Whitman Stories

Whitman College President Kathleen Murray today announced the appointment of Thomas Witherspoon as the college’s new vice president for diversity and inclusion.

Aliyah Fard '22 came to Whitman through the Summer Fly-In Program available to first-generation and working-class students. The connections she made during that program allowed her to start on campus already knowing familiar faces around campus. As a social media intern, Fard helps run fun campaigns and come up with content for Whitman's social media channels. Fard is a first-year student from Denver, a soon-to-be environmental politics major, a social media intern and a Whittie.

This summer, Gold is staying in Walla Walla making socially engaged theatre with collaborators Erina Horikawa '19 and Donovan Olsen '19. The trio was inspired by "Because You Are Here," a project that began in Fall 2018 in Associate Professor Jessica Cerullo's devised theatre class and co-taught by Tia Kramer, a social practice artist in Walla Walla. The work is being funded through a Davis Projects for Peace grant and through Whitman's Ben Rabinowitz Award.

When Lia Beatty '21 joined the Eye to Eye Chapter at Whitman College and became involved in advocacy for students with learning disabilities, she had no idea that work would catapult her into a national spotlight.

Whitman College Provost and Dean of the Faculty Alzada Tipton today announced the appointment of Kim Chandler as the college’s new athletic director and chair of Sports Studies, Recreation and Athletics.

Isaiah Banta is part of the Class of 2020 at Whitman. Isaiah has had the unique experience of taking a class at the Washington State Penitentiary with incarcerated students. Isaiah is a resident assistant in Anderson Hall and while he initially thought he would be studying physics at Whitman he realized that computer science would help him learn, "to build the world."

The associate professor of mathematics was honored with the Meredith Clark Slane Distinguished Teaching-Service Award during High Point University’s 2019 Commencement ceremony. The award is named for Meredith Clark Slane and has been given annually since 1973 to recognize excellence in teaching. Graham-Squire has been teaching at High Point since 2011.

Blue sky peeked through the clouds to shine on bright spirits on Sunday, May 19, 2019, during Whitman College's 133rd Commencement Ceremony. Keynote speaker Aisha Fukushima '09 led the class in a call-and-response rendition of the song "Feelin' Good."

On Sunday, May 19, 2019, the Class of 2019 will move on from life as students at Whitman College. But senior class speakers Dorothy Mukasa ’19 and Esther Ra ’19 hope their classmates won’t move on from a life devoted to learning. That’s the focus of the speech the two seniors will give during the ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m.

The notable alumna returns to Whitman May 19 to deliver remarks on her worldwide journey as an artist and activist as the college's 2019 commencement speaker. "An image came to my mind of a cycle, of 10 years, and returning full circle," Fukushima said of being asked to address the graduating class. "I’m excited, I’m curious. I’m coming in with an interest in their goals. I hopefully have a message that the next generation of leaders need to hear."

Nadyieli Gonzalez Ortiz '21 is in her second year at Whitman. After taking a class with Aaron Bobrow-Strain she realized she wanted to study politics because it would put her on the career path she wants to take. Although the Whitman community keeps her busy, Nadyeili enjoys the town of Walla Walla and feels there are people all around the community that contribute to her Whitman experience in "really cool ways."

Olivia Hagmann ’19 applied her experience as an intern at the People’s Organization for Community Acupuncture (POCA) in Seattle to organize a pop-up acupuncture clinic in downtown Walla Walla. A double major in anthropology and film and media studies at Whitman College, Hagmann was awarded a Mellon Community Engagement Grant to fund the Walla Walla Acupuncture Project, which served as her senior capstone integrative experience.