Get to Know My Favorite Place on Earth Through Volunteering

Part of the reason I chose to come to Whitman was because I love Walla Walla! I grew up in the Bay area so I wanted to make sure I visited campus. That’s the best decision I could have made. I instantly fell in love with the small town feel and the Pacific Northwest kindness that everyone expressed. I knew that this was a place that I wanted to call home for the next four years. So, as soon as I got home, I submitted my Whitman application Early Decision!

As soon as I arrived on campus, I got involved in the local community. It was incredibly important to me because it allowed me to put what I was learning in the classroom into action. I was also excited by how Whitman actively encourages students to get involved in Walla Walla and the surrounding area, from volunteering to leadership roles and more. I couldn’t wait to be a part of it all. I joined various volunteer programs through the Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC). Staff in the CCEC helped connect me to these programs through their amazing mentorship as well as through the guidance of student program leaders.

A few of the programs I volunteered with include the Story Time Project, which promotes literacy in Walla Walla Public Schools and local daycares; the Stream Team, an environmental program focused on riparian habitat repair with the Tri-State Steelheaders; the Buddy Program, which builds friendships between Whitman students and members of the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network; and the OPTin! Tutoring Program, which partners with the Opportunity Program that serves as an alternative learning environment in Walla Walla Public Schools. I have also worked at the CCEC as the Stream Team Program Leader, and then as the Student Leader for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Volunteer Recruitment. I am grateful for the CCEC because it has helped me to grow as a leader and has helped shape the person I have become over the past three years.

My experience both as a volunteer and as a student leader has profoundly impacted me in a variety of ways. Firstly, I have made meaningful connections with other students, community members, and organizations that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget the first class of preschoolers I read to or the student I helped with their history assignment. I will never forget the fun I had bowling with members of the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network, or playing BINGO with isolated seniors at the Odd Fellows Retirement Home. These are experiences that I will treasure and hold close to my heart. 

Through volunteering, I’ve learned what it means to generously and ethically serve others. Not only do I get to make a positive difference in the community, but I also get to grow as a person. This form of mutually beneficial relationship can be very powerful. 

I am proud of the ways in which I have grown as a leader in the community. As a sophomore, I was recognized for my leadership in community services, along with a few other Whitties. Getting involved through the CCEC has helped me see myself as a leader and a person who has the power to make a difference in the world around me.

My advice to any prospective Whitman students is simple: get involved in Walla Walla! You do not necessarily need to volunteer every week to get to know this place. Explore this magical place in any way you can, whether that be through work in a local classroom or simply visiting the public library. This place has so much to offer. Go out and explore! 

Jonathan Becker ’26 (he/him/his) is a Hispanic Studies and History: Cultures and Ideas double major from Menlo Park, California. A fun fact about him is that he loves to watch reality television!