put your book on the coffee table), those resolutions feel more attainable than ever.

—Leah Bailey, art director, Westwind

PHOTOS: RACHEL SCRIBNER, RONNIE ANDERSON

Diversus

Intramural sports played

by M.H. Clark; illustrations

by Isabelle Arsenault (Compendium Inc., 2016)

’70s THE

From the archives / If memory serves

Name that professor!

1976

PHOTO: WWU ARCHIVES

Nine Walla Walla University faculty struck a pose in 1976 on the deck of WWU’s Tausick Memorial Pool. Can you name them? Send your list of names to westwind@wallawalla.edu. Entries with the correct nine names received

by Sunday, April 14, will be entered in a drawing for a WWU swag bag.

Tausick Memorial Pool is named in honor of Eugene Tausick, local business owner and former Walla Walla mayor.

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

Westwind Spring 2019

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Faculty in first person

Kari Firestone Professor of nursing and associate dean of the School of Nursing

The 2018 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer addresses the significant health problem of chronic pain in the United States

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S A RESEARCHER, pain is a fascinating and complex neurobiological phenomenon to study. As a nurse and clinician, it is one of the most challenging patient conditions to manage. And as a professor, I believe that pain concepts and pain-related issues should be foundational in all health profession curricula.

Why, you might ask?

Pain is a universal human experience. Not one of us is immune. We are all at risk of developing pain, especially as we age. Pain is a significant public health problem in the United States affecting more than 100 million Americans; this is more than those affected by diabetes, cancer, and heart disease combined.1 And with an aging U.S. population, these numbers are expected to rise. The oldest medical problem, pain remains the most common medical complaint and the most frequent reason people seek care;2 yet, despite many medical advances, too many people still suffer from unrelieved, chronic pain.

Left untreated, chronic pain impacts quality of life, affecting relationships and the ability to participate in normal physical, social, and spiritual activities. The experience of chronic pain creates significant emotional distress. Concurrent mood and sleep disorders are common, with more than three-quarters of chronic-pain patients reporting depressive symptoms and disordered sleep.3 A salient association between sleep, pain sensitivity, depression, and functional disability emerges, creating a vicious cycle of dysfunction that is difficult to overcome.

People with chronic pain also struggle for legitimacy and credibility. Nationwide, chronic-pain patients face negative attitudes, biases, and stereotyping at home, in social settings, and within the medical system.4 They feel silenced in their suffering. The stigma associated with chronic pain is one of the most difficult aspects of living with chronic pain, further potentiating emotional distress and feelings of isolation and perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction and suffering.

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What is chronic pain?

What is the difference between the pain you feel after an injury—something we have all experienced—and chronic pain? Acute pain is a normal sensory experience triggered by the nervous system with a clear physiologic purpose, alerting you to actual or potential injury. Essentially, acute pain is a symptom that dissipates as healing occurs.

Characterized by complex neurobiological changes within the nervous system resulting in disordered pain processing, chronic pain is not simply acute pain persisting over time. In fact, chronic pain is considered a disease in its own right and no longer merely a symptom of something else. Meaning, chronic pain needs to

WATCH THE DFL ONLINE: WALLAWALLA.EDU/DFL

“

The use of modalities such as physical therapy, exercise, and behavioral interventions have all exhibited positive effects on pain, disability, and mood.”

Historically, the treatment of chronic pain has been based on the acute-pain treatment model and the use of medications, such as opioids.

However, we now know that pharmacotherapy provides only modest symptom improvement for most chronic-pain patients.5 It is time to think outside the box and explore alternative options.

In fact, many nonpharmacological therapies are actually producing greater benefits in pain and functioning. The use of modalities such as physical therapy, exercise, and behavioral interventions (e.g. education and cognitive behavioral therapy) have all exhibited positive effects on pain, disability, and mood.

What can be done here at WWU?

be addressed and managed much like other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or asthma. Unfortunately, to date, there is no lab test or imaging available to diagnose these nervous system changes, and subsequently, many of our common nonmalignant chronic pain syndromes. This lack of objective evidence presents a barrier to treatment, further adding to the misconception and bias surrounding the legitimacy of chronic pain.

PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE

How should we approach chronic pain treatment?

We know that psychological aspects, such as our emotions (e.g. negative mood states, fear, guilt, anger) and sociocultural influences (e.g. response of others to the pain), play a role in how we experience pain. Therefore, a biopsychosocial approach focused on the “whole person” has shown the most promise in the treatment of chronic pain.1 As chronic pain is subjective, treatment should be tailored to the individual experience—there is no one-size-fits-all approach!

It takes an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex issues surrounding chronic pain. I strongly believe the first step is to do a better job educating our future healthcare professionals—and ourselves. With education comes a necessary cultural transformation in the way we view chronic pain and interact with those experiencing it. WWU stands uniquely poised to utilize the diverse areas of study we offer to promote learning and scholarly discourse about pain and pain-related issues, preparing our graduates with a strong foundation as future health professionals, pain advocates, or healthcare consumers.

1. Institute of Medicine (2011). Relieving pain in America: a blueprint for transforming prevention, care, education and research.

2. Shappert & Burt (2006). Ambulatory care visits to physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, and emergency departments: United States, 2001-02. Vital Health Statistics, 13, 1-66.

3. Boakye et al. (2016). A critical review of neurobiological factors involved in the interactions between chronic pain, depression, and sleep disruption. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 32(4), 327-336.

4. Upshur et al. (2010). They don’t want anything to do with you: patient views of primary care management of chronic pain. Pain Medicine, 11(12), 1791-1798. • 5. Reinecke et al. (2014). Analgesic efficacy of opioids in chronic pain: recent meta-analyses. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172(2), 324-333.

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Life work

From flamingos to meninges, three alumni use their degrees in biology as a springboard to challenging and rewarding careers.

It’s no simple undertaking to unravel the mysteries of the complex, ever-changing plants and animals on our planet. The study of biology is not for the faint of heart. From operating on a flamingo’s eye to removing a brain tumor to inspiring the next generation of young scientists, these three alumni have embraced the art and science of biology with grace and gusto. Along the way they’re making the world a more healthful, hopeful place for us all.

BY EMILY HUSO Illustrations by Adam Cruft

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Cassandra Bliss Veterinary ophthalmologist Class of 2004

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S A FRESHMAN biology major in 2000, when Cassandra Bliss first walked into the office of Jim Nestler, professor of biology, she could never have predicted that someday she would be at the forefront of research about penguins or would perform eye surgeries on exotic species such as cheetahs, golden eagles, brown bears, and flamingos. Today, Bliss is one of less than 500 boardcertified veterinary ophthalmologists in the United States.

As an undergraduate, Bliss never wavered from her goal of becoming a veterinarian. During her time at WWU, she developed diligent study habits and learned how to design and conduct a research project, all skills that helped prepare her for future success. After graduating from WWU in 2004, Bliss completed four years of veterinary school at Washington State University. She then completed a one-year postdoctoral internship before matching to a residency in veterinary ophthalmology, one of the most competitive veterinary specialties with only three to five positions open per year.

During her residency, Bliss received a national award in recognition of her groundbreaking research on penguins. In a study she conducted at the Detroit Zoo, Bliss discovered that 64 percent of macaroni penguins and 68 percent of rockhopper penguins in captivity had cataracts. Their visual impairment and, in many cases total blindness, often went unnoticed by zookeepers because the penguins adapted to their gradual loss of vision by memorizing the layout of their habitat. Bliss’s startling findings prompted other researchers to study the environment within the habitats and led to the identification of multiple factors that were contributing

Cassandra Bliss to the development of cataracts in captive penguins. Thanks to Bliss’s research, penguin habitats have been redesigned to prevent vision loss.

After passing the infamously difficult veterinary board exam on her first try in 2012, Bliss worked for two years as a veterinary ophthalmologist before opening her own veterinary ophthalmology clinic, Bliss Animal Eye Care, in Central Point, Oregon. On a typical work day, she examines pets with eye conditions such as cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, and vision changes. She also performs various surgical procedures, including corneal transplants and repairs, cataract surgery, and glaucoma surgery. For Bliss, one of the most rewarding parts of her job includes performing restorative surgeries on pets that have lost their vision. “I have patients that haven’t seen for 10 years that we do cataract surgery on, and they get to see for the first time,” says Bliss. “It is very fulfilling to be a part of something almost miraculous.”

In addition to her responsibilities as a veterinarian, Bliss also navigates the challenges of being a business owner. From learning how to create a team environment to learning how to be a leader among her employees, Bliss has worked hard to go above and beyond with her business.

