Faculty in first person
David Cowles explains how we can all live better through symbiosis p. 10
Nature’s stewards
Working to preserve and protect our planet p. 22
One Purpose Many Roads,
Five alumni share their long and rewarding journeys to healthcare. p. 12
“WWU
David Cowles explains how we can all live better through symbiosis 12 Many Roads, One Purpose
Five alumni share their long and rewarding journeys to healthcare
The
Lunch at High Noon
I want you to imagine you are sitting in my office on the third floor of the administration building.
We are enjoying a conversation about the future of Walla Walla University. I invested in some freshly rolled Dora’s Deli burritos and perfectly salted corn chips—which have fueled your creative energies. I’m not sure whether you (a) intend to quit your job and come work for WWU, (b) fund a million dollars in new scholarships, or (c) rally 100 alumni to build a new academic pavilion. But this is clear to me: You are intent on moving something of consequence at your alma mater. Late career/early retirement stuffed with ocean cruises, tee times, and a buffet of Instagram reels isn’t for you.
You didn’t come this far to waste your powerful season of life. You crave legacy, influence, transformation.
But then your rhetorical crescendo is interrupted. The door to my office swings open. An unscheduled prosecutor stands in the doorway. The uninvited critic begins his interrogation.
“Hey, are you the president of this university? I’ve got a question for you. Is Walla Walla University still … ”
I’m anticipating the next word.
“Adventist?” (Yes. Deeply so. More than ever before.)
“Affordable?” (Very much so. Decidedly manageable.)
“Excellent?” (Across the board, by multiple critical measures.)
But these words are not what comes next out of the mouth of our noontime guest.
“Is Walla Walla University still … relevant?”
The impertinent visitor has brought a pertinent query. He has asked, quite possibly, the most important question of all.
“Is Walla Walla University still relevant?” (I repeat the antagonist’s question.)
“Yes, as relevant as ever, and more so than ever before. I’ll give you three reasons for my conviction.
“First, as we speak, we are flooding the world with physicians and dentists, nurses and therapists, pharmacists and veterinarians, accountants and communicators, teachers and pastors, engineers and technicians, writers and orators, pilots and auto mechanics, entrepreneurs and leaders. Our academic program, our preparation of students, is carefully geared for supply of needed jobs in the church, the United States, and the world. Nearly every industry we supply is asking for more hands-on-deck. And we are a trusted, reliable supplier. The whole of our curriculum is acutely relevant, and constantly under academic fine-tuning. Marketplace relevance is an essential north star. We deliver.
“Second, we are, today, infusing the planet with good people. WWU graduates continue to have a well-earned reputation for empathy, emotional maturity, social intelligence, compassion, critical thinking, work ethic, humility, curiosity,
service—good citizens in the neighborhoods of the planet. The Adventist philosophy of education—growing the whole person—thrives here. This is why we insist on physical education, literature, history, religion, logic, speech, biomechanics, Beowulf, and the Battle of Bull Run. We are not only preparing students for graduate schools, professional schools, marketplace performance—we are growing human beings.
“Third, we are not only relevant because we (a) meet the needs of the marketplace and (b) the greater need for good neighbors and citizens of the world. We are relevant, most of all, because we soak hearts and minds in the ways and means of Jesus Christ during the critical years of brain development. We immerse young women and men—in the essential months, when frontal lobes are getting final wiring, in worship of God, ethical reflection, theological consideration, the grace of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We are highly relevant because God is, and forever will be, in season and out of season, the most real and relevant Fact of our lives. Nothing is more important than spending years 18-25 in deep and daily consideration of Him. This makes us unique and rare in American higher education. This makes us eternally relevant.”
I’m not sure how our lunch conversation ends. I guess that’s up to you.
Alex Bryan, president
PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE
College Avenue
The
latest from across campus
Bowers’ virtual “third floor”
WWU welcomes the first cohort of its online MBA program
In January, Walla Walla University launched its online, asynchronous Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program, designed to equip working professionals with skills t become strategic, tech-savvy leaders in business.
According to Bruce Toews, dean of the School of Business, WWU’s MBA program has been “on the drawing board” for some time, and consistent success of the undergraduate business program, along with considerable expertise among business alumni, provide a strong foundation for a “third floor” of Bowers Hall.
This is a virtual space where MBA students can interact with professors and peers across the program through participation in colloquium events, guided book readings and discussions, and networking events among a large community of highly accomplished business leaders and WWU alumni.
Lessons from accomplished leaders and industry experts play an integral role in the program. Recent and upcoming guest speakers include Johnny Jesson, a WWU and MIT graduate working in the world of high finance and analytics; Rachel Ruggeri, former executive VP and CFO of Starbucks; and Dave Mitchell, an award-winning leadership coach and author on organizational
leadership and culture.
WWU’s MBA program offers both a general MBA, which can be completed in one year, and the option to add a specialization in finance, healthcare administration, artificial intelligence, business analytics, or cybersecurity. These specialized courses were designed by top professors at universities such as Harvard Business School and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
Students from any major can enroll in June, September, January, or April. Admission requirements for the program do not include a business major, Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or any business prerequisites.
“The MBA program at Walla Walla University has been amazing so far,” says current MBA student Mikey Stewart-Tapasco. “The professors are very supportive and do an amazing job of integrating collaboration into the program ... This allows me to connect with and learn from both instructors and peers despite my busy schedule.”
Bowers Hall is the digital home of WWU’s MBA program.
College Avenue
WWU hosts Honor Band Festival
The Walla Walla University Department of Music hosted the 2025 Honor Band Festival from February 5–8. The four-day event welcomed 48 students representing 14 high schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, to collaborate with peers in a large instrumental group setting
The visiting students, selected by the festival’s directors, individually practiced for a month on selected pieces in preparation. Once on campus, Brandon Beck, WWU associate professor of music, directed the ensemble, teaching the students to collaborate with one another and learn a variety of collegiate-level repertoire. Students also received a sense of the style and approach to music that WWU professors take. Many former participants in music department festivals remember the event as a key factor in their decision to attend WWU. Outside of practice, the visiting students had the opportunity to experience campus life at WWU and explore potential studies in the Department of Music. A festival concert was held on February 8, which showcased all the students had learned.
For more info about the WWU Department of Music and upcoming events, visit wallawalla.edu/music.
Groundbreaking set for new Student Life and Ministry Center
A groundbreaking ceremony for WWU’s new Student Life and Ministry Center (SLMC) will take place during Homecoming Weekend 2025.
For 65 years, Kellogg Hall has served as the home of the cafeteria and the Student Association Center. This long-needed reimagining of the space will transform it into a campus “living room,” fit for important social learning activities, such as student government, worship, celebration, service opportunities,
and dining. The new SLMC will help foster the unique community and life-long bonds forged at WWU.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 25, at 4:45 p.m. on the lawn of Kellogg Hall.
For more information about the new Student Life and Ministry Center and how to donate to the project, visit wallawalla.edu/slmc.
PHOTOS:
Visiting high school students practice ahead of their Honor Band Festival concert.
BY THE NUMBERS
78
Years since the founding of the WWU School of Engineering
5
Campus clubs dedicated to growing engineers of the future
More than $100K
Engineering scholarships awarded to students, in addition to WWU scholarships
2023
The year the school launched its master’s of engineering degree (M.Eng.)
18
Different high-tech labs support experimentation and practical application Engineering
Learn more about the School of Engineering at wallawalla.edu/ engineering.
