Whitman Stories

For Whitman College orchestra conductor Paul Luongo, it makes no difference what his students study, as long as they love the music. One year, the lead violinist in the Whitman Orchestra might be a music performance major preparing to compete for a place in a major conservatory. The next, it might be a student majoring in English literature, biology or anthropology.

After losing her toddler in a furniture tip-over accident, Crystal Ellis has dedicated herself to campaigning for laws that demand furniture manufacturers meet a higher safety standard.

Since coming to Whitman from Jamaica as a Davis United World College (UWC) Scholar in 2017, Jordon Crawford ’21 has partnered with others to improve the experience for international and underrepresented students, particularly other men of color.

Though books and lectures are the foundations of traditional academic learning, some lessons require hands-on experience.

Associate Professor of Psychology Erin Pahlk, who co-authored a study last year about kids' reactions to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said that right now children need some help "thinking through the different politicians’ perspectives and the different policies."

The new decade is being ushered in at Sheehan Gallery with a trio of nature photography shows, which open at Whitman College’s art gallery on Jan. 31. The larger gallery space will feature “Fire Stories,” an exhibit displaying the photography of John Marshall and the Osborne Panorama Project

Carl Ye ’21, a junior from Qingdao, China, will spend spring semester studying abroad in Hungary through the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics.

Native American beadwork artists Marcus Amerman ’81 pushes the envelope on traditional beadwork by creating realistic pieces based on historic photographs. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Amerman earned a degree in art from Whitman College and often infuses his work with sociopolitical messages.

A college located 260 miles east of the Pacific Ocean may not be thought as the best environment to pursue studies in marine biology. But biology major Makana Stone ’20 found that despite Walla Walla, Washington’s high desert climate, she was able to find the opportunities she needed to pursue her love of marine science at Whitman College.

When John Cunnison '95 started at Whitman College, he thought he wanted to be a doctor. But in a first-year class with now-Emeritus Professor Timothy Kaufman-Osborn, he discovered politics. Driven by intellectual curiosity, after he earned his bachelor's in politics from Whitman, Cunnison traveled to Kunming, China, to teach English through the Whitman in China Program.

Kim Smith ’90 returned to Whitman to give the 2019 Sava and Danica Andjelkovic Endowed Lecture: "Education for Sustainable Development: The Future Depends on Us!" Smith’s expertise in — and passion for — environmental sociology has made her an international leader in sustainability education, representing the U.S. in global efforts, while also bettering her own community in Portland, Oregon.

Religion major and psychology minor Sam Geschickter '20 got first-hand experience learning the theories and processes of investment banking as an intern at Baker Boyer Bank in Walla Walla, Washington. Geschickter combined the critical thinking skills he's learned at Whitman into his internship experience.