Alumni Conversations: In Celebration of Impact and Promise

We are especially grateful for opportunities to celebrate our extraordinary community
Amy Painter
“I want to ensure future students have the same resources, opportunities, and support.”

During one of the most challenging years in recent memory, we are especially grateful for opportunities to celebrate our extraordinary community and to recognize your accomplishments.

Earlier this month, the WWU Alumni Association honored four alumni who have used their educations to launch their dreams. Each has translated a unique set of passions and abilities into vocations that are impacting their communities and transforming lives.

Please join us in congratulating this year’s awardees:

  • Tyler J. Malek ‘10: Entrepreneur of the Year Award
  • Deborah Dull ‘07: Young Alumna of the Year Award
  • Donald L. Hardwick ‘84: Larry “Go Vikings!” Taylor Alumni Service Award
  • Julie B. Larson-Green ‘86: Lifetime Achievement Award

We invite you to read a little about them in this issue, and to meet them by tuning into our Alumni Awards Virtual Celebration 2021, recorded here.

As we transition into graduation season, we also laud a new class of Western graduates who will venture forth to realize their own promise.

Promise seemed a fitting theme for this year’s sixth annual Give Day on May 27. Without the generosity of our community, along with the hard work of our board members, alumni, and student ambassadors, we could not deliver on our promise to support students throughout their Western journeys.

Behind the scenes, ambassadors like Anna Cortines ’23 play a critical role. The sophomore and accounting major serves as one of 25 WWU student ambassadors for the Foundation. This diverse group of young leaders builds and reinforces the relationships between the university and its constituents, not only for Give Day, but throughout the year.

“I’m passionate about relaying appreciation to those who support Western and showing how that support has made grand impacts for me and for other students,” said Anna, who aspires to reside in Madrid one day.

Last quarter, she worked on an appreciation video project for the new Advanced Technology building. This quarter, she will help spread the word about Give Day and other opportunities to support students as she continues to pursue her interests in anthropology and Spanish.

“I want to ensure future students have the same resources, opportunities, and support,” she said.

That too is our promise.

Amy Painter is director of Marketing and Communications, University Advancement