‘Octopus Guy’ surfaces in California
Dr. Kirt Onthank presents a “deep-see” talk on the cephalopod
In February, Dr. Kirt Onthank, professor of biology and director of the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, presented exciting cephalopod research in his talk, “The Octopus Secret: Why this nine-brained wonder knows the key to your future,” at the Crosswalk Church in Redlands, California.
Onthank is a leading cephalopod researcher, with peer-reviewed research published in key scientific journals, such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Biology. Stories on his work have appeared in Popular Science and ScienceAlert. Onthank is very interested in science
communication and making research accessible to curious minds of all ages. He was featured as an octopus expert for NBC National News in April 2024 and posts educational videos to his TikTok account, @theoctopusguy.
Onthank received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from Walla Walla University, and earned a doctorate from Washington State University.
Learn more about WWU’s biology department at wallawalla.edu/biology.
New WWU Board of Trustee members appointed
The Walla Walla University Board of Trustees has welcomed three new members to their ranks
Byron Dulan is the former North Pacific Union Vice President for regional affairs and human relations. He retired from his role in 2024, ending his 52-year long career serving the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Previously, he served as Washington Conference outreach ministries, Adventist Community Services, disaster response and personal ministries director from 1985–2017. Dulan and his wife, Linda, reside in Bellevue, Washington.
Kara Johnsson has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in various roles over the past 20 years. Before beginning her work as the Vice President for Administration in the Oregon Conference, Johnsson served as a pastor at Oasis Christian Center in Vancouver, Washington, and the Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portland, Oregon. Johnsson is married to Dr. Terry Johnsson.
Rodney Mills is the president of the Alaska Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He holds a doctoral degree in evangelism and church growth from the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. Mills previously served as the Upper Columbia Conference Vice President for Administration and has over 35 years of pastoral experience. Rodney and his wife, Pamela, live in Anchorage, Alaska.
Dr. Kirt Onthank shares the stage with his research subject.
College Avenue
WWU awarded $2 million grant for energy-efficiency upgrades
Walla Walla University is honored to have been awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce’s competitive $2 million Clean Buildings Performance Standards (CBPS) grant. This funding will provide energy-efficient upgrades to several buildings on campus to reduce energy consumption and enhance building efficiency. Implementing these upgrades now will generate long-term savings and position WWU and our community as leaders in sustainable innovation across the state.
This project will reduce energy consumption and operational costs and contribute to long-term compliance with Washington State CBPS standards. Additionally, implementing this energy management program ensures that the proposed upgrades will deliver sustained energy savings over time. These energy savings will help reduce 585 metric tons of CO2e emissions, equivalent to 136 gas-powered cars taken off the road for one year, 77 homes’ energy use for one year, and 9,673 trees grown for 10 years.
Deisy Haid Receives Community Service Award
Deisy Haid ’10, dean and associate professor of the School of Social Work and Sociology, has been named as the recipient of the 2025 Walla Walla University Community Service Award. This award recognizes her leadership and dedication as board chair of the Blue Mountain Health Cooperative (BMHC), a non-profit organization providing free, walk-in mental health services to those in need.
BMHC operates in Walla Walla as a student-run clinic, offering accessible and immediate care to individuals who lack insurance or face financial barriers to counseling. The clinic is primarily staffed by Master of Social Work (MSW) students from WWU, with additional support from
undergraduate students and interns from other local programs. Haid, along with several other licensed clinicians, supervises the students and is available to step into sessions if needed.
In early 2020, Alayna Britton and Melissa Adams, two licensed social workers in the community, asked Haid to join their team and work as a board member and consultant in launching the clinic. Since then, Haid stepped into the role of board chair, and under her leadership, the clinic has become a vital resource for the community, ensuring that mental health support is readily available to individuals seeking immediate care.
Haid will be honored at the 2025 Awards Celebration CommUnity on April 25, 2025.
For more information on the social work department, go to wallawalla.edu/social-work.
Reading and browsing recommendations from our experts
The Making of Biblical Womanhood
by Beth Allison Barr (Brazos Press, 2021)
This book demonstrates that so-called biblical womanhood reflects patriarchal culture rather than Christ. Barr, an expert in medieval history, weaves personal stories into her well-researched explorations of church history and theology and shows us the boldness we need to embrace the simple reality of gospel truth, "there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). “The Making of Biblical Womanhood” unmakes patriarchy in the church, culture, and our hearts.
—Mathilde Frey, professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent’s Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age
by Julie Bogart (TarcherPerigee, 2022)
Do you know the difference between prejudice and opinion? What about a fact or a perspective? “Raising Critical Thinkers” digs into these terms and much more, empowering parents, teachers, and individuals to be and raise better critical thinkers. Each chapter ends with practical exercises geared for all ages to empower kids (and yourself) to face print and digital information with curiosity and discernment.
—Christy Scott, associate librarian
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
by David Quammen (Norton Trade Titles,
2013)
Nine short, fast-paced stories trace the emergence of new diseases in a globalized world where animals, people, and pathogens spread quickly. Published before the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s an eerie prediction of what was to come.
—Cecilia Brothers, associate professor of biology
PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE, COLBY D. KUSCHATKA
From the Archives
Hooping it up
Game on! While the uniforms may have changed over the years, the Sonnenberg basketball tournament continues to be a mainstay on the Walla Walla University campus. Since 1957, the annual contest—named after former academic dean Henry L. Sonnenberg—has pitted teams representing OPS and AGA against teams of village students to see who will take home the coveted trophy.
Faculty in First Person David Cowles
Professor of Biology
The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer for 2024 explains how we can all live better through symbiosis.
The Bible tells us that “God is love” and to “love one another” (I John 4:8, 11). Like many things in our fallen world, however, modern science has tended to mainly notice the predatory and competitive aspects of biological and human communities instead. As a young biologist, that led me to wonder how the world might look if it followed God’s principles. That turned my focus to mutualistic symbiosis, a situation in which several creatures do indeed seem to “follow a different drummer” by working in long-term beneficial cooperation with each other. Over the years, I have discovered that this type of symbiosis is widespread and have noticed several important principles:
1. Symbiosis can be especially important for young individuals.
One of my first forays into symbiosis, under the tutelage of the legendary Larry McCloskey here at WWU, was a study of the giant green anemone. The anemone, which lives in coastal tidepools and eats mussels dislodged from the rocks, isn’t itself really green. Instead, its cells are jammed full of green algae that benefit from this safe place to live. In turn, the algae use light energy to produce food to pass on to the anemone. In my research I discovered that large anemones, which monopolize the bottom of tidepools and catch most of the mussels, get only a little help from their algae. However, the small anemones, which live on the less-advantageous side walls, receive a large portion of their total food needs from the work of the algae. Human communities can be that way too. I well remember my neighbor Myrtle in my childhood community, who even after a terrible, crippling accident that left her in constant pain, thrived by maintaining an open-door policy to neighborhood kids. She became an example of agape love to all of us that visited her and were blessed by her attention and wisdom. An educational community such as that here at WWU centers on that kind of symbiosis! I imagine that every one of us can think back on multiple special professors that sharpened our thoughts, stimulated our growth, and helped us focus in the right directions.