As a business owner, she focuses on providing an educational and positive experience for her customers. “You can be the best doctor in the world,” she says, “but if you can’t connect with a client—have an emotional connection and understand where they’re coming from—then you’re not going to get very far.”

Now that her business is established, Bliss anticipates finding more time to travel and pursue her hobbies, including salmon fishing, kokanee fishing, and competitive bird-dog hunting.

She encourages up-and-coming biology majors to never lose sight of their goal. “You can be at the top of the mountain,” Bliss says.

“But first, at the bottom, you must choose to be disciplined to do whatever it takes to get from where you are to the top.”

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LIFE WORK

Robbie Wheeling High school teacher Classes of 2003 and 2005

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Academy in Salem, Oregon, where he has taught for eight years.

Today, Wheeling teaches eight classes at Livingstone, including science, mathematics, robotics, and gardening. For Wheeling, one of the most rewarding aspects of his job is getting to share his love for science.

“I get to introduce kids to a topic that, for many of them, is a challenge and something they might be fearful of,” says Wheeling. “If I can get a kid excited about learning about DNA or something like that, that’s a win.” Each year, Wheeling returns to Rosario, once with his marine biology class and a second time with the entire high school. The students participate in activities at Rosario such as tide pooling, rock climbing, and helping with service projects. “It’s basically sharing one of my favorite places in the world with all of my students,” Wheeling says.

In addition to the Rosario trips, Wheeling has worked hard to create new science and technology programs at Livingstone. In 2008, he started the academy’s robotics program, which has grown from just three students in the first year to 16 students last year.

More recently, Wheeling secured funding to start a gardening program, which allows students to get academic credit for learning about gardening and to work during the summers in the garden. With greenhouses, a tractor, and an outdoor classroom in the works, the program will provide valuable education and work experience for the students at Livingstone.

In addition to teaching, Wheeling enjoys disc golf, birding, photography, spending time with his wife, and working on projects with their 8-year-old son. Although his job requires countless hours of preparation and hard work, he says that his interaction with students makes it all worthwhile. “When you can watch them become professionals in life and their careers, and you’ve had a part in that, that’s exciting.”

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LTHOUGH MANY biology graduates follow a fairly straight and traditional career path, others, like Robbie Wheeling, take a more circuitous route before arriving at their ideal career. “Mine was not a straight, traditional route at all,” Wheeling says. “Mine was a U-turn.”

Since the time he visited Catalina Island as a high school sophomore, Wheeling was determined to become a marine biologist. In undergraduate and graduate school at WWU, he fostered his love for science and particularly marine biology, taking a variety of science classes that allowed him to learn about and experience many different areas of biology. He traveled to Hawaii and the Sonoran Desert for tropical and desert biology courses and spent four summers at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory.

During graduate school, he spent twoand-a-half months in the Philippines gathering research on sea cucumbers with Jim Nestler, professor of biology.

“Basically, I had to go scuba diving every day, multiple times. It was rough,” says Wheeling, tongue in cheek.

As he prepared to graduate with a master’s degree in biology in 2005, Wheeling was on track to realize his dream of becoming a marine biologist. He had an exciting summer job lined up at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and planned to make career connections while there. “Then I met a girl,” says Wheeling. Feeling certain that this girl, Janelle Janssen, was “the one,” Wheeling moved back to Walla Walla to be near her while she finished her degree. Meanwhile, he taught zoology at Walla Walla Community College, utilizing the skills and knowledge he had gained from his work as a lab instructor at WWU. The following year, he and Janelle got married. After four years of teaching in Washington, Wheeling accepted a call to teach at Livingstone Adventist

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LIFE WORK

Nathaniel Whitney Neurosurgeon Classes of 2000 and 2003

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pursuing a career in medical research, during clinical rotations Whitney fell in love with how neurosurgery combines the intricacy of the nervous system with the hands-on approach of surgery. “In neurosurgery, you’re dealing with something very detailed, very precise, very sophisticated,” Whitney says. “But it actually falls out into something very physical and tangible, I realized. That’s what my bent in life is—to physically fix something.”

Today, as a neurosurgeon practicing in Spokane, Washington, Whitney operates on patients with a variety of injuries and disorders to the brain and spine. On nonsurgery days, he assesses pre- and post-operative patients in his private practice clinic, where he has learned to navigate the business side of medicine. “Initially I was very put off by it,” Whitney admits. “I thought because we’re taking care of people, this shouldn’t be a business.

But then I realized there are a lot of businesses that support us so that we can take care of patients. On the best day, a collaborative effort between the business world and the medical world can actually help patients a lot.”

On surgery days, Whitney is in the operating room from 7 a.m. until often late into the night, whenever the surgeries are complete. Typically, his cases involve trauma-related injuries, stroke, brain cancer, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, and spinal problems such as disk herniation and spinal stenosis. Whitney’s surgical niche is scoliosis surgery, which corrects debilitating structural deformities of the spine. “It’s all about construction angles, physics, and engineering,” Whitney says. “I love it.

It’s taking somebody who is held back for whatever reason because of their spine disease, and we’re able to simply correct it. I feel very lucky and blessed to be involved in that process.”

Whether he is operating on a herniated disk to relieve chronic pain or stopping a brain bleed to prevent a patient’s death, Whitney takes great pride and satisfaction in his job. Outside work, he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and family time. Lately, he spends his time off playing Legos with his 4-year-old son and helping his wife care for their newborn daughter.

DISCOVERING HOW LIFE WORKS The perks of studying biology at WWU include unparalleled research opportunities. Students work with their professors on original research at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, on the Philippine Islands, in Pacific Northwest forests, and on lab

projects such as examining immune system response to cancer—just to name a few. WWU students routinely present their findings at professional conferences (see page 7).

They also combine rigorous academics with a supportive

network of Christian colleagues who are focused on helping them realize their full potential and affirm their belief in God.

Discover more about how we study biology at WWU at wallawalla.

edu/biology.

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ROM SEEING patients in clinic to performing lifesaving surgery in the operating room, WWU graduate Nathaniel Whitney uses the knowledge he gained from his biology degrees every day in his work as a neurosurgeon.

Although Whitney’s goal was always to be a physician, his path to the profession was somewhat nontraditional.

After graduating from WWU in 2000, Whitney was accepted to Loma Linda University School of Medicine. However, he experienced a heart-related health problem that forced him to take time off. After healing for a year, he was ready to return to school.

“That’s when I said, hey, I’ve always been interested in science, why not do the master’s degree?”

In his biology graduate work at WWU, Whitney gained research experience and a love for science that laid the foundation for his studies in medical school. Under the supervision of David Lindsey, professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, Whitney researched developmental neural biology in social amoebae. An animal physiology class from Scott Ligman, former professor of biology and current associate vice president for Academic Administration, sparked Whitney’s interest in neuroscience.

“I really got to dig into science at Walla Walla, so then that just carried into medical school,” he says.

Whitney completed his master’s degree in late summer—after classes started at LLU. With a year to fill before starting medical school the next fall, Whitney thought, “I’m just going to do something totally nonacademic.”

He ended up working in construction, building houses in College Place before matriculating at LLU in 2004.

Although he initially considered

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When California’s deadliest blaze threatened Adventist Health Feather River and its

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patients, these four Walla Walla University alumni sprang into action. BY AMY WILKINSON

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T IS THE deadliest and most destructive fire in California history.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2018, a Pacific Gas and Electric Company worker reported flames just outside the unincorporated community of Pulga in Northern California’s Butte County. Dry, thirsty brush and dangerously high winds only fueled the blaze, and less than two hours later, the fire was advancing on the nearby town of Paradise (pop. 26,682).

In just a matter of minutes, Paradise would be lost.

While the cause of the savage Camp Fire—which would take 17 days to fully contain—is still under investigation, its devastation is clear: 153,336 acres burned, 18,804 buildings destroyed, and 86 lives lost.

Standing among the ruins is Adventist Health Feather River, a 100-bed acutecare hospital located in Paradise where employees worked feverishly—and often at their own peril—to evacuate 67 patients in just under an hour. What inspires someone to put their own life on the line for another? Is it simply a sense of duty? Or a higher calling?

We asked four of the many Walla Walla University alumni who were there to tell us their stories.

Hospital employees work in a triage area while evacuating patients as the Camp Fire moves through the area on Nov. 8, 2018, in Paradise, California.

Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES

THE LONG ROAD

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RANT ASHLOCK WAS running late for work. As the manager of human resources at Feather River, he typically liked to be at his desk and checking email by 7:30 a.m. But that wouldn’t be the case today.

