Willamette Academy

For one crucial year, Rachal Meza Rojas ’14 couldn’t rely on her family.

A first generation student raised in Salem, she had moved into a friend’s house at age 16. She wanted to avoid returning to a home she previously left with her mother. But despite the disruption, she maintained her grades, stayed active in school and focused on earning her International Baccalaureate diploma. She also found solace in Willamette Academy.

Bonding with students in class or while staying overnight at the university created profound connections for her. She saw herself reflected in the student body, which hails from Salem and Keizer, and the chance to grow with that community became one of her most powerful experiences.

“Having that community of people going through the same thing you were growing up is something you can’t buy,” she said. “Willamette Academy was my lifeline.”

Joshua Bilbrew, program director at the time, was an especially pivotal person in her life. He wrote letters of recommendation, helped her edit essays and work through the financial aid paperwork. Above all, he became the active listener she needed.

“He kept me accountable, he challenged me and harnessed the energy I had to do good,” she said, growing emotional. “His guidance and mentorship helped craft who I am today.”

Bilbrew was the one who pushed her to visit Seattle University, despite her reluctance from application fatigue. The moment she arrived on campus for a visit, she said, “This is it.”

The first year of college was no problem for Meza Rojas, who felt confident staying in the dorms, heading to the cafeteria and meeting professors. She joined the U.S. Army ROTC and earned placement in a nursing program, and always made time for visiting Academy students. One year, she gave a tour of campus and led a Q&A session in one of the classrooms.

In 2018, she graduated from college. Since then, she’s lived in Hawaii and Texas, gained experience in critical care, medical surgical and forensic nursing and became promoted to first lieutenant. She’s currently stationed in Fort Hood, where she is assigned to the 11th Field Hospital as an emergency nurse.

And now she’s become a student again. This fall, she started her online master’s of science in nursing education at Duke University.

The Academy played a role in that decision, too. A workshop she’d taken years ago featured a panelist who discussed balancing a full time job and a degree, and she’s certain she can do the same.

“The workshops provided students the time and space to learn from others and dream big,” she said. “I am so excited to see what the future holds.”

“(Joshua Bilbrew, program director at the time), kept me accountable, he challenged me and harnessed the energy I had to do good.”

— Rachal Meza Rojas WA’14 First Lieutenant Emergency Nurse, U.S. Army