2. Symbiosis can be a powerful community-organizing and stabilizing force.
One such symbiosis is that of mycorrhizae: long strands of fungal tissue that extend for many meters through the soil and
penetrate into the roots of nearby plants. These mycorrhizae enhance the health, growth, and development of the plants they partner with by increasing their ability to obtain water and nutrients from the soil. Furthermore, the mycorrhizae frequently connect to many different plants at once, forming a “wood-wide web” and facilitating exchange of nutrients and other materials among the plants connected to the web. In a similar way, a huge number of microbial symbionts live within and upon us, not only defending us from disease but affecting our physiology, development, and even moods in a host of previously unsuspected ways. New ways these symbionts affect us are being discovered almost every week! The cooperative organizations we as individuals belong to also enhance our well-being. Think about your local pastor, friendly grocer, firefighters, and police. All of them are symbiotic links that enhance our quality of life.
3. Even small, scarcely visible symbiotic relationships can powerfully shape communities.
Scientific papers were abuzz recently with the discovery of the surprisingly broad reach of a mutualistic symbiosis. Acacia trees, lions, elephants, and grazing animals are iconic in the broad sweep of the African savannah. Many of the acacia have a tiny symbiont: the acacia ant. This ant lives within acacia thorns and the tree produces special small structures to feed them. In return the ants clean around the tree and are tiny sentinels that nip anything that grazes on the leaves. Recently an invasive ant that outcompetes the acacia ant and takes over the tree has appeared. The new ant does not so diligently nip grazers. In those areas elephants graze the trees. Their grazing is violent and the trees are quickly broken down. That provides hardship for local lions, who normally hide behind the trees to get close to their favorite prey, zebras. Zebras are now multiplying, lions are not doing so well, and the savannah is turning into a grassland. And all because of the loss of a tiny ant! Think about those people in your life who make a small, consistent difference and enrich the textures of your day. The older gentleman who greets you with a hearty “hello” on your morning walk, the lady who maintains beautiful flower boxes just down the street, the kids across the road who give you a bright smile while they ride their bicycles past. They are symbionts too! And what would our lives be without them? So go ahead—be a symbiont yourself in the lives of those around you by brightening the corner where you are.
photograph by CHRIS DRAKE
“Even small, scarcely visible symbiotic relationships can powerfully shape communities.”
David Cowles surrounded by hands holding threads— a symbol of the connections that sustain and strengthen communities, just as symbiosis shapes the natural world.
Five alumni share their long and rewarding journeys to healthcare.
One Many Roads,
One Purpose Roads,
by Becky St. Clair, ’05
If you Google “how to become a doctor,” the list of steps is short: Get a bachelor’s degree, take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), finish medical school, choose a residency program, pass the boards, and become licensed to practice in your state. Then bam! You’re a doctor!
“God was teaching me to trust him fully, especially when things looked impossible.”
—Kevin Schultz
In reality, the journey to a career in medicine is long and arduous, involving many hours, years, and dollars. And it’s not always a straight line, either: According to the American Medical Association, only one in four medical school graduates end up in the same speciality they selected the summer before starting med school. At the undergraduate level, national statistics point to an average of 30% of students changing majors at least once before graduating. And not every medical professional comes into the field the same way, as these five Walla Walla University alumni can attest.
Laying a Strong Foundation
Gina Jervey Mohr (’92) took a less traveled path. Now the division chief of palliative medicine at Loma Linda University Health in California, she was an English major at WWU, considering Ph.D. studies and a career teaching in higher education. She was also thinking about medicine. “I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession,” she explains. Ultimately, she chose medicine. “It seemed so much easier than having to do all that writing,” Mohr says with a smile.
It was English professor Susan Gardner who assured Mohr that studying humanities would not only make her a better doctor, but a better person. And she was right. Being one of the few English majors in the pre-
med program gave her an appreciation for people’s stories. An A student in high school, Mohr registered for both general chemistry and calculus the first quarter of her freshman year, and it nearly knocked her off-course. “I’m not a science person, or even a math person, and I almost failed them both,” Mohr says. “I was seriously concerned I wasn’t cut out for college.”
To be fair, the prerequisites for entrance into medical school are challenging, with many undergraduate courses serving as effective milestone markers for determining who makes it and who doesn’t. It’s imperative, then, to figure out how to study and be successful in these milestone classes, because if you can survive the pre-med program, some say med school won’t feel quite so insurmountable.
“Scott Ligman’s histology and Jim Nestler’s cell biology classes were both harder than the ones I had to take in med school,” says Kevin Schultz (’05), an OB-GYN in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Though content understandably goes beyond what is taught in undergrad-level courses, Schultz says the challenge of his classes at WWU gave him a strong foundation for med school. “I felt like my feet were firmly planted, and I had a great springboard as I began to apply what I’d learned there to the physiology of the body. I didn’t struggle through as many of my med school courses as I could have because of how well WWU prepared me.”
Getting from one (undergrad) to the other (med school), however, isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. Between them sprawls the Grand Canyon of the path to medicine: the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).
“I completed the MCAT prep course and was doing pretty well on the practice tests,” Schultz recalls, “so I was feeling pretty good.” But when he took the MCAT, he scored worse than he ever had in practice. “Although I had felt called to medicine, it was difficult to see where God was guiding at that point. It was hard to see the path forward.”
Schultz felt this particular time of uncertainty and self-doubt was foundational in learning to trust God throughout his med school career, and even to his current practice. “God was teaching me to trust him fully, especially when things look impossible,” he says. “I’ve seen his hand working time and time again over the years.”
With encouragement from Ligman to continue to work toward the goal of med school despite his MCAT scores, Schultz kept hope alive. Later that spring, he was surprised by a phone call from none other than Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He was in.
Mohr, too, pushed onward at the urging of her professors and mentors—Gardner, her work supervisor, Walt Meske, and Ken Wiggins, her calculus professor. “They supported me consistently and unwaveringly, so I stuck with it, applying different strategies for tackling advanced sciences and maths,” she recalls.
Ethan Osias flexes his surgical skills.
Learning With Confidence
Perhaps one of the greatest hurdles to tackle upon arrival to medical school is individual expectations. We all know it’s challenging, but what exactly does med school look like?
“I really had no idea what incredible experiences I would take part in,” says Kayla Nash Jensen (’20), who is currently a veterinary intern at Bend Equine Center in Oregon. When she arrived at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Jensen quickly found ways to involve herself in activities beyond the classroom and clinical work, thanks in large part to her internships and research experience at WWU. One of those activities was the student vet emergency response team.
As a native of Paradise, California, Jensen knew the challenges large-animal owners would face in the event of a natural disaster, such as wildfire. The student group helped local horse-owners with disaster preparedness, assisted at evacuation shelters, and trained for search and rescue situations. She was even able to participate in search and rescue operations during the Paradise Fire.
“Counties don’t always think about where to house animals in the event of an evacuation or natural disaster,” Jensen says. “And sometimes, even if they have, things don’t go as planned.” For example, during the Paradise Fire, the original large-animal evacuation location went up in flames and they had no contingency plan for that scenario. “In particular we aimed to serve underserved and low-income counties which don’t have resources to make these plans on their own.”
By her third year, Jensen was president of the student response team.
“It was so rewarding, and a great way to give back to the communities that lost a lot,” she says. “I even got to practice helicopter lifts with fake model horses, riding at the end of
“All that problem-solving and creative thinking keeps me in it. The reward of helping an animal feel better is incredibly satisfying and I love it.”
patients.