In his rush, Ashlock considered skipping a much-needed pit stop at the gas station on the drive from his home in Chico to his office in Paradise, but the prospect of mounting the hill up to the hospital on empty changed his mind.

“I never like to push it going uphill,” the 2012 business administration graduate explains.

And so Ashlock pulled over to fill up on Bruce Road, and it was there that he first noticed the plumes of smoke.

“I saw the fire and thought, ‘Oh, that doesn’t look close,’” he recalls. “We have fires here regularly.”

Indeed, wildfires are a fact of life in Northern California—much like hurricanes are in Florida or tornados in Kansas. The summer before, a blaze had come within four miles of the home Ashlock shares with his wife, Kelsie, a 2012 social work and business administration graduate, and their son, Grayson. But the flames were soon under control and the couple left the very next day for their scheduled vacation to Sun Valley.

On this day, to his relief, Ashlock looked up the fire on his phone and saw that it was miles away in Pulga. But by the time he settled into his office on the sprawling Feather River campus, Ashlock was feeling less and less relieved: He could see flames out his window.

At 8:04 a.m., Ashlock placed a call to his brother, Ryan, one of the hospital’s executives, to report fire on campus. The hospital would declare an evacuation moments later. For Ashlock, his first task was to print out an employee roster to make sure everyone could be accounted for once the evacuation was complete.

“I’m sitting there on my computer opening an Excel file while there are flames probably less than a quarter mile away, just not thinking anything of it,” muses Ashlock. He then grabbed a couple items of sentimental value from his desk and his laptop containing his master’s papers and left the building. As word spread that it was all hands on deck to evacuate patients, Ashlock jumped into his gassed-up Jetta and made a beeline for the ambulance bay, calling wife Kelsie along the way to tell her what was going on.

“She was like, ‘Get out now!’” Ashlock recalls.

“And I said, ‘You guys are safe—I want to help.’

I didn’t really have a thought process.”

And so, Ashlock loaded three patients into his car: one in the front seat and two in the back. Turning right out of the hospital grounds the group was greeted by a chilling sight: “The sky is red.

[Then] it goes from red to pitch black because the smoke [is] so bad.” And then the line of cars Ashlock was following came to a standstill.

“That was the first time [I was scared],” Ashlock recalls. “I could legitimately die here. If the flames get here I could run but the patients couldn’t.”

Before too long, Ashlock noticed several cop cars whizzing by, going the wrong way in the opposite lane. He made the split-second decision to follow suit, not knowing where the cops were headed but knowing he had to get his patients to safety at Enloe Medical Center in Chico. But with nearly everyone fleeing Paradise that morning, Ashlock continued to run into roadblocks—literally. He spent the next 80 minutes going all of four miles.

After another wrong-way maneuver—this time on Skyway Road, one of Paradise’s main thoroughfares—Ashlock was able to pass “hundreds” of cars, saving at least 30 minutes, and eventually merging onto I-99 headed straight for Enloe.

Ashlock’s relief in safely dropping off his charges was short-lived, though, as hours later his own house fell under an evacuation order, forcing him to leave with his wife, son, dog, and two cats. (Their home didn’t sustain any damage.)

Looking back on those harrowing hours, Ashlock knows just how lucky he is.

“I didn’t have the flames on both sides [of the car] creeping along—plenty of my friends who worked there at the time had that,” he says. “For me, I truly believe God was there with me. As I was sitting there in the traffic waiting I prayed, ‘Jesus, please help me get out of here. I’ve got to get these patients to safety.’ To follow the cop the way I did and have him go the right direction, I think God was there with me. And the blessing is all of our patients and employees are all accounted for.”

AN ANSWERED CALL

W

E FELT LIKE it was where we were supposed to be,” Tim Williams explains of his family’s move to Northern California in early 2018. After stints around the country as a pastor and an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Williams—along with wife Megan and sons Lincoln, Hudson, and Declan— were ready to put down roots, with Williams accepting the role of director of operations at Feather River. “We were excited about the community and the area. Professionally, it was a huge growth opportunity for me.”

Williams, a 2003 business administration graduate, couldn’t have known then just how providential that move would prove in just a few months’ time.

The day of the fire started like any other Thursday for Williams—aside from the few text messages he received about a blaze in Pulga.

But with the fire seemingly too far away to be an imminent threat, Williams got in his car to make the drive from the family’s rental home in Chico to Paradise. He hadn’t even made it to his office, though, before the call came through: The hospital was being evacuated.

“My thought was, well, we’re evacuating— there’s no point in me going to the hospital and doing anything right now because they are already in that process,” explains Williams. “I turned around and drove back down to Chico to set up an incident command to manage the [evacuation] outside of Paradise.”

In short order, Williams commandeered one of the hospital’s physical therapy units in Chico, staffing up and overseeing the operation.

“Our initial focus, obviously, was to ensure the safety of all staff and patients,” says Williams.

“Those were really the two key focal points for us that first 72 hours. Then just trying to manage chaos. What’s happening? Who’s doing what?

Coordinating with first responders and coordinating with other hospitals that we’re going to send patients to. It’s all that work happening behind the scenes to get everybody in the right direction and make sure everybody is on the same page.”

With his mix of pastoral, military, and managerial experience, Williams couldn’t have been better

As Jackie Fullerton attempted to evacuate from Paradise, the plastic on her rearview mirror began to melt.

suited for the juggling act required to help ensure the swift and safe evacuation of the hospital.

“When I was in the Air Force, I ran the medical emergency operations center, so [this was] not foreign at all,” he explains. “Of course, in the military, we train that on a regular basis, so it looks a little bit different on the civilian side. But it’s essentially the same principle: It’s command and control. It’s managing, communicating, directing, coordinating. I have no problem quickly putting that hat on and saying, ‘Here’s what we need to do; here’s the plan; here’s your role.’”

William’s role also meant keeping his emotions in check—often during intense, stressful moments—and relying on staffers to carry out a lot of the emotional heavy-lifting.

“I turned to somebody and I said, ‘I need you to go upstairs to a conference room and I just need you to pray for people. You can’t do anything sitting here, just go pray for people because I can’t do that right now. I can’t be in this emotional mindset.’”

After a harrowing few days, with patients and staff safe, Williams was able to take Saturday off to decompress and begin reflecting on his experience.

“Part of me feels somewhat guilty because I wasn’t actually in the fire,” he says. “We had a ton of employees at the hospital—nurses, administrators—there are literally flames out the back door and they’re watching things burn.

I never had that experience. My involvement was making decisions, making sure communication was clear, making sure we were tracking patients, tracking staff, getting everything that we needed. I have a totally different experience than people who were driving away from everything burning.”

Despite some feelings of guilt, Williams concedes that “there was a definite need” for the work he did in the command center—and recognizes his purpose in the overall picture.

“If we didn’t feel called there before, we sure felt called leading into that crisis,” he says.

Whatever the fate of Feather River may be, Williams is ready, willing, and able to roll up his

“When you’re in a situation where you can’t move and you’ve got no control, there is nothing left but to give control to God.” —JACKIE FULLERTON

sleeves and help rebuild—even if his own dream home is no longer a reality. Coincidentally, Williams and his wife had been scheduled to close on a house in Paradise just days after the blaze. Though the structure is still standing, fire damage and insufficient infrastructure (e.g. no potable water) make living in Paradise a near impossibility. So for now, the couple will continue to house hunt and focus on the future of their adopted community.

“We’re here. There’s work to do. There’s a lot of need,” says Williams. “What does the future look like? Let’s figure it out.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACKIE AND KEVIN FULLERTON

AN EMOTIONAL REUNION

K

EVIN FULLERTON COULDN’T find his wife, Jackie.

Both employees of Feather River, Kevin, a 1987 nursing graduate, and Jackie, who also attended, arrived at the hospital moments before the evacuation orders went out. Each went to work helping clear out separate areas of the campus, but by the time Kevin had canvassed the obstetrics, operating, and emergency departments, Jackie was nowhere in sight.

“I went out and showed my badge to the law enforcement people and used that as my exit since I couldn’t find Jackie quickly,” says Kevin, who volunteers with the local sheriff’s office.

Kevin would end up in the passenger seat of a Fish and Game officer’s truck, with orders to drive south and alert residents to the fire—a task that felt like second nature to him.

“As a nurse and as an attachment to law enforcement, you’re always taught to go towards the fire,” says Kevin. “That’s what your calling is in life—that’s what you do, so you don’t instinctively think about your own personal danger. You think about what you need to be doing to help the other people get out.”

As Kevin and the officer made their rounds, Kevin’s phone rang: It was Jackie calling to say goodbye.

