Alumni Stories

panoramic view of a rainforest near Singapore

Adventure is for everyone

A young boy, hands covered in chalk, climbs to the top of the climbing wall.

The WWU alums at Vamos Outdoors Project have helped thousands of youth try out adventure sports.

$10 million XPRIZE: Rainforest win goes to Team Limelight

Neal Digre smiles and stands next to the Limelight, a collection of sensors, bug collectors, and prongs to keep the equipment aloft in a treetop.

Neal Digre, '16, contributed his expertise in computer science and linguistics

Maria Sigüenza joins Board of Trustees

'Maria brings a wealth of experience in management, policy development, and community service.'

Consistently Sharpe

Sue Sharpe looks at Phil Sharpe, who smiles for the camera on a sunny afternoon on Western's campus,

Either Phil or Sue Sharpe sat on Western’s Board of Trustees for almost all of the 21st century.

Making space for 90 million people

Video game image of a four-eyed, six-limbed creature, draped in scarves, standing next to tanks, pipes and planters of flowers and greenery.

If you haven’t spent dozens of hours (or hundreds, we won’t judge) immersed in the work of alum Alison Lührs, you probably know someone who has.

Introducing Window guest editor Amy Harder

Amy Harder stands next to a railing on the Seattle waterfront, looking off to the right.

An ’07 journalism alum, Harder covers clean tech and green energy

2009: Bill Wright loves this game ... but he had to fight to play it

Bill Wright in a white Titleist baseball cap, white sweater and white collared shirt

Fifty years ago, a WWU alum used a putter to demolish one of golf's racial barriers

Where the Whales Are

Caitlyn Blair, seen from behind, looks out at Bellingham Bay

Alum Caitlyn Blair turns her girlhood love of orcas into a career protecting the Salish Sea

Plastic Trash Upcycler

Ryan Hackler, wearing a blue lab coat and protective goggles, holds up and examines a test tube half-full of clear liquid.

Alum Ryan Hackler’s company turns plastic into petrochemical alternatives. His startup is getting funding from the Department of Energy.

'She Was Beautiful, Loyal and Tough'

Amirah Casey, in her cheer uniform, sits next to a gigantic trophy

Marine Sciences graduate Amirah Casey’s impressive list of accomplishments includes embracing her late mother's story as part of her own.

Global Hitchhiker

A worn, torn backpack with INDIA NEW DELHI U.S.A. SEATTLE printed on the front.

How far could a guy get in 1960 with two feet, one thumb and 18 bucks?

First Crush, Second Draft

A man sits smiling for the camera on a concrete staircase

Alum Will Taylor’s book about first love is one of a growing number of LGBTQ+ stories for kids

Leading with 'radical love'

William Jackson, wearing a light-colored suit jacked and looking relaxed, smiles while surrounded by students after his talk

State principal of the year William Jackson on justice-centered education

The Art of Translation

Rukhsar Sadat stands on the Old Main lawn

Fairhaven’s Rukhsar Sadat plans to make a career in advocating for immigrant and refugee families like her own

Keys, Phone, Lifesaver

a small, white plastic case for naloxone, designed with curves and small enough to fit in a pocket or hang on a keychain

How do you bring an overdose-stopping drug to the masses? Make it sleek, stylish and small enough to carry on a keychain.

A Man of Good Cheer

Ethan Huynh in a cheerleading uniform on the basketball court

Marketing grad Ethan Huynh combined two passions and launched a career

A Showplace for All

Navouny Divinne performs at the Blue Room

How classically trained musicians from WWU are building a vibrant, inclusive show venue in downtown Bellingham.

Looking Under Rocks

Geologist Paul Rady has a talent for finding oil and gas beneath the surface. He got his start with a crucial mentorship at Western.

Cross-Border Coach

Orlondo Steinauer stands on a football field, holding a football in both hands.

Canadian Football Hall-of-Famer and alum Orlondo Steinauer knows there are no do-overs in football—or family

A trip to nationals helps launch a journalism career

A woman sits at a table and talks on a corded telephone while at courtside during a professional basketball game

The team's unofficial journalist became one of the first women sports reporters

Mighty Women of Western

Western's women's basketball team celebrates on the court in 1972-73

Decades before Title IX, women at WWU were laying the groundwork for equality in women’s athletics

Basketball and Bravery

Gracie Phelps mid-play on the basketball court. Dribbling a ball past an opponent with her arms up.

Basketball gave Gracie Phelps a place to start healing after childhood abuse, and the courage to seek justice.

Get a Vet to Spot the Next Pandemic

A person holds a puppy and watches another puppy receive a vaccination

Emily Pieracci’s passions for veterinary medicine and public health send her to the front lines of the world’s outbreaks.

Ending the Plague with Poetry

Alum Rena Priest’s poetry depicts a world gravely endangered yet poised for renewal

Eight-Legged Neighbors

an octopus in an aquarium tank, its tentacles and suckers resting against the glass

WWU alum Kathryn Kegel spends her days caring for —and out-smarting—the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Seattle Aquarium

Aurora Season

green auroral lights glimmer over a dome-shaped structure

Adriel Butler, ’08, harnessed the power of logistics to build a one-of-a-kind tourist experience in the Alaskan wilderness

The Story of Alma Clark Glass

1906 black and white portrait of Alma Clark

Western is naming its newest residence hall after its first Black student, who became an early 20th century advocate for racial equality

Alma's Hall

Alma Clark Glass’s family helps open Western’s newest residence hall

Decoding the sounds of the rainforest