—Kayla Nash Jensen
Kevin Schultz and his daughter take a break from seeing
a cord hanging from a helicopter. It may seem extreme, but sometimes there are rescue situations where there’s no other way to get a horse out of a potentially deadly situation, and we have to know how to do it safely.”
Ethan Osias (’17), currently in his second year of ophthalmology residency at UCLA, says med school wasn’t what he was expecting, either—and in a surprising way. “I was actually really surprised by how much free time I had,” he admits. “At WWU I was busy all the time; my schedule was packed from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days. Obviously I soon discovered that studying during that free time was useful, but I was so accustomed to having strict time management to juggle my responsibilities and maintain good grades at WWU, that by the time I got to med school I was able to integrate into a study schedule that brought the success I was looking for.”
Osias also says WWU taught him to look beyond the “should do” activities. While at WWU, Osias worked at Rogers Elementary, the cafeteria, and the gym, developing friendships he still maintains
today. He was also on the basketball team. Though all of this kept him busy, he relished it because it brought him joy.
“When I got to med school, there were all these super high-achievers around me doing different things, and it was so easy to fall into the trap of looking over my neighbor’s shoulder to see what they were doing and assume I should be doing that, too,” Osias says. “Instead I followed the pattern I’d developed at WWU: focusing on what I wanted to do, while still being able to fulfill my other obligations.”
Osias took on research projects that interested him, and joined the Student National Medical Association, a society for Black medical students. He was also part of a global health project in Peru, strengthening his Spanish proficiency and working on a project that appealed to him.
“I know I have to check some boxes, but once that’s done, I follow my interests,” Osias explains. “That all started at WWU, when I learned to resist doing things just because everyone else was doing them, and to follow the path that was right for me.”
As with much of life, when you follow your personal path in med school, sometimes you end up in places you didn’t expect.
When Mohr applied for residency she chose to specialize in family medicine. The areas which really spoke to her were those focused on ethics. Inspired by Robert Orr, her mentor in family medicine and founder of the ethics consultation service at LLUH, Mohr began exploring palliative care, a specialized area of medicine focused on quality of life for patients with serious—and often terminal—illnesses.
“As I went through my family medicine residency, I became quite disillusioned about how we treat people who are sick, particularly those at the end of life,” Mohr explains. “Pain and other symptoms were often overlooked in the relentless pursuit to find the next cure, which didn't exist. I knew there had to be a better way.”
In 2001, Mohr and Orr started a palliative care program at LLUH. Palliative Medicine was only officially recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 2009. “It’s a young speciality, but it goes back to our roots in medicine,” Mohr says, adding that hundreds of years ago—before antibiotics and anesthetics—the medical profession, as it were, was largely about comforting and caring for people.
Kayla Nash Jensen
Practicing With Compassion
While Mohr never imagined she’d end up in leadership, she now serves as division chief of Palliative Medicine and program director of the Palliative Medicine fellowship LLUH. Administration may not be what doctors enter their field for, but some are exceedingly built for it, whether or not they intended to become administrators.
“I got pushed into it,” admits Richard Hart (’66), president of Loma Linda University Health. “The truth is, I enjoy strategy and thinking things through two to three steps ahead of time. But I never saw myself as a leader.” And if it wasn’t for WWU, he may not be the leader he is today.
When Hart attended WWU, student leadership was determined by committees comprised of faculty and staff, and nominated students were invited to fill offices. This was how Hart found himself serving as junior class president and Missionary Volunteer leader, among other roles.
“I was shy and would never have self-nominated and campaigned like they do now,” Hart says. “To have a professor tap me on the shoulder and ask me to fill a needed position was good for me. It gave me confidence and opportunities to learn skills I still use today.”
After serving as a medical missionary in Peru— the first student missionary from WWU to leave North America—Hart returned to campus and was quickly asked to run the student campaign to raise funds for a new pool.
“That was the first fundraising activity I was ever involved in, and I’m still doing it,” he says with a chuckle. “Selling a project, convincing donors it’s worth investing in—my fundraising education began at WWU.” Since then, Hart has been involved in multiple multimillion-dollar projects.
Because he enjoys seeing patients, Hart still commits to a half-day each week of clinical work— hours he considers “kicking back” from the rigor of administrative politics and decision-making.
While doctors seem to operate on schedules— clinic hours, scheduled surgery, rotating on-call weekends, administrative meetings, conferences— very little is predictable or, ironically, prescriptive, about practicing medicine.
Richard Hart
“Selling a project, convincing donors it’s worth investing in— my fundraising education began at WWU.”
—Richard Hart
“Nature never reads the textbooks,” Jensen says. And for her, the added complication to her work is that her equine patients can’t talk to her. “We have to do a lot of investigative work and be super observant about lots of different things,” she says. “There are a lot of extra things we have to do because horses can’t tell us where it hurts or how they feel.”
Then there’s the challenge of the limited number of drugs and equipment in existence for the treatment of horses—which is why most don’t survive a broken bone: they’re just too big for any hardware in existence to hold the bones together enough to heal. For Jensen, every case is a mystery and she’s the detective.
“All that problem-solving and creative thinking keeps me in it,” Jensen says. “The reward of helping an animal feel better is incredibly satisfying and I love it. It’s why I went into veterinary medicine in the first place.”
Schultz, too, says he works in a uniquely “happy” area of medicine, with a very different focus from most.
“All of medicine is rewarding in its own way, but in obstetrics you get to see the start of life,” he explains. “You’re bringing life
into the world, rather than stopping someone from leaving it, and that’s truly special.”
But what about those heartbreaking moments when you realize the patient won’t get better? When the only step forward is comfort and compassion, not a cure?
“If you have, say, advanced metastatic cancer, there is no fix for that,” Mohr says. “There may be treatments to help you live longer, but it may not be the cure your patient and family are expecting, or that you’re hoping for. Having the ability to impact people’s experience in what is arguably the most difficult time of their life is incredibly rewarding to me.”
Mohr adds that the focus of her work is not on dying. “It’s about living well even when you’re very, very ill,” she says. “It’s about people’s stories and how they want to be remembered, doing legacy projects with them, and walking alongside them through this incredibly difficult time in their life.”
Regardless of which area of medicine you practice, there will always be an element of compassion required to do the job well. Whether it’s in the form of sitting longer with a patient to help them understand their diagnosis, traveling to Ethiopia to support a rural hospital with few resources, praying with a patient, advocating for a patient who can’t speak for themselves, or even letting them see you cry, too, compassion is crucial to all areas of medical care.
“Patients like to see our emotions because it reveals our humanity,” Schultz says. “The times I’ve gotten choked up or teared up with a patient are the times my patients felt most comfortable, because they knew someone was hurting with them. They know we really care.”
Schultz admits, though, that sometimes it’s easy to become numb to what your patients are experiencing, because you see it so much. “It’s hard to emotionally feel every single event.”
Which is why, Mohr says, one of the most important things she teaches her palliative care fellows is the difference between compassion and empathy.
“Empathy is feeling with others, and if all you do is feel others’ pain and sorrow, that’s a good recipe for burnout and discouragement,” she explains. “Compassion says, ‘Look at this human being before me that is in pain—physical, emotional, social, or spiritual. How can I help them with that?’”
Jensen says this is an aspect of medicine she very much enjoys, as she practices compassion in advocating for her patients and extending it to the owners.
