PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University has a commitment not only to attract good students, but to help the students thrive, earn their WSU degree and be successful in their chosen professions.
Gifts from Washington Water Power allow the WSU Office of Multicultural Student Services (MSS) to fund multicultural scholarships to attract bright students as freshmen or as transfers. Plus, WWP’s financial help assists MSS in retaining the students it recruits.
One example is WSU student Delia Chavez of Sunnyside. She says, “The WWP scholarship helps out a lot since I come from a low income family. The scholarship allows me to continue my education. I really appreciate it. It has helped me in so many different ways.”
Aspiring to a career in law, Chavez is a 1997 graduate of Sunnyside High School. She is the daughter of Federico and Antonia Chavez. At WSU she is active in Mujeres Unidas, M.E.Ch.A. and CASHE/Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education, and is a high school facilitator.
A WWP-supported, two-day Multicultural Student Leadership Retreat is a major retention focus for MSS. At the annual event, student leaders from all WSU ethnic clubs develop their leadership skills.
WSU has been receiving gifts from WWP since 1991 in support of multicultural scholar efforts. This year, for example, $9,000 of a $10,000 gift went to scholarships and $1,000 to the retreat.
In the fall of 1996, WWP financial support allowed establishment of two multicultural student scholarship endowments, one for $50,000 in Scholarship Services and the other for $15,000 in the College of Education.
Since 1991, WWP has also provided financial support to the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program located at WSU Spokane. In 1994, WWP contributed more than $50,000 to the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education in Spokane to support multicultural scholarships for WSU students.
“We’re thankful for Washington Water Power’s continuing support of students of color at WSU. This corporate commitment truly changes lives,” said Steve Nakata, MSS interim director.
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