Our Place in Walla Walla

Our Place in Walla Walla is a periodic column published by the Career and Community Engagement Center. It was created as a tool to help Whitman students learn more about the Walla Walla Valley, many of whom are living in Walla Walla for the first time. Each piece, also published in the Whitman Today newsletter, examines a different element of the area, from annual events to landmarks to community leaders.

Professional headshot of Danielle Garbe Reser standing in a sunlit field

Danielle Garbe Reser ’97: “Commit to Community”

An interview with Danielle Garbe Reser ’97, Executive Director of Blue Mountain Action Council.

November 18, 2024

Portrait of Jushua Huh with short black hair, wearing glasses and a green shirt.

Joshua Huh: “Making Friendships Through Entrepreneurship”

An interview with Joshua Huh, owner of Carte Coffee.

November 04, 2024

Portrait of Andrew Trogstad-Isaacson wearing a blue shirt and vest, standing in front of a shelf of books and houseplants.

Andrew Trogstad-Isaacson ’11: “Get out and explore”

An interview with Andrew Trogstad-Isaacson, Interim Director of the Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College.

October 21, 2024

Portrait of Michelle Jamison Adams, with long dark hair in braids, wearing a light purple shirt and white beaded jewelry.

Michelle Jamison Adams: Indigenous Heritage of Walla Walla

An interview with Michelle Jamison Adams, a key member of the Planning Committee for the Pasxapa Powwow.

October 07, 2024

Profile image of Amy Ly, with long brown hair, wearing a flower print top and standing in front of some green vegetation.

Amy Ly ’06: Envisioning Possibilities

An interview with Amy Ly ’06, Project Manager for the Gates Foundation-funded Horizons initiative with United Way of the Blue Mountains.

September 23, 2024

Profile image of Sandy Garcia, with long brown hair, standing in front of a field.

Sandy Garcia ’08: Community Connections

An interview with Sandy Garcia ’08, supervising attorney for Legal Counsel for Youth and Children.

September 09, 2024

People cooling off in a swimming pool.

Our Place in Walla Walla #18: Summer!

Our place knows how to enjoy summer vacation. Long days and no school mean that it’s time to take full advantage of the Valley.

May 20, 2024

Rows of grape vines in the glow of a sunset in the background.

Our Place in Walla Walla #17: Wine

Our place loves grapes. This past weekend, you may have noticed extra traffic in town and around our community as Walla Walla hosted the annual Spring Release weekend, with thousands of people visiting town to participate in dozens of special events, tastings and other wine-related festivities.

May 06, 2024

Two students working outdoors in a park setting.

Our Place in Walla Walla #16: Higher Education

Our place enjoys and benefits from a vibrant higher ed sector. Yesterday, Whitman students along with students from our two local higher education partners, Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) and Walla Walla University (WWU), along with area residents joined hands for the Spring Tri-College Community Day.

April 22, 2024