“People who own horses have a special bond with their animal that goes beyond the typical pet-owner relationship,” Jensen says. “Horses live to be up to 25 years old, and they’re often partners in various parts of the owner’s life, and that’s very hard for people to let go of. Having compassion in those situations is a very integral way we as medical professionals get to shine.”
While many assume death is the worst outcome, Mohr argues that actually the worst possible outcome is a loved one dying badly.
“When a loved one is in a lot of pain, the family feels hopeless and helpless,” Mohr comments. “Often hospital rules and restrictions—
Ethan Osias
A Revamped Resource for Pre-Health Students
Walla Walla University has long been preparing students for acceptance into and excellence in a wide variety of post-graduate health programs— medical, dental, physical therapy, and more. For decades these so-called “pre-professional programs” had been grouped under the same umbrella as other areas of academic focus, such as pre-law. In fall of 2023, to better serve students planning to enter the health professions, WWU established the Center for Health Professions.
Directed by Jeremy Wiggins, D.D.S., associate professor of biology, the Center for Health Professions provides pre-health students with a dedicated advisor to ensure they’re enrolling in the necessary courses and making the proper preparations for an eventual application to medical school no matter their major.
“I don’t think there are probably two other people in the entire denomination at the collegiate level who know more about all the ins and outs of
getting into medical school than myself and chair of biology David Lindsey,” Wiggins says. A graduate of Loma Linda Universit dental schoool, Wiggins practiced dentistry for 20 years, and is committed to helping WWU students meet their goals.
Through the Center for Health Professions, students can seamlessly shift their pre-professional focus, should they so choose, with assistance from the advisors they’ve already come to know and respect.
“If a student decides they’d rather be a physician’s assistant than go to medical school, they’re still in my office or they’re still in David Lindsey’s office,” Wiggins says.
The next step for the Center for Health Professions is a dedicated space within Rigby Hall so that students know where to go for advice on pre-health programs, as well as have a spot to meet with representatives from medical schools like Loma Linda University and University of Washington.
“We’re just getting started,” Wiggins says. “There’s more exciting stuff to come.”
WWU pre-professional students gather for a group photo. With over 390 students in the program, this is just a snapshot of our vibrant community of future professionals.
PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE
“I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession.”
—Gina Jervey Mohr
such as age limits on visitors to the ICU, for example—make dying harder than it has to be. If there’s something I can do to change that, I will. I find that really rewarding.”
The path to becoming a medical professional is a challenging one, requiring resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment. Most who go through med school refer to the experience as “drinking from a fire hydrant,” says Hart, and some question if they’ve made the right decision.
“It’s important to be aware that as much reward as there is in practicing medicine, you should do it for the love of the game,” Osias says. “If you’re not getting value out of the journey, the sacrifices will feel that much greater.” It’s not a career that comes easily, Osias adds, or happens quickly. Despite “the joy of working with patients, learning cool things, and acquiring so much knowledge,” he says, watching friends in other careers move forward and upward can feel like being left behind.
“There were moments I thought medicine wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Mohr admits. “I thought maybe it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But when I found palliative care, everything just clicked, and I knew it was the right fit. It’s how I could make the biggest difference in the lives of others, which
is exactly why I went into medicine in the first place.” Ultimately, the path to a medical career—whether in human or veterinary medicine—rarely follows a simple checklist. Each doctor’s journey is shaped by challenges, formative moments, and self-discovery with a deep sense of purpose.
For Mohr, Schultz, Jensen, Osias, and Hart, WWU played a key role in shaping not only their careers but their perspectives on medicine, leadership, and the value of compassionate care. Whether through the rigor of pre-med coursework, the encouragement of professors, or the pursuit of interests beyond the sciences, their WWU experience helped prepare them for the unpredictable, challenging, and rewarding world of healthcare.
What is the best thing about working in medicine?
“Outside of patient care, I really enjoy medicine being a team sport. I grew up playing team sports and went to WWU because I wanted to play basketball. I have a certain fondness for situations where you are working together as a team to bring about a certain outcome or to get a certain result.”
—Ethan Osais ’17
“My modus operandi is service. Who you are— your character—is more important than what
you know. Developing values and meaning in life are the important things to teach and live, and I hope I’m doing that here.”
—Richard Hart ’66
“You don’t have to be in the medical field to help people, but I have the tools and expertise to make a tremendous difference in the lives of people who are suffering from pain. Outside of the medical field, if you can’t write a prescription, that’s hard
to do, so I have a very practical, hands-on way of making a difference.”
—Gina Jervey Mohr ’92
“The best, most rewarding part is being able to be part of the human-animal bond. Making that stronger and helping people help their animals. Some people want to be vets because it’s not a people job, but it’s actually more a people job than an animal job when it comes to communication. It’s
rewarding to help people, though. Being a part of witnessing and strengthening that bond.”
—Kayla Nash Jensen ’20
“It’s the interaction with people—both coworkers and patients. Knowing, in my case, that you are a part of their story— that you were there for one of the biggest moments of their life and you helped them through that time and hopefully made it a good experience.”
—Kevin Schultz ’05
Gina Jervey Mohr
NATURE’S Stewards
Meet three alumni working to preserve and protect our precious planet.
by Amy Wilkinson, ’04
When God created man in his own image, he imbued him with an awesome responsibility: to “rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” But with the forward march of time, progress, and technology—as we juggle Zoom calls, school pick-ups, and grocery runs—some of us have lost touch with nature and the role we play in our larger natural world.
Others, however, remain committed to that divine mandate outlined in Genesis. For them, nature isn’t simply a backdrop to modern life, but the thing that imbues it with beauty and purpose. That reminds us what it means to truly be human.
Whether it’s teaching people about indigenous plant life or fundraising to preserve Washington trails, Walla Walla University alumni are planting the seeds of preservation and stewardship in their communities. Here are their stories.
“Having studied religion, the beliefs and value sets that people hold is super interesting to me— and I think that really carries on into my work today.”
—MACKENZIE (THOMPSON) AAMODT, ’16
Mackenzie (Thompson) Aamodt, ’16
After serving for years as a chaplain and religion teacher, Aamodt made a pivot into land-use planning. She is currently National Scenic Area
station near our house that we can hop onto to go to soccer games at the Timbers stadium. Having grown up in the suburbs, where there wasn’t really that infrastructure, it made me start asking questions about the way cities are designed. I didn’t know that being a planner was a job until I started asking those questions. That inspired me to look into that career path. Portland State University happens to have one
Gorge were concerned that it was going to become this industrialized suburb, so there was a push for legislation to protect the area.
If someone wants to build on their land, they have to submit a permit or an application to us through the commission, and then I go out to their land and we walk their property talking about their ideas. When it comes to building a house, for instance, we
Aamodt in the ColumbiaGorge
“I got to see all kinds of wildlife and plants, and it became very obvious to me that plant communities determine the wildlife communities.”
—MIKE DENNY, ’84
Denny and his wife, MerryLynn, enjoy the outdoors in Hawaii
Roller birds get their name from their acrobatic flying skills
Michelbach hiking Dirty Face Peak near Lake Wenatchee
Alumni Currents
AlumNotes
1960s
Joelle (Riederer) Elliston ’61 lives in Amarillo, Texas, and has two daughters, Michelle and Kristine. She has worked as the director of food and nutrition services at La Sierra University, White Memorial Hospital, Porter Memorial Hospital, and St. Anthony Hospital in Amarillo, Texas. After she and her husband, Wayne, retired they enjoyed traveling to over 15 different countries including short trips into China and Cambodia, and longer trips into many European countries. In 2022, Wayne passed away from a brain tumor. Joelle said, “he was very active in Seventh-day Adventist church leadership and a wonderful example and dad to our children.” Thinking back to her years attending WWU, she remembers enjoying her time working as a cashier for the university cafeteria.