Having done her part to help evacuate the hospital, Jackie had set out on her own, fleeing the hospital grounds in her pickup truck. A right onto Pence Road followed by another right onto Pearson Road, and Jackie was trapped in a traffic jam. Flames advanced all around, a veritable “rainstorm of fire,” she says. The plastic on her rearview mirror began dripping like water.

The heat inside the cab of her truck became unbearable. For a moment, Jackie considered abandoning her vehicle and continuing on foot, but she quickly realized how futile that would be. It was then that she made the call to Kevin.

“She was frantic and in tears and I said, ‘Jackie, you’ve got to pray. I can’t help you,’” Kevin recalls.

Moments later, a bulldozer appeared beside Jackie’s truck, pushing aside the flaming debris to clear a path. As she and several other vehicles circled around a clearing, Jackie was given orders to return to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Kevin asked the Fish and Game officer if he could pray aloud, and the officer agreed. Halfway through Kevin’s benediction, a call came in with new instructions: They were to help evacuate a nearby nursing home.

“I’m thinking that’s rude—the devil is getting in the way of my prayer,” says Kevin. “But it was God actually giving me something more to focus on so I wouldn’t have to worry about Jackie. Because I was frantic. There wasn’t anything I could do. I was stuck in this patrol

car. I’m doing the right thing—I intuitively know there is nothing I can do to help her.”

And with that, Kevin and his partner went back into harm’s way, passing through the fire sparking in lower Paradise and continuing through the active fire in upper Paradise to get to the nursing home.

“I’ll tell you what, that wipes out all your worries about your spouse because you’re sitting here surrounded by fire,” says Kevin. “[The officer] has a fire extinguisher and that’s the only defense you have if things go south.”

The two loaded three patients into the back of the truck and were off again: “It looked like Christmas,” says Kevin, “except all of the decorations on the houses were orange—which happened to be fire.”

Back safely at the hospital, Jackie was joined by several hospital staff and Paradise residents who couldn’t evacuate in time. They hunkered down in a hospital tunnel to wait out the blaze.

Once again, Jackie went into what she calls game-face mode, rounding up food, water, and blankets for those who remained.

“I literally had no time to think about what just happened,” Jackie recalls. “These people need help. We had a lot of staff there that had just come through their own horrible experiences, which none of us really knew about until after the fire.

You’ve got very scared people that you just need to help be a calming force for, and that’s what I was thinking. I couldn’t even think about what had just happened to me. There was no way.”

After assisting with the second wave of evacuations, Jackie was finally allowed to leave the hospital once again and drove straight to her daughter Kelsey’s home in Chico, since she had no way of knowing whether her own home in Paradise survived the blaze. (The Fullerton home did survive—though with significant smoke damage. The couple is currently living with Kelsey who served as an important communication liaison for the entire Fullerton family during the evacuation.)

It was while Kevin was in the back of the Fish and Game officer’s truck, holding the hand of a nursing home resident, that he received word from Kelsey that Jackie had finally evacuated safely. It would be another three hours before they locked eyes on one another.

“It was emotional,” says Jackie—an understatement, to be sure—of the reunion that she wasn’t even sure would happen.

“It definitely was providential,” she continues.

“I went from praying, ‘God, get me out of this’ to ‘God, make it a quick death.’ And all of a sudden we were able to have the path that our bulldozer guy made for us and it was like, ‘Oh, thank you, God! We’re going to get out of this.’ When you’re in a situation where you can’t move and you’ve got no control, there is nothing left but to give control to God and say, ‘Whatever needs to happen, it’s in your hands.”

Kevin, too, recognizes God’s handiwork in his escape.

“What this does is it both renews my faith and it gives me a point that I can look back on,” he says. “A lot of times when you see God’s will enacted in your life it’s through the rearview mirror. This is going to be one of the things I’m going to be able to look back on and see God’s hand directly. We all saw it directly that day.

He’s alive and well and cares deeply about me.

The fact that I survived that little bad boy, I still have that purpose.”

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Remember When Alumni produce video series to preserve the past and inform the future

BY LOREE CHASE-WAITE Photographs by Chris Drake

S

INCE THE BIRTH of Walla Walla University, its history has been chronicled in a variety of formats from handwritten notes to typewritten files, in articles, photos, books, and, more recently, digital data. Now WWU heritage is being preserved in a series of videos that feature first-person stories told by faculty and staff.

The video project emerged from a discussion started by Steve Walikonis ’78, current WWU Alumni Association (AA) board chair, who proposed a video to capture the history of Havstad Alumni Center.

James Kneller ’95, current president of the AA, expanded the idea to a series of videos intended to preserve the experiences and memories of WWU

faculty and staff. Called the Remember When series, the videos are produced by CMBell, a marketing and communications firm that is rich with WWU alumni for whom this project was a labor of love.

At the helm, DeLona (Lang) Bell ’79 oversees the big picture and production. Business co-owner Michael Bell ’80 plays a supporting role, and their two sons, Christian ’10 and Miles-Erik ’15, contribute skill sets to the crew, which range from concept development to running cameras and editing footage.

Of course, behind every project, there is a story to tell. So we sat down with DeLona, Christian, and Miles-Erik and asked questions about the story behind the stories.

The Havstad Alumni Center was transformed into a film set for recording the 12 interviews of current and former WWU faculty.

What could be a more fitting trio than DeLona, with your journalism degree, Christian, with your history degree, and Miles-Erik, with your English degree. How did your WWU education prepare you for a project like this?

DeLona: WWU was the place that awakened in me the realization of my love for words.

I had professors who saw in me potential that I hadn’t yet come to own in myself. It was a powerful turning point to embark on this kind of career.

Miles-Erik: As an English major, I learned the value of going back. A lot of English is history, covering a broad span of literature. In this series, a lot of what we’re doing is historical in nature too. We’re asking people about their lives before, during, and after their time at WWU. Christian: I was drawn to history initially because I have this desire, this insatiable curiosity, to understand the big picture. A project like this allows you to get a fuller perspective on what this place has been, where it is now, and where it might be going. History is far more interesting if it can, in some way, also inform the way you think about the future.

Miles-Erik and Christian, as recent WWU alumni, what has it been like for you to work on a project like this?

Miles-Erik: I’ve lived in the Walla Walla Valley my entire life, so growing up I got to know many of the teachers and staff.

I guess it was always in the plan that I would go to Walla Walla University. It prepared me in the sense that the connections were already there, and I knew these people had important stories to tell.

Christian: The preparation was in knowing many of these people already, especially one

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THE FIRST 12 The following people have been featured to date as part of the Remember When video series: Terrie Aamodt • Beverly Beem • Loren Dickinson • Gordon Johnson • Mel Lang Walt Meske • Sylvia Nosworthy • Kraig Scott • Alden Thompson • Tom Thompson Ken Wiggins • Helen Thompson Zolber. Additional videos are currently in production.

To watch the videos and find updates, visit RememberWhenSeries.com.

Christian Bell and DeLona (Lang) Bell work with the production crew during filming.

of my former advisors and professors, Terrie Aamodt.

Having taken multiple classes from her, it was a huge honor to get to do a deeper dive interviewing her.

Miles-Erik: I feel a big responsibility in capturing these stories, especially since many of the people are mentors. It feels crucial to get it right.

Christian: Part of me wonders what my grade is going to be at the end of it.

Could it be that preserving some of these stories is one way of nourishing the WWU fiber and character?

DeLona: Yes. Wisdom is an asset. Role models are an asset. Each provides a little food for our own journeys.

To see people’s resolve, for example, reignites my own sense of willingness to say, “I’m going to climb a big hill if I need to in life. They’ve done it, and I can do it.”

Christian: Storytelling is a constant necessity in communities. It’s rarely urgent, but always important.

Because it’s in these stories, these large arcs, that we find our meaning, and we’re inspired to keep doing whatever it is that we’re doing.

DeLona: The power of storytelling to preserve culture is certainly evidenced in Jewish culture, where the stories of Abraham and others were passed along.

Those stories created an incredibly cohesive culture even in the face of adversity, threats, and dispersion. The Bible itself is, on a grander scale, an even better example. It’s a collection of stories about the divine-human connection, and it has been the biggest force, perhaps, in building culture.

What do you hope viewers take away from these videos? Is there a specific feeling or message you hope to convey?

DeLona: These videos are simply meant to give viewers a chance to reconnect with their alma mater and think about the role WWU played in their lives. Some haven’t been on campus since they graduated or maybe have been just a few times. We also hope to inspire viewers to think about how they might continue to help build the value that this institution has brought to the community.

