Whitman Stories

In the driest desert in North America, Lyman Persico became a geologist. He was an undergraduate researcher working alongside doctoral students and professors on a project through the University of Vermont. In a remote part of the Mojave Desert, they were measuring erosion rates of hillslopes.

Maegen Martin is a member of the Class of 2019. After visiting Whitman for the first time, she realized how close-knit the community was and knew she wanted to attend. As a member of the women's basketball team, Meagen has seen her role at Whitman change both on and off the court.

The founder of RAPtivism, Aisha Fukushima '09, will deliver this year’s commencement address at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 19, 2019.

Halfway around the world in Madagascar, subsistence farmers are harvesting silk from silkworms and weaving them into burial shrouds. But it's a student from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, who is helping turn that fabric into a marketable industry.

Each semester, students at Whitman College get the chance to be exposed to ideas from around the globe, thanks to the O’Donnell Visiting Educator program. Managed by the Center for Global Studies, the O’Donnell program funds visitors from around the world, who bring their expertise and perspective to Walla Walla.

In his new book, "The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez," Professor of Politics Aaron Bobrow-Strain weaves "a rich, novelistic tale of a young woman whose life spans both sides of the United States-Mexican border."

Two alumni will meet in legal action on Whitman's campus this week, when trial lawyer Andrea Burkhart '00 argues a case in front of Chief Judge Robert Lawrence-Berrey '86 of the Washington State Court of Appeals (Division III). The oral arguments will be held in Maxey Auditorium at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 2, and are open to the public.

Best-selling author Sarah Kendzior came to Whitman on April 24, 2019, to encourage students from the Whitman Wire to continue their pursuit of journalism.

Bécquer Medak-Seguín '10 is an assistant professor of Iberian studies at Johns Hopkins University. He co-wrote this essay titled, "In a Polarized Spain, Voters Give the Socialists Another Chance." It reports on the latest political shifts within Spain's government, including Socialist gains as well as the emergence of a strong far-right.

The actor earned his first Tony nod for his role in the new Broadway musical "Hadestown," from director Rachel Chavkin and singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. The show, which brings the ancient Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice and their journey to the underworld to 1930s America, leads the field of Tony Award nominations this year with 14, including Page's for best featured actor in a musical.

Becky Avila ’09 knows how hard it can be for first-generation students of color to succeed in college. As a first-year student at Whitman College in 2005, she worked hard to overcome hurdles. Since graduating with her degree in race and ethnic studies, Avila went on to earn a graduate degree and return to the Los Angeles neighborhood where she grew up.

As CEO of the Walla Walla Symphony, Leah Wilson-Velasco '03 brings people together through music. Starting with her undergraduate work managing the Fridays at Four recital series at Whitman College, Wilson-Velasco found her calling in the arts administration field.