1970s
Elisabeth (Hartig) Lentulo att. lives with her husband, George, in Fallbrook, Calif. She works as a broker associate for Broadpoint Properties, located in Escondido, Calif. Outside of work, her hobbies primarily revolve around her passion for choral singing, gardening, her family, and her dog. She attended WWU as a music major and still enjoys singing in several local choirs, including the prestigious Bonner Singers. With the help of a skilled writer, Elisabeth tells her father’s story of being a conscientious objector in post WWII Yugoslavia in the recently published book “Near the Danube Bridge.” At first, she didn't think anyone would care about something that happened so long ago and so
far away. However, when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 she was convinced that her father's story of persecution, torture, and hard labor must be told. Thanking all the family and old friends that helped with the research and added previously unknown stories, she said, “It became a true labor of love!” Elisabeth also remains so grateful for the many wonderful friends she made while attending WWU. Her fondest memories of that time come from the many touring trips with the choir, Schola Cantorum, under the direction of Dr. Lickey and the drama production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Linda (Andregg) Wagner ’75 lives with her husband, Edward ’79, in Rogue River, Ore. They have two children, Eric att. and Chris ’18, and three grandchildren. In late 2019 she retired from her job at Rogue Community College in Grants Pass, Ore., after working there for almost 30 years as a nursing instructor, and department chair and director of their associate degree in nursing and licensed practical nurse programs. Before that, she had worked as a registered nurse in various hospitals throughout the late 70’s and 80’s. Now, her hobbies include caring for her grandchildren, birdwatching, reading, and traveling. She is also serving at her local church as the head deaconess and leader of women’s ministry, a kindergarten Sabbath school teacher, and a member of the health committee. Beyond that, she is an assistant to the president and to the secretary/treasurer of the Center for Online Evangelism. Her favorite parts about attending WWU were learning to fly and all the friends she made.
Kelly Coady ’80 lives with his wife, Jaleh Jahandideh, in Germantown, Md. They have three adult children, one serving as a police officer, another is a nurse practitioner, and the third is an elementary school teacher. Kelly is currently retired, but previously served as assistant director for countering weapons of mass destruction for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is an avid golfer and outdoorsman who spends six months of the year at his home in Istanbul and the other six in Washington, D.C. His favorite part about attending WWU was playing in the brass choir for Dr. Leno, who he says was the “finest Christian man I ever met.”
Tom Evans ’90 lives with his wife, Silmara, in Ooltewah, Tenn. They have nine children, five are biological and four are adopted. They first adopted two boys from Latvia, the youngest sadly passing away in 2023 after a long fight with leukemia, and have now welcomed two girls from Bulgaria into the family. Tom is currently the CEO of Child
Impact International, a global humanitarian nonprofit focused on fighting human trafficking and empowering children through education. Before Child Impact International, he held positions in the Seventh-day Adventist church, including seminary professor, conference president in Australia, evangelism director, and church planter. A highlight from that time in his life was leading the church planning initiative in Texas where 114 churches were planted within a nine-year period. Silmara is originally from Brazil, and the two share a love of international travel and experiencing other cultures. Tom has currently visited 53 countries and has become a million miler with Delta as of this year. When he was a WWU student, Tom enjoyed playing racquetball and his communication classes with Loren Dickenson and Donnie Rigby. He also loved taking theology classes from Jon Dybdahl and Ernie Bursey: they really helped him in his spiritual walk with God, and he says A Seminar of Faith Development was a “divine appointment in my faith journey.” After graduating, he began working for the university, and enjoyed getting to direct the drama club and travel as a recruiter.
Gerry Larson ’93 lives with his wife, Lauri (Marsh) ’96, in Walla Walla. They have four daughters: Brooklyn Armesto-Larson ’16, Lauren ’25, Madilynn att., and Megyn att. After previously
teaching at Walla Walla Valley Academy, he is in his first year back at WWU and is working as assistant professor of health and physical education. He recently became a grandfather and says he enjoys vehicle-based adventure, travel, birdwatching, golf, guitar, target sports, live music, and coaching. Gerry’s fondest memories of attending WWU were from FCA sports activities, Afterglow in the Sittner Hall lobby, officiating intramurals, the Biology Club trips, and the midnight breakfast and “dessert lottery” in the cafeteria.
Nancy (Pophaw) Smith ’98 lives with her husband, Jay, in St. Regis, Mont. She works as clinical director for her own private practice called Choices of Change Counseling, but previously worked as an adult protective services social worker and a child protective worker for 11 years. Now she has almost 20 years of experience as a therapist. Looking back on her time at WWU, she said she enjoyed the program and called it “a breath of fresh air.”
2000s
Logan Drayson ’05 lives with his wife, Britani, in Escondido, Calif., with their three children, Dane, Lyra, and Darlene. He is working for Titleist Golf Scotty Cameron as their manager of content creation. After he graduated with a degree in graphic design, Logan got to travel with a fellow WWU alum to Puerto Rico. He later returned to his hometown in Carlsbad, Calif., where he stayed until 2007. Another university alum, Josh Smith, invited him to Taipei, Taiwan, that year to teach at a Seventh-day Adventist English camp. He says he stayed there for two years teaching photography, “immersing myself in a new culture and cherishing a once in a lifetime experience that had a lasting impact.”
After Taiwan, Logan traveled to Toronto, Canada, and then on to Orlando, Fla. In Orlando, he took a leap of faith and decided to pursue video production fulltime. So, he founded Infinite HD, a video content company that provided promotional videos for rental properties catering to Disney World tourists. He says this venture “was a defining moment—turning a childhood love of filmmaking into a career.” In 2011, he landed his first official role in the industry as a videographer and motion graphics artist at DealerSocket. Two years after that, he joined Callaway Golf as a video producer, “further refining my skills and deepening my love for storytelling.” Finally, in 2025, he joined the Acushnet Golf family at Scotty Cameron Titleist. He started as an in-house videographer and is now the
Manager of Content Creation. He says, “It’s an honor to help craft the visual identity of a globally respected brand.” Outside of work, Logan spends his time with his wife, a second grade teacher, their family dog, Luna, and their three kids who he is very proud of: he says, “Darlene is excelling at advanced gymnastics, Lyra lights up the stage in dance, and our son, Dane, is a talented JV baseball player.” He also enjoys giving back to his community by volunteering with the video department at their local church, and participating in weekly small group worship. He says, “Faith has been the cornerstone of my journey, grounding me in gratitude and purpose. As I reflect on the past 20 years, I’m humbled by the experiences, challenges, and blessings that have shaped my story. I look forward to reconnecing with old friends and celebrating our shared journeys at this reunion (Homecoming Weekend).”