Miles-Erik: It was important to us to create a series that would feel cohesive, with a level of quality and consistency. Some videos have an inspirational tone, others are more nostalgic in nature, and still others have a humorous vibe. Creatively speaking, it’s been fun to feature individuality within a cohesive project.

DeLona: Up to 10 people have had their hand in this project at various times.

There’s the logistics person, camera crew, lighting and sound assistants, editors, graphic designers, director, producer, and interviewer.

Beverly Beem and Terrie Aamodt have voluntarily assumed the role of interviewers and have conducted all but two of them. Both Bev and Terrie bring a wealth of knowledge that allows them to revisit these stories, many of which they were a part of. We are so grateful for their expertise.

What has been the biggest challenge?

DeLona: As with any video story, the challenge is drawing the details out from someone who may find it hard to be in front of a camera. So we try to create a comfortable environment and just let people be themselves. We also have to let go of the idea that we might do justice to a person’s life story in such a short piece.

Christian: In editing the interviews, it can be challenging to narrow down the footage to just one story—or a few.

DeLona: Yes, especially when you have a lifetime of stories.

What rewards have you discovered?

Miles-Erik: I always enjoy improving upon the craft.

Getting to do something unique like this motivates me to keep finding ways to do it better each time. The more we make these videos and explore this process, the better we can actually tell people’s stories about the institution, the community, and the people.

Christian: This project is more personal than most.

These people are special people. We’ve had multiple classes from some of them, and we’ve learned a lot about the world from them.

In these videos, they opened up more about their own experiences. And we can’t help but like them even more!

DeLona: We’re just a very curious bunch. We love stepping into people’s stories. And we love finding out what’s distinctive about people, what drives them.

I’ve noticed some common themes. Like resilience.

The passion people have for their discipline. The lens they

use to connect their work with faith. And the unexpected nature of almost all of their journeys. Many said, “I was never going to be a professor.” Or, “I wasn’t planning to move to Walla Walla.” But life hands us surprises, and those surprises often lead to really wonderful things.

These people made things possible for us, not only through their time and talent, but many of them with their own money. Some invested their entire careers at WWU. They’ve shown us what it’s like to make something better for somebody else.

What value do you see these videos lending to future generations?

DeLona: If I were to embark on sending my children to a place that would forever influence their life, I’d want to know what kind of people they’d be hanging out with and learning from—what kind of role models they’d have. If you’re a parent or grandparent interested in knowing that kind of thing, these videos can give you a glimpse. We look forward to continuing to help weave the tapestry that is the WWU story.

Have there been any bloopers or “oops” moments along the way?

Miles-Erik: During the first video shoot, the grandfather clock in the alumni center went off every 15 minutes.

And it was 8 feet away from where we were doing the interview! And then there was lawn mowing outside.

Just a couple things that we didn’t consider!

DeLona: Having said that, Berna Anderson, the alumni center manager, made sure the clock was off and no mowing happened during future recordings!

How many people have been involved in this project?

Miles-Erik Bell assists with filming.

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Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

AlumNotes

Get up to date with fellow WWU alumni.

Submit your information for AlumNotes at wallawalla.edu/alumnotes.

1950s

Robert S.T. Coupland ’59 and his wife, Dolores, live in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Robert is retired after a 35-year career in both private and public health dentistry in Alberta, Canada. Of their retirement in Kelowna, Robert writes: “Here the weather is great, fresh fruit abundant, gardening is good, and best of all, cross-country skiing is perfect!” Robert and Dolores help with the local CHIP health programs and enjoy woodworking and cooking. Robert’s favorite memories of WWU include the “forever friendships made” and his summer session at the Rosario Beach Marine Station, which he says was “a wonderful learning

experience.” “To have Dr. Harold Coffin as one of our teachers was our good fortune. To be out in nature was a unique place to learn and study … what could be better!”

Melva Jane (Nelson) Eslinger ’58 and her husband, Harold ’60, live in Pleasant Hill, Calif. After Harold’s graduation from the seminary and from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, the Eslingers served as a pastoral team at churches in the Central California Conference. Melva writes, “On March 6, 1969, I became a Navy Chaplain’s wife as Harold was asked to serve in the military.

Working with Unit Ombudsman and other military spouses was most interesting and rewarding.” After Harold’s retirement, they pastored at

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the Berkeley Seventh-day Adventist Church. Melva also worked as office manager and secretary for Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy and then for Pleasant Hill Adventist Church.

Melva’s favorite memories of her time at WWU include Sabbath services in Columbia Auditorium, serving as treasurer for Aleph Gimel Ain, and studying in the library with Harold. The Eslingers have four children: Mark ’85, Lorinda Smith, Eric, and Heidi De La Fuente.

Eleanor (Brady) Hetke ’59 and her husband, Elsworth ’59, live in Vancouver, Wash., where in retirement Eleanor has worked as the director of Clark County Adventist Community Services for the past four years.

Throughout her career, Eleanor was a nurse in hospitals, hospice, and home health. She spent 23 years in India and also worked in the education department at Pacific Press. Of her time at WWU, Eleanor fondly remembers the “great Saturday night programs at Columbia Auditorium.” She and Elsworth have two sons: Eric and Theodore ’90.

Alice (Hardy) Lewis-West ’59 lives in Goldendale, Wash., with her husband, Stephen. Alice writes that she has “always appreciated the exposure to great literature in my major.” She spent four years teaching and then raised a family.

At age 52, she went back to school and then worked as a cardiovascular technologist for several years.

She writes, “My favorite memories of Walla Walla are of Helen Evans’ worships and the religion classes I took. I also remember with fondness some of the activities during the vacations I worked through.”

Gary Patterson ’59 and his wife, Rachel (Ireland) att., live in

Luray, Va., where Gary is a retired general field secretary for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The Pattersons have two children: Cynthia Patterson Coston and Geoffrey. Gary worked for 38 years in ministry as a pastor, evangelist, youth leader, and administrator followed by five years as a vice president for Adventist Health System in the home care division. From 2004 to 2018, he served as interim senior pastor in 15 churches. His favorite memory of WWU is of “serving as the senior pastor of the WWU church.”

Genevieve Corinne (Elliott) Pestes ’58 and her husband, Michael ’57, live in Sierra Vista, Ariz. Corinne is retired from a career in nursing during which she worked on a medical floor and in phlebotomy at SW Blood Services while raising their three children, Laurin ’82, Jean Pestes-Boller ’86, and Ryan ’88. After the kids were grown, Corinne worked for 25 years as a school nurse. She now enjoys spending her free time traveling, knitting, sewing, gardening, and hiking as well as working for her church in Sabbath School and as treasurer, clerk, and a school board member. Her fondest memories of her time at WWU include Friday nights, M.V. meetings and music, and her nursing classes.

1960s

Clinton Cummings ’64 and his wife, Esther (Rorabeck) att., live in Forks, Wash., where he is the pastor of the Queets Seventh-day Adventist Community Church. Clinton taught in Adventist schools for 37 years and in public schools for seven years. He also spent three years as a missionary in Zaire from 1973 to 1976. Clinton and Esther have two children: Susan and Craig ’94.

Carolyn (Harvey) Markle ’69, ’74, and ’96 is retired from her career as a teacher and social worker. She now lives in Florence, Ore., with her husband, James. During her career, Carolyn taught adult education at Walla Walla Community College for 20 years. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, she received a master’s degree in education and a master of social work degree from WWU. Her favorite memories of her time at WWU include worships in Conard Hall, meals in the cafeteria, the beautiful spring and fall weather in Walla Walla, and the organ music and sermons in the University Church. The Markles have one son, Jake.

Loren Nelson ’69 and his wife, Linda att., live in Eagle, Mich., where Loren worked for the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as a vice president and ministerial director for 21 years and as vice president for personnel for three years. Throughout his career, Loren has also worked in Adventist conferences in Oregon, New York, Washington, and Ohio, and has conducted evangelistic meetings in Poland, Belarus, South Africa, and Cuba. Loren and Linda have two children: Loren III and Leslie Falor.

Steven Packard ’69 lives in Champaign, Ill., where he has just retired from a busy surgical practice as an orthopedic hand surgeon. He has done some mission work, most recently in Vietnam. He and his wife, Dixie, have two daughters: Lara Jo Schriner and Donna Lynn Gambill. Of his favorite memories of WWU, Steven writes: “I was the projectionist for film screenings, so got to see some of the films rejected for the general student population. I enjoyed working at KGTS and doing the Sunday ‘Pops concert show.’” He also says that knowing Claude Barnett was “life-changing.”

