Alumni of the year

Meet four Walla Walla University alumni who were honored during Homecoming Weekend 2024 for service and achievement that embody the spirit of their alma mater.

Herb Larsen

CLASS OF 1979

Herb Larsen is, in short, a multitalented and prolific creator. Growing up in the Canadian wilderness, he easily pursued interests in a variety of crafts. His mother encouraged his endless creativity and he learned to played piano, guitar, and the 5-string banjo at a young age.

His love for art and music has been enduring: he performs and writes music, studied under world renowned gun engravers, helped create a new form of offset lithography, produced commissioned art pieces, and designed magazine covers.

After graduating from WWU with a biology major and a stint teaching high school, he taught himself mechanical engineering to join his two younger brothers in business. Designing and engineering custom industrial equipment turned out to be a great fit, and Herb has run a successful firm since 1990.

His art, music, and business has led to connections with prominent people. Born as a third-generation preacher’s kid, Herb swore he would never be a preacher, yet his greatest passion has been using these divine appointments to share his faith. He regularly preaches, sometimes internationally, and conducts a weekly inner-city Bible study group. His partner in ministry and life is his wife, Tammy, with whom he has two sons.

KARI FIRESTONE

CLASS OF 1994

As a first-generation college student facing financial struggles, Kari Firestone was told, “Well, not all students are meant to go to college.” This experience lit a fire in her heart to prove all students deserve the opportunity to pursue higher education, and it shaped the direction of her life.

As a nurse and nurse educator for more than 30 years, Kari says, “Having a small part in shaping the future of the nursing profession through my students gives my work meaning.” Kari completed her master’s in nursing education and clinical nursing specialist in 2008, and her doctorate in 2016.

She has taught in Portland, Loma Linda, and Walla Walla, serving as a professor, adjunct faculty in social work, dean, and a director for COVID-19 response. In all these roles she has passed on her passion for service, inviting students to participate in the many health-related outreach activities she enjoys.

She is currently director of a clinical education program at Oregon Health & Sciences University that teaches medical, dental, nursing, and nutrition students through providing health care for vulnerable and underserved communities.

PEDRITO MAYNARD-ZHANG

CLASS OF 1994

As the child of two Jamaican immigrants pursuing their studies in the U.S., Pedrito recognized the importance of education from a young age. His academic journey eventually led to earning a doctorate in computer science from Stanford University. His love for computer science was born in high school, but he studied electrical engineering at WWU to lay a technical base before focusing his post-graduate studies and collegiate teaching career in computer science and artificial intelligence.

Despite his love of teaching, Pedrito eventually dove into industry-level software development, working at Amazon and Microsoft for over 15 years. He specialized in solving problems in machine learning and data science and received two patents for his work. His prestigious career and lived experience ignited a passion for promoting equitable access to STEM education and careers for all young people, and he now invests in that work as a research scientist on the Amazon Future Engineer team.

Beyond his work, Pedrito has found rejuvenation in practicing traditional kung fu styles, hiking, riding motorcycles, and spending time with his wife, Margaret, and their two children.

LES ZOLLBRECHT

CLASS OF 1999

It was during a 30-day mountaineering and rock climbing educator course in the North Cascades and Canada that Les Zollbrecht saw the full potential of merging his interests in the outdoors and passion for empowering others.

After graduating from WWU, Les served at several Adventist churches and as chaplain for Portland Adventist Academy while pursuing a master’s in leadership. It was during this time he went on the eye-opening trip and soon launched a non-profit organization called Mountain Leadership Institute. He continues to use outdoor experiences to empower others, leading trips in Nepal annually and instructing rock climbing and mountaineering leadership courses.

Les has worked as director of Big Lake Youth Camp since 2013, where he relishes the challenge of teaching young people to be dynamic leaders and change agents in the lives of kids. He’s helped form important partner ships to dramatically improve facilities, complete a $3.1 million reconstruction of the main lodge, acquire land, and build a Pacific Crest Trail welcome center.

He hopes “that those around me will experience a love so compelling that they will spend the rest of their lives pursuing the source.”