Chrissy Meharry ’10 lives with her husband in College Place with their two kids, Dixie and Autumn. She works for the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as the
College Place Adventist Book Center branch manager. After graduating from WWU, Chrissy’s professional career may not have been straightforward or simple, but she says, “praise the Lord that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts.” Through the pain and heartache of her life, God taught her how to have faith in Him. In 2018, she felt God calling her to ministry, to which she responded enthusiastically. Later she says God appeared to change things up on her when He called her to apply to manage the College Place ABC store. As she looks back on that time from where she is currently, approaching her third full year as the College Place ABC store manager, she can see God’s hand through it all. Though she now calls the University Church "home," anyone can find her preaching at any number of small churches across the valley. Her favorite memories from WWU were of Friday night vespers, Sabbath afternoon hikes, and chatting with her friends in the cafeteria.
Alumni Currents
Staying
In Memory
Family members may submit obituary information for their loved ones at wallawalla.edu/obituary.
Duane Meade Corwin att. was born in 1930 in Loma Linda, Calif., and died May 1, 2024, in Roseburg, Ore., at age 94. Surviving: daughters Duanna Richards of Auburn, Wash., and Lonna Montgomery of Bend, Ore.; and son Daryl att. Roseburg.
Carey “Kay” Curtis att. was born in 1939 in Memphis, Tenn., and died June 25, 2024, in Homer, Ala., at age 85. Surviving: daughter Margo Curtis Reveil of Homer; and son Gartly ’88 of Homer.
Howard Emery ’59 was born in 1937 in Los Angeles, Calif., and died Aug. 1, 2024, in Irvine, Calif., at age 87. Surviving: wife Janet of Irvine; and sisters Bonnie (Emery) McCaffery att. of Huntington Beach, Calif., Elsita Klos of Eugene, Ore., and Juanita Emery of Rio Vista, Calif.
Norma (Grovet) Glatt ’53 was born in 1924, and died Feb. 21, 2024, at age 100. Survived by her brother, sons, and grandchildren. Geraldine Hill ’47 was born in
1923 in Buffalo, New York, and died Nov. 9, 2024, in Lawton, Mich., at age 101. Surviving: daughters Sherrilyn of Lincoln, Neb., and Marge VanTassel of Allegan, Mich.; and sons Calvin of Tillamook, Ore., and Brad of Monroe, Ga.
Alfred “Paul” Krampert Jr. ’65 was born in 1943 in Kenosha, Wis., and died April 12, 2024, in Tillamook, Ore., at age 80. Surviving: sister Karla Walters of Bellevue, Wash.; and brother James of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
Beverly Grace Beem
Former professor and chair of the English department Beverly Grace Beem passed away peacefully in her home on December 9, 2024, at the age of 80.
Beverly was born in 1944 in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Thelma and Kenneth Beem. She graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1968 and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 1974 where the focus of her dissertation was the devotion poetry of the Renaissance poet George Herbert. In 1976, she joined the faculty of the English department at Walla Walla University, where her teaching interests included classical, medieval, and Renaissance literature, Old Testament narrative, and the historical literature of women’s spirituality. During her time as a professor, Beem earned two fellowships, helped redesign the department's writing program, conducted numerous writing workshops for elementary and secondary teachers, and was recognized with awards for excellent scholarship.
Beem served as chair of the English Department for 16 years, fostering an atmosphere of academic rigor and respect among her
Alice (Ziegele) Laabs ’86 was born in 1943 in Walla Walla and died Nov. 13, 2024, in Walla Walla at age 81. Surviving: husband Gary ’68 of College Place; daughter Beverly Laabs ’86 of Aumsville, Ore.; brothers Calvin Ziegele att. of Princeton, Idaho, and Richard Ziegele att. of College Place; and sisters Jeanne (Ziegele) Sudduth att. of Cleveland, Tenn., and Cathy Case of Yakima, Wash.
Orville A. Lang ’63 was born in 1935 in Scobey, Mont., and died
departmental colleagues and in her broader community. She retired in 2015 with the status of Emeritus Professor of English, but continued active involvement in the community with her scholarship, service, and book recommendations. For nearly fifty years she generously opened her home as a place for good food, serious dialogue, and deep friendship.
In addition to her work as a scholar and teacher, Beem was an active member of the church community, breaking gender barriers to serve as head elder and later interrupting her retirement to serve as the interim member care pastor. Her later years were devoted to important research on the writings of women in the early Seventh-day Adventist church. Beem is survived by her stepsisters, cousins, and her beloved poodle named Story. She also leaves behind a large community of friends, colleagues, and students which she treasured as her family. A celebration of life was held on February 15, 2025, in the University Church.
June 4, 2024, in Sparks, Nev., at age 88. Surviving: wife Charlotte of Sparks; daughter Janice Banks of Orlando, Fla.; and son Tom ’89 of Spokane, Wash.
Roger Loewen ’03 was born in 1961 in Tacoma Park, Md., and died Nov. 4, 2024, in Perkinston, Miss., at age 63. Surviving: wife Valerie (Merrell) ’86 of Carriere, Mass.; daughter Melissa of Carriere; and sons Stephen Holbrook of Nordman, Idaho, and Ryan of Yukon, Okla.
Theodore Lutts ’58 was born in 1929 in Ohio and died Aug. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, Wash., at age 94. Surviving: daughters Sandra (Lutts) White att. of Anacortes, Wash., and Karen (Lutts) Lewis att. of New Cuyama, Calif.; and
sons Steven att. of Portland, Ore., and Greg of Gresham, Ore.
Kendall Montgomery ’75 was born in 1952 in Walla Walla, and died Nov. 20, 2024, in Fairhope, Ala., at age 71. Surviving: wife Bernadette of Fairhope, and sister Trudy Snawder ’73 of Roseburg, Ore.
Brandon Rosenstrauch ’11 was born in 1984 in Lodi, Calif., and died Oct. 31, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Flor., at age 40. Surviving: sister Alisha Piepel of Charlotte, N.C.; brother Joshua of Cleveland, Tenn.; and parents Lisa and Neal of Cleveland.
Vern Schwisow ’60 was born in 1932 in Philip, S.D., and died Jan. 10, 2025, in Milwaukie, Ore.,
at age 92. Surviving: wife Twyla (Stoner) att. of Gladstone, Ore.; daughters Shelli Spannring att. of Bozeman, Mont., and Shona (Schwisow) Ing ’93 of Beaverton, Ore.; son Mark ’44 of Hanoi, Vietnam; and brother Norm ’66 of Portland, Ore.
Kenneth “Ken” Smith ’77 was born in 1950 in Rangoon, Burma, and died Aug. 11, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash., at age 73. Surviving: wife Heather att. of Rathdrum, Idaho; sons Joshua of Rathdrum and Jonathan att. of Rathdrum; sisters Eden of Sonora, Calif., and Vikki Clemons of Sonora; and brother Bill of Sandpoint, Idaho.
Dale VonBergen ’64 was born in 1941 in Portland, Ore., and died Dec. 7, 2024, in Leavenworth,
Wash., at age 83. Surviving: wife Nancy ’86 of Cashmere, Wash.; sons Scott ’90 of Stanwood, Wash., and Todd att. of Salem, Ore.; sister Dorothy Anderson ’63 of Pasco, Wash.; and brothers Harold att. of Burlington, Wash., and Kent Adamson of Canby, Ore.
Gary Whitlock ’87 was born in 1951 in Los Angeles, Calif., and died Nov. 13, 2024, in Steamboat Springs, Colo., at age 72. Surviving: wife Julie of Steamboat Springs; daughter Chloe of Steamboat Springs; and sister Lynda Randolph of Redlands, Calif.
Michaelynn (Bazzy) Paul ’87
Former dean of the School of Nursing, Michaelynn (Bazzy) Paul passed away on Monday, November 18, 2024.
