Whitman Community Celebrates Opening of Nancy Serrurier Village
By Mónica Hernández Williams
Photography by Patrick Record and Eamon Winkelman ’28
‘It’s beautiful first and foremost.’ Senior Sybella Ssewakiryanga, a Davis United World College Scholar and a resident of Stegner Hall, shared what the new village means to her and her fellow students: “It allows juniors and seniors to stay connected with everyone on the Whitman campus. … It gives us the independence we need as we get older. This is an incredible project.”
Whitman College students can now officially call Nancy Serrurier Village home.
Nearly 200 students have moved into their apartment-style units in three residence halls—Robart, Stegner and Harvey—located off Boyer Avenue and Nancy Evans Way. The village was built to offer juniors and seniors an independent housing option in a community-focused environment to strengthen their bonds and support system while enriching their college experience.
Students, staff, faculty, alumni and donors came together over the course of a week to celebrate the project, explore the new halls, tour suites and see firsthand how the vision for the village has taken shape.
A monumental milestone. Special guests and the college community took the opportunity to tour the village an honor its namesake, Nancy Serrurier (top left), in a series of celebration events in November.
It Takes a Village
President Sarah Bolton shared her gratitude for the many people who helped bring this community to life—from the designers and architects who imagined an uplifting living environment, to the more than 160 donors and alumni whose generosity made the project possible. She emphasized that these buildings are not only a home for today’s students, but spaces that will support generations of Whitties to come.
Years in the making. From early design concepts to the final touches on sustainability features and shared community spaces, the village project reflects years of collaboration, creativity and care. Check out the transformation from start to finish.
The village is named for Upward Together Chair and Trustee Nancy Serrurier (Parent ’11), while individual halls honor distinguished alumni, including the Honorable James Robart ’69, the Honorable John Stegner ’77 and Laurie Elgee Stegner ’80, and Peter Harvey ’84. Additional spaces—including lounges, patios and tree groves—recognize the many more alumni and families who helped make this project a reality.
Robart Hall was dedicated to Trustee Emeritus Judge James Robart ’69 (right, with his wife, artist Mari Jalbing)—thanks to a generous gift from John Stanton ’77 and Theresa Gillespie (Parents ’18).
Where Connections Grow, Students Thrive
With students now fully settled in, they’ll begin to strengthen their connections, form new friendships and enrich the campus experiences in new ways.
“It really does feel like I have a home here. Everything is all so new but I’m excited to see what all it will bring once everyone starts to really engage with the space. There is definitely a bigger sense of community living here than if I were to be living off campus.
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—Ella Shigo ’27, Harvey Hall resident
The village opens a vibrant new chapter for residential life at Whitman—a home where students can live, learn, and thrive and which will stand as a symbol of partnership and philanthropy for years to come.
From Start to Finish
Take a closer look inside Nancy Serrurier Village with a photo gallery from the opening celebrations and student move-in.