Loretta (Li Drazzah) Ruff ’69 and her husband, Bobby, live in Vista, Calif.

Loretta retired in 2014 from a career in nursing that included positions in critical care, emergency room, obstetrics, and home health. In retirement she has enjoyed teaching vocational nursing students at a local college. “I am also blessed to be married to my

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

Dwayne & Patti Kluchesky Dwayne Kluchesky ’74 and his wife, Patti (Barrett) att., live in Twin Falls, Idaho, where Dwayne is retired from full-time pastoral ministry after 38 years of service for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

After graduation, Dwayne began his ministry in the Oregon Conference and then was called to the Idaho Conference where he retired in 2016. During his career, he received additional training in clinical pastoral education at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Boise and worked in hospital spiritual care while pastoring at the McCall and Cambridge churches and then later the Twin Falls and Buhl churches and The Olive Tree Ministry Center.

For the past 12 years Dwayne has also been involved with Adventist Reconciliation Services, which provides biblical conflict resolution training and services for individuals and churches in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. He currently serves as an on-call chaplain at Saint Luke’s Magic Valley Hospital and is the chaplain at the Saint Luke’s Tumor Institute in Twin Falls.

Dwayne is also a volunteer with Idaho2Fly. He writes, “Since I was a boy I have loved fly fishing, and for the past three years I have been a volunteer with Idaho2Fly. Idaho2Fly is an organization which provides free fly fishing retreats for men with cancer. This kind of work has been a very good fit for me.”

Of his favorite memory of his time at WWU, Dwayne writes: “After becoming engaged, being hustled out of my dorm room and thrown into the Conard Pond. It was a neat rite of passage.”

Dwayne and Patti have three children: Cynthia Tetz, Michelle Hinsdale att., and Jeffrey.

high school sweetheart, have three sons [John, Greg, and Steven], and three granddaughters,” she writes.

Her best memories of her time at WWU include “singing with Schola Contorum and the beautiful organ music in the College Church.” She also writes that she made many friends in college who she has stayed in contact with through the years.

Ron Sterling ’68 is a psychiatrist in Bellevue and Seattle, Wash., specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Ron mentions Don Rigby, WWU professor emeritus of biology, as one of “at least five angels in my life who looked and acted sublimely human.” He writes: “Dr. Rigby allowed me to continue my growth towards fulfilling my particular destiny—finding my exact niche for utilizing my strengths and assisting my community in mental health care.” Ron has one child: Kelly Daye. He writes that “so many wonderful things took place [at WWU] from academics to social life, to meeting my first wife and falling in love.” One of his favorite memories is of “beating Allen Hopp at our tennis tournaments.”

1970s

Cheri (Christensen) Armstrong ’73 and ’06 and her husband, John, live in Athena, Ore. Cheri owns and operates Armstrong Counseling in Walla Walla. She has four children:

KEY: att. = attended

Amy VanderZanden, Kristen Manoukian att., Lige, and John.

Cheri writes: “The college has been a significant presence in my life for many years. I recall caring professors who went the extra mile. I am grateful for the years spent at WWC.” She also describes her favorite memory of her time at the university: “As a (very) young freshman, my roommate and I filled Joy bottles with water and splashed it on the young man visiting with his girlfriend just below our window. During dead week, we pulled an all-nighter. When we went to breakfast, this young man filled two glasses of water, came up behind us and simultaneously poured them down our necks!”

Michael Blankenship ’78 lives in Troutdale, Ore., with his wife, Roberta (Thompson) ’78. He is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in Portland, Ore. After graduating from WWU, Michael completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Linfield College, a bachelor of arts degree in computer systems analysis, and a master’s degree in nursing at Washington State University. His hobbies include golf, skiing, and sailing. The Blankenships have two children: Elizabeth Reding and Andrew. Michael counts among his life-changing events the birth of his two grandchildren. His favorite memories of his time at WWU include roller-skating on Thursday nights in Columbia Auditorium, skiing at Anthony Lakes Ski Area as a physical education course, and organ performances in the College Church.

John Cress ’78 and his wife, Karen (Eigenberg) ’79, live in Glendale, Calif., where John is the executive secretary and ministerial director for the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The Cresses have two children: Tim and Jennifer Riley. During his career, John has been a pastor in East Wenatchee, Wash., Tracy, Calif., Placerville, Calif., and Denver, Colo. Prior to his current position, he was the secretary for the Southern California Conference and the vice president for ministry for the Potomac Conference.

Walt Johnson ’79 and his wife, Adele, divide their time between Redlands, Calif., and Geneva, Switzerland. The Johnsons have one son, James. Walt is a program lead for the World Health Organization’s Emergency and Essential Surgical Care Programme.

“After retiring from a career in academic neurosurgery,” writes Walt, “I earned an MPH and began working on projects with WHO, then began working there full-time in 2015. This work involves a great deal of travel and takes me to many parts of the world, strengthening surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia service delivery in various low-resource settings. It allows me to engage with a wide variety of individuals, government officials, academics, and professional organizations.” Walt writes that his favorite memories of his time at WWU include “various biology adventures with Lanny Fisk,

such as night-time observation of kangaroo rats and camping in John Day Fossil Beds.”

Guy Oltman ’73 lives in Hermiston, Ore., with his wife, Paula ’74. After graduation, Guy went to medical school at Loma Linda University and then completed a family practice residency at Florida Hospital. He was in medical practice in the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, area for four years before moving into private practice in Hermiston where he retired in 2016. The Oltmans have three children: Joshua ’03, Jacob ’04, and Jonas ’05. Guy writes: “We have initiated college saving plans for each of our grandchildren, helping to ensure that they, too, might become WWU alumni!” The Oltmans are also helping to start a foundation for Christian education at Hermiston Junior Academy. In retirement, Guy enjoys gardening, prison ministry, spending time with his grandchildren, teaching Sabbath School, jogging, and hiking. Guy’s favorite memories of his time at WWU include Rosario beach, biology and religion classes, getting his pilot’s license, dorm life, and the friends he made.

Kathleen (Klein) Spring ’74 lives with her husband, Glenn, in Aurora, Colo., where she is an instructor and the director of the Suzuki Violin Pedagogy program at the University of Denver.

Kathleen has taught summer strings workshops in Korea, Canada, Switzerland, Indonesia, and Bali, and throughout the United States. She recently founded a nonprofit music school called Primavera Place: A Suzuki Music School. Her advanced performance group, Spring Strings, travels and performs internationally. “Next summer, we plan a slowdown to enjoy what I guess would be a life-changing event,” writes Kathleen. “In 2013 we bought a small place in our favorite Swiss spot, and next summer we will be there over two months!”

The Springs have three children: Brian att., Christopher att., and Heidi att. Kathleen writes that among her favorite memories of her time at WWU are “the carillon bells ringing on Friday night, the peace of the campus, and events in Columbia Auditorium.”

Westwind Spring 2019

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Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

1980s

Deanna Carr ’84 is a family medicine physician in Windermere, Fla., for Orlando Health. Deanna went to medical school at Loma Linda University and then did a family practice residency in Bismark, N.D. She has also practiced in South Dakota and Oregon, and is now in practice in a suburb of Orlando with her brother, Jeff ’85. Linda enjoys travel, music, and gardening.

Her favorite memories of her time at WWU include Saturday night programs in Village Hall and organ music in the University Church.

John Corban ’84 lives in Gresham, Ore., where he has taught piano, brass, and music theory at Gresham Music Studio for the past 32 years.

His favorite memories of WWU are of “the wonderful friends and amazing teachers.”

Angie (St. Clair) Devitt ’89 and her husband, Michael ’90, live in Boise, Idaho, where Angie is a family physician with St. Alphonsus Medical Group. Angie counts among her life-changing experiences traveling in Europe for six weeks. She enjoys mounting biking, running, Nordic skiing, and enjoying their kids, Isabelle and Ewan. Her favorite memories of WWU include “flag football in the crisp, fall evenings.”

has been spent working at Intel in Oregon as an employee, but mostly as a contractor.” His favorite recent hobby is indoor sport climbing. The Ings have two daughters: Karisa ’18 and Stephanie, curr. att.

Bonnie (Van Fossen) Parle ’84 lives in Lynden, Wash., where she is an inhome caregiver. Her husband, Henry att., recently passed away, and Bonnie writes, “I’m waiting anxiously for our reunion in heaven.” Her favorite memory of her time at WWU is of “Sabbath dinners in the park where I met my future husband.” Bonnie has two children: Barbara Parle and Mary Beth Van Fossen.