Paul was born in 1965 in Riverside, California. Her family moved frequently during her childhood before settling in the Walla Walla Valley in the middle of her freshman year of college, where she began attending Walla Walla University and quickly made friends for life.
Her sophomore year, she transferred to the Portland campus along with her fellow nursing students. After a year of rigorous studies and working part-time as a CNA, Paul took and passed the NCLEX on her first try, receiving an associate degree in nursing in 1986. The following year she worked parttime at Portland Adventist Medical Center as an RN and finished her studies, receiving a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Paul began working at the university in 2000 teaching critical care. Her students and colleagues immediately loved her, appreciating her humor, care, and incredible support for those around her. A few years
later, she received her master’s of science in nursing from Oregon Health & Science University in 2004. In 2013, Paul started her doctoral degree at Walden University, and two years later was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her faith unwavering in God, Paul continued on in her studies and obtained her doctorate of nursing practice in 2017. After teaching acute care and pharmacology for more than 20 years, Paul stepped into the role of Dean of the School of Nursing. She retired in September of 2024.
Paul was deeply admired by her students, colleagues, and all those around her. Deanna Ludwig-Bos, assistant professor of nursing, said, “She simply was the best advocate for her students and never gave up on them. She would do anything to help them succeed.”
She is survived by her husband Donald Paul att. , and two sons Zachry and Ryan Paul of Beavercreek, Oregon, mother, Cleona Bazzy att. of College Place, Washington, and sister, Marklynn Bazzy, of Portland, Tennessee.
Alumni Currents
Staying in touch with our family of graduates
A Second Chance at WWU
My brokenness began at a young age. The cracks started forming with comments that, even in a joking tone, told me I wasn’t enough for this world. I wasn’t strong enough. Smart enough. Pretty enough. All of my “not enoughs” made me fall short, and it seems as if someone was always there to remind me.
Middle school is awkward for everyone but add in an overactive metabolism that caused me to look anorexic, thick glasses, gapped and bucked teeth, and hip problems that caused a pronounced limp, middle school was unbearable. Coming from an atheist/agnostic home that struggled to make ends meet, it felt like nothing would ever change.
My high school years are where my downward spiral began. I began to drink, was promiscuous, and shortly after graduation fell into a cycle of addiction. It was my sophomore year before a teacher caught my dyslexia, and I barely met the GPA requirements to graduate. I saw no value in my life and treated it accordingly.
The night that everything changed for me was so ordinary that I was on autopilot. A friend and I went downtown to hang out at Coffee Perk until it was time to meet up with the guys for a little partying. We had to park up Main Street a little, then sat down to enjoy ourselves.
As we threw away our empty cups and walked out the door
and towards my car, I heard loud music spilling out of one of the buildings. Instantly drawn to the beat, I persuaded my friend to join me in checking out what was going on. The music poured over my soul in a way no music had ever done. I don’t remember actually hearing a single word, but it somehow filled me.
When the music finished, a group of young people got up and began doing improvisational comedy, just like I had watched on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on TV. I settled in and laughed and shouted out suggestions when the players asked. I was swept away in the enjoyment of the program, having never seen live entertainment before then. Soon the comedy team was bowing and jaunting offstage, and the crowd fell silent.
I can still see him walking up on the stage. He had on khaki pants, a black sweater, and a shining bald head. I didn’t catch who he was, but as he began to speak, his words floated on the air and fell softly on my heart. He spoke of Someone who filled in the broken places and filled the cracks that were thought to be too deep to mend. He spoke of wholeness that comes from the one who created me. Of the One that gives worth and value to my pathetic existence.
I was out the door before he was finished, gasping for breath in the night air. Something had been in that building. Something that filled the space in the room and in my heart and in my lungs. My friend and I continued with what we had planned, but I couldn’t get the strange ideas out of my mind. Could there be anything or anyone who could not only heal my brokenness, but who could turn my brokenness into something of value?
I talked my friend into returning to hear “the bald guy” at Improv Church two more times before she didn’t want to go anymore. I carried his words in my heart for months before meeting a young man who came to WWU as an aviation major, being called to be a missionary pilot. During our second time meeting, bowling with friends, he asked if I was interested in going to church with him. I was.
BACK TO YOU // CASSIE FRISTOE ’09
“WWU wasn’t just a school for me, it was a second chance for my life to become something that mattered.”
This was the point Jesus knew I was ready to end my pill addiction. I heard His words speak softly one day as I opened the bottle at work to help me get through my day. His words of truth of where I was headed prompted me to dump the contents of the bottle into the toilet. Later, with my face on the cold bathroom floor, surrounded by my own mess, I felt His presence carrying me through hours of intense withdrawals.
A year later “the bald guy” (sorry Pastor Karl!) baptized me, and a year after that he officiated our wedding as the pilot, Todd, and I got married. One more year passed, and we said goodbye to Pastor Karl and headed off as student missionaries to the Philippines, which began our career as missionaries over 10 years in four countries.
WWU isn’t just a part of my testimony, it was the beginning of a life and the backdrop for so many of the major events of my Christian life. WWU wasn’t just a school for me, it was a second chance for my life to become something that mattered. Todd and I were married for 13 years, most of those years were spent either in college or abroad as missionaries in remote parts of the world. Thirteen years of adventure, love, and serving Jesus in a way that grew my faith enough to move a mountain, or in my case, move on.
In 2016, our children were 4 and 6. We had moved to Guyana in South America a few years before and were building relationships with our new community and friends as we prepared to build a new mission base. We returned to the States where Todd was almost done rebuilding his airplane and we were packing to go home to Guyana when we found the 16 cm tumor growing in his abdomen.
It’s been almost 9 years since we lost Todd to cancer. The kids are both almost in high school, and I’ve remarried. But what I learned at WWU stuck with me. I learned that God can take broken things and make new and lovely things from the shattered pieces. I know this is true, because I’m a principal of a growing and thriving church school in Huntsville, Alabama. I also teach middle school, and I have an incredibly special place in my heart for these awkward, gangly young people. Every year Jesus brings me young, broken hearts, and I get to tell them all about the God who heals and saves and grows us and meets us and who makes us worthy and makes all things new.
See you there!
APRIL
Learn about the candidates and cast your vote in the Alumni Association officers election, by visiting wallawalla.edu/alumvote. Voting will close at midnight on Monday, April 14.
APRIL 25-27
Registration for Homecoming Weekend 2025 is officially open at wallawalla.edu/homecoming. Reconnect with old friends and take a walk down memory lane (otherwise known as College Avenue) by joining us for a fun-filled weekend to remember.
MAY 10, 11, 15, 17 & 18
It’s showtime! Delight in an evening of comedy and romance with the drama department’s take on William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. Visit wallawalla.edu/drama for updates and to purchase tickets.
JUNE 13-15
Welcome and celebrate WWU’s newest alumni—the class of 2025—at Commencement weekend. Festivities begin Friday evening with a Consecration vespers and continue throughout the weekend. Check out the full schedule of events at wallawalla.edu/grad.
MAY 17, 31 & JUNE 5
Music will fill the sanctuary of the WWU church throughout the quarter, as the university music groups host their spring concerts. Enjoy the musical stylings of the Chorus (May 17), Wind Symphony (May 31), and Symphony Orchestra (June 5). Check wallawalla.edu/calendar for times.