Charles Reel ’89 and his wife, Karla (Peck) ’90, live in Ooltewah, Tenn., where Charles is treasurer for It Is Written. Prior to moving to Tennessee, they spent five years in Guam where Charles was the treasurer for the Guam-Micronesia Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.

Charles writes that they “enjoyed

Stephen Ing ’89 and his wife, Shona (Schwisow) ’87, live in Beaverton, Ore., where Stephen is a contract software engineer. “I love writing computer software, especially C/C++ on Windows,” writes Stephen. “Virtually my entire career

meeting all the student missionaries going to the island schools.” Charles and Karla just celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. He writes, “Our first date was at the girl’s club banquet in February 1989. Who knew what an impact one banquet could make on our lives!” The Reels have two children: Kasondra and Cameron. Charles’s favorite memories of his time at WWU are of “dating my future wife and walking on campus sidewalks.”

1990s

Jessica (Galvan-Koch) Davidson ’94 and her husband, Brian ’94, live in Eagle, Idaho, where Jessica is a teacher and principal at Eagle Adventist Christian School. They have two children: Alexa curr. att. and Glanna. Jessica writes: “My husband, Brian, and I got married one week after graduation and moved to New Mexico where I taught for two years. In 1996 we moved to Tennessee, then to Kentucky.

After our first daughter was born, we moved back to the Pacific Northwest.” Jessica’s best memories from WWU include vespers, concerts, and “volleyball every night during the summer followed by ice cream at The Scoop.”

Paula Dietrich ’94 is a veterinarian in Port Orchard, Wash., at Cedar Creek Animal Clinic. Paula writes: “Immediately after graduation with my degree in biology I worked for Sunset Lake Youth Camp for several years before going to the Caribbean to get my doctorate in veterinary medicine from Ross University. I

have been practicing in Washington state from Everett to Vancouver as a general practice and emergency room veterinarian.” Some of Paula’s favorite memories from her time at WWU are of “staying up to decorate for banquets and mother/daughter brunches” and “having Dr. Galusha advise me for my senior research project with a dozen kittens even though he was allergic to cats.”

Don Godman ’94 and his wife, Lennaé att., live in Nampa, Idaho, where Don is program director for Barefoot Media Ministries. The Godmans have four children: Gavin, Dia, Rayna, and Linsly. Don writes, “Thanks to my time at WWU working at Positive Life Radio, I’ve enjoyed a rich, 30-year career in radio.

WWU taught me to challenge my beliefs and to pursue a friendship with Christ.” Don’s best memories of WWU include “the friendships made while making life decisions together.”

Teresa (Spencer) Greene ’94 and her husband, Patrick, live in Mesa, Ariz., where Teresa teaches second grade at Thunderbird Christian Elementary. The Greenes have one child, Felicia.

Bryan David Smith ’94 and his wife, Janelle ’01, live in Moscow, Idaho, where David is a urologist with Palouse Specialty Physicians.

After graduation from WWU, David went to medical school at Loma Linda University. He then completed a general surgery residency at Portsmouth Naval Hospital and a urology residency at LLU. He practiced at the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, before working

August 23–25, 2019 Join guest speaker Greg Dodds, WWU professor of history, for a relaxing weekend with fellow friends and alumni. Come for Sabbath or the full weekend.

Reservations will open on June 17.

Learn more at wallawalla.edu/rosario-sabbath.

(800) 377-2586 26

Westwind Summer 2018

Alumni Sabbath at

Rosario

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

in urology in Vancouver, Wash., and Sacramento, Calif., and settling in Pullman, Wash. The Smiths have four children: Ainsley, Larissa, Claireese, and Ellasyn. David’s best memories of his time at WWU include summer classes at Rosario, teachers who were mentors and friends, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and “sharing ideas with a diverse group of friends across different degrees/majors.”

2000s

Amanda Henderson ’09 and her husband, Christopher, live in Williamston, Mich., where Amanda is a medical social worker with Great Lakes Caring Home Health and Hospice. Amanda received her master of social work degree from the School of Social Work and Sociology campus in Missoula, Mont.

Contessa (Mensink) Johnson ’08 lives in Redlands, Calif., with her husband, Scott. Contessa is a physician assistant with Loma Linda Dermatology.

Lindsey (Stephenson) Rusk ’08 and her husband, Keith ’11, live in Greenwell Springs, La. Lindsey stays home to care for their daughter, Kaylee. She writes: “I married the love of my life and college sweetheart Keith Rusk. In 2016 we had our first child, Kaylee Adelaide Rusk, during the worst flooding Louisiana has seen in living memory, which was quite the experience.”

John Yankee ’09 and his wife, Nikki, live in La Center, Wash., where John is a dentist with NW Distinctive Dental.

In his free time, John enjoys hiking with Nikki and their dogs, dirt biking, snowboarding, and working on their property. John writes, “Baby John Yankee is due March 31, 2019.”

KEY: att. = attended

In Memory Harold W. Bylsma att. was born July 7, 1929, in Flint, Mich., and died Oct. 7, 2018, in Holly, Mich. Surviving: sons Wayne of Philadelphia, Penn., and Wesley of Holly.

brothers Brian att. of College Place, Wash., and Fred of Florence, Ariz.

Freda Gilliland att. was born Oct. 3, 1925, in Pleasanton, Iowa, and died July 2, 2018, in Vancouver, Wash.

Surviving: daughter Karen J. Kramer att. of North Bend, Wash.; and sons Duane ’72 and Dennis ’77 and ’79 both of Vancouver.

Clyde Mundy ’60 was born Aug. 15, 1933, in Grand Rapids, Minn., and died July 16, 2018, in Indio, Calif. Surviving: wife Lois (Plummer) of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif.; daughter Karen Jacobson of Hidden Valley Lake; sons Daniel of Vacaville, Calif., and David of Central Point, Ore.; and sisters Norma Anderson of Desert Hot Springs, Calif., and Margie Moreno, of Kalispell, Mont.

Lori (St. Clair) Gravel ’72 was born Aug. 14, 1954, in Spokane, Wash., and died July 19, 2018, in Apache Junction, Ariz. Surviving: son Michael of Wasilla, Alaska; mother Joyce Williams of Apache Junction; sister Vicki Garnick of San Diego, Calif.; and

Eugene Nicholai Radomsky att. was born June 3, 1951, in Camrose, Alberta, Canada, and died Jan. 4, 2018, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Surviving: wife Gloria (Schmidt) att. of White City, Saskatchewan, Canada; daughters Tania Appel of

Spokane, Wash., and Tiffany Bartsch of Spangle, Wash; sisters Lassia Van Hise ’60 of Angwin, Calif., and Audrey Wilson ’59 of Philadelphia, Penn.; and brother John of Canmore, Alberta, Canada.

Delbert M. Shankel ’50 was born Aug. 4, 1927, in Nebraska and died July 12, 2018, in Lawrence, Kan. Surviving: wife Carol, and daughters Jill and Kelley.

Arlene (Hisel) Thompson att. was born Aug. 11, 1934, in Vancouver, Wash., and died Aug. 5, 2018, in Portland, Ore. Surviving: husband Richard ’58 of Gresham, Ore.; and daughters Patricia Green ’83 of Beaverton, Ore., and Claudia Nash ’86 of Woodinville, Wash.

H. John “Jack” Bergman ’48 Former Walla Walla University president Jack Bergman passed away Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Walla Walla.

Bergman was born in Akiak, Alaska, on May 3, 1926.

He spent his childhood in Alaska and on the family wheat ranch in Endicott, Washington. He attended grades one through six in a one-room school among the rolling hills of the Palouse.

Bergman graduated from WWU with a degree in history in 1948 and spent his first years after graduation as a teacher and principal at Wenatchee Adventist School. He completed a master’s degree in history at Puget Sound University and a doctor of philosophy degree in history at Washington State University. Bergman taught history and was chair of the history department at Western Oregon University, where he was later named dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

He was president of WWU from 1985 to 1990. Under his leadership, departments at the university were established for recruitment, retention, and development; the student missionary program flourished; and the programs of engineering, business, biology, nursing, and social work experienced growth.

In retirement, Bergman worked many years with the Northwest Religious Liberty Association for the Seventhday Adventist Church. He followed national and international politics and enjoyed photography, genealogy research, travel, gardening, and reading.

Bergman is survived by his wife, Evelyn att., of College Place. They were married 53 years. He is also survived by their two children Kristin Fry ’98 of Milton-Freewater, Ore., and Robert of College Place; three children from a previous marriage: Stephen of Portland, Ore., Kathleen Fost of Sisters, Ore., and Marsha Large of Wilsonville, Ore.; five grandchildren, and six greatgrandchildren. A memorial service was held on Nov. 17, 2018, in the University Church.

Westwind Spring 2019

27

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

ALUMNA OF NOTE

Elizabeth Jones 2013 graduate lands Supreme Court fellowship

M

ost people spend their lives trying to steer clear of bankruptcy, but Elizabeth Jones’ warm embrace of the subject propelled her into a career she perhaps only dreamed of a decade ago.

Now a Supreme Court fellow in Washington, D.C., she reflects on how she developed a passion for bankruptcy law and details how she hopes to help debtors moving forward.

“

Jones began making career plans even before she stepped foot in a college classroom: She wanted to be a lawyer, and she’d spend her undergrad years at Walla Walla University gearing up for law school.

“I was pretty sure I wanted to do business for my major,” she says, noting that she’s always appreciated numbers, “but I kind of knew that for law I would need something else in order to feel a little more prepared.” She tacked an English minor onto her degree and joined the Honors Program to help round out her education.

Preparing for law school isn’t all about acquiring textbook knowledge, though; it’s about learning to hold firm under pressure.

“I knew I needed to push myself in other ways,” she says, “so I did that by doubling up on some classes and getting involved in other things outside of the curriculum,” such as ASWWU Senate, The Collegian, and the softball team.

Despite the extra responsibilities, she finished all her coursework within three years to make up for time spent abroad in Thailand.

With a bachelor’s degree under her belt and unwavering plans for her career, Jones said farewell to the west in 2013 and headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to attend the University of Michigan Law School, ranked No. 8 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

“Going in, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Jones recalls, “and that was pretty intentional because I wanted to be open to the possibility of falling in love with a certain type of practice.”

At one point she considered transactional corporate law; at another, she was leaning toward litigation. When Jones got a taste of bankruptcy law—a middle ground between the two—she realized she’d found her niche.

By Kyler Alvord ’18

Bankruptcy law might sound dull on the surface, but Jones argues that it’s far from black and white. “You really get the opportunity to reinvent the wheel in every case that you get,” she says. Though most bankruptcy cases fall within the same parameters, lawyers are forced to find creative solutions for each debtor.

Jones completed her law degree in 2017 and continued her journey east to clerk for a bankruptcy judge in New York City. During her clerkship, she heard about the Supreme Court Fellows Program and decided to apply.

The program selects four individuals each year to work in one of four federal judiciary agencies, giving them practical experience and providing a path for them to conduct research on a specific topic. Jones proposed a bankruptcy-related research project in her application, and the unique pitch—coupled with her obvious zeal for the subject—earned her a placement at the Federal Judicial Center in the 2018–19 cohort. In August, she made the move to D.C. to begin work.

While one could argue that Jones has already accomplished plenty for someone less than two years out of law school, her motivation has yet to peak. She plans to do clinical teaching down the road, supervising law students as they represent real bankruptcy clients.

“There’s a very big subset of people that are trying to navigate this process on their own, which is very complicated and difficult,” she says. Running a clinic will allow Jones to mentor students and provide more representation for debtors who can’t afford attorneys. She will conclude her fellowship in August and move back to New York City, where she’s accepted a position at a law firm to continue working toward this goal.

For Jones, the next step seems to always be within reach. Maybe it speaks to her innate drive for success, or maybe it’s a result of finding what she loves. In either case, it’s clear that she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

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Westwind Spring 2019

photograph by RYAN DONNELL

CREDIT TK

Going in, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and that was pretty intentional ... I wanted to be open to the possibility of falling in love with a certain type of practice.”

CREDIT TK

Supreme Elizabeth Court fellow Jones Elizabeth Jones caption takes tk a brief photographed break in the Library in the of Congress.

Library of Congress

AC

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

ALUMNUS OF NOTE

Mathieu Williams 2012 graduate named Hawaii Teacher of the Year

By Charles Scott Riseley ’12

A

Williams, who graduated from WWU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in web design, says, “This experience will give me a chance to widen my perspective and get a deeper understanding of how best to improve access to quality education for all kids.”

The National Teacher of the Year Program recognizes excellence in teaching that prepares students in the public education system for college, career, and life. The program provides opportunities for selected teachers to attend training and leadership events and to engage in national discussion about educational policies. Teachers selected also have the opportunity to meet with the president of the United States.

Williams was born and raised on Kauai, Hawaii, and moved to Bellingham, Washington, at age 12. He returned to the islands in 2012 after graduating from WWU. “I really wanted a reason to come back to Hawaii,” he says, and through an opportunity with Teach for America, he became a special education teacher at Kealakehe Intermediate School on Hawaii Island. “Where I teach is pretty rural.

These awards usually go to larger communities. It’s been a long time since a neighbor island outside of Oahu has won.”

Creating a sense of community among his students is one of Williams’ goals. “As a teacher I try to create a strong sense of belonging. Belonging to yourself as a person, as a part of the classroom, and belonging as a part of the larger community,” Williams says. “I love seeing students take what they learn in class and apply it out in the community. I’m a journalism and digital media

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Westwind Spring 2019

teacher, so we do a lot of storytelling. We just finished a promotional for a nonprofit, and in order to do that, the kids went out to collect footage and understand the historical and cultural significance of the area through interviews.

“My teaching philosophy has always evolved,” Williams continues, “but I think that chasing your best self has always been a cornerstone.” Williams sums up his philosophy in three sentences: “Do what you love. Be curious. Remember that relationships are everything.

“My mission is to develop within students the ability to lead from every chair, challenge limits, and work from the heart. We all have the ability to lead and to help each other,” he says. “Those skills are especially important in middle school.

It’s a real-life mission field—getting kids to take the higher road and to be social change agents. They are going to be future leaders, changing the world, and that really fires me up.”

Williams looks back on his time at WWU fondly. “I appreciated going to a small community university. Strong Christian values have been a cornerstone of who I am as a teacher and a person, and I attribute those

back to WWU,” he says. While at WWU, Williams learned how to take those values and “individualize them for everyone—to create access points for anyone to enter and be curious.”

Williams is also very thankful for the many mentors he had at WWU: “My business advisor, Bruce Toews, professor of business, was a great support. I appreciated the care and time he took to give thoughtlife and academic advice. Jodi Wagner, vice president for University Relations and Advancement, was also a great support and gave me life tips about how to be a leader.

And the recurring phrase, ‘the slow way is the fast way,’ from Kraig Scott, professor of music, while guiding my approach to new music and playing the organ has become a life principle and mindset.”

Now that Williams is a teacher himself, he encourages his students to “turn the lens around” and focus on things other than themselves. He applies this principle to his own life and says many experiences have led to being named Teacher of the Year.

“So many things have helped me make it this far, like WWU and my mentors there, and being involved in ASWWU. It’s always a bigger narrative than just yourself.”

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

PHOTO: DAYLE YOKOYAMA

lumnus Mathieu Williams has been named Hawaii’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

“I’m excited as I enter into this experience,” says Williams. “This award is more than just about me.

It’s about the hard work of my students and their commitment to excellence.”

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Upcoming events to note on your calendar

APRIL 26 Join us for a fun day of golf at the Walla Walla Country Club for the

Eugene Winter Golf Classic and Dinner during

MORE ALUMNI STORIES ONLINE Read more news and updates about WWU alumni at westwind.wallawalla. edu. You’ll find stories written by alumni for alumni, links to news stories about alumni accomplishments, and more!

APRIL 25–28

MAY 18

Plan now for

The University Singers and I Cantori will hold their Spring Choral Concert in the University Church at 5:30 p.m.

The concert this year is titled “Passion and Resurrection.” Watch archived university concerts at wallawalla.edu/concert.

Homecoming Weekend 2019!

We’ll celebrate excellence in thought with special emphasis on Peterson Memorial Library, the School of Education and Psychology, and the Honors Program. Learn more at wallawalla.edu/ homecoming.

JUNE 14–16

AUGUST 23–25

Graduation weekend will begin

Gather with us at the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory for Rosario Alumni Sabbath. We’ll enjoy great food, fellowship, and music, and relax in the beautiful environment at Rosario. Our speaker for the weekend will be Greg Dodds, professor of history. Find more information at wallawalla.edu/ Rosario-sabbath.

with a consecration vespers service on Friday, followed by a variety of events throughout the weekend, culminating with commencement at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. See the complete schedule at wallawalla.edu/grad.

For a full calendar of events, visit wallawalla.edu/calendar.

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PHOTO: RONNIE ANDERSON

Homecoming Weekend. Competitions and prizes are planned on the course throughout the day. Form your dream team now, and register online at wallawalla.edu/golf.