Alumni Stories
Plastic Trash Upcycler
Alum Ryan Hackler’s company turns plastic into petrochemical alternatives. His startup is getting funding from the Department of Energy.
Leading with 'radical love'
State principal of the year William Jackson on justice-centered education
'She Was Beautiful, Loyal and Tough'
Marine Sciences graduate Amirah Casey’s impressive list of accomplishments includes embracing her late mother's story as part of her own.
The Art of Translation
Fairhaven’s Rukhsar Sadat plans to make a career in advocating for immigrant and refugee families like her own
First Crush, Second Draft
Alum Will Taylor’s book about first love is one of a growing number of LGBTQ+ stories for kids
Keys, Phone, Lifesaver
How do you bring an overdose-stopping drug to the masses? Make it sleek, stylish and small enough to carry on a keychain.
A Showplace for All
How classically trained musicians from WWU are building a vibrant, inclusive show venue in downtown Bellingham.
Supplying the Drama
Supply chain pros aren’t used to this kind of attention. Alums talk about what it takes to keep the supply chains moving.
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
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
The team's unofficial journalist became one of the first women sports reporters
Mighty Women of Western
Decades before Title IX, women at WWU were laying the groundwork for equality in women’s athletics
Basketball and Bravery
Basketball gave Gracie Phelps a place to start healing after childhood abuse, and the courage to seek justice.
Strong Rebound
After a brilliant career on the basketball court, Mo Anderson left Western months before graduation. But he was far from done.
Ending the Plague with Poetry
Alum Rena Priest’s poetry depicts a world gravely endangered yet poised for renewal
Eight-Legged Neighbors
WWU alum Kathryn Kegel spends her days caring for —and out-smarting—the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Seattle Aquarium
Get a Vet to Spot the Next Pandemic
Emily Pieracci’s passions for veterinary medicine and public health send her to the front lines of the world’s outbreaks.
Aurora Season
Adriel Butler, ’08, harnessed the power of logistics to build a one-of-a-kind tourist experience in the Alaskan wilderness
Class Notes: Journalist and author Andy Campbell, '08
Americans are becoming desensitized to political violence, Campbell warns in his new book
In Business with Owls
Barn owls yak up “perfect” educational packages for hands-on science sleuths. An alumni couple collects and sells them to educators.
Auntie Lena’s Neighborhood
Meet Western alumna Val Thomas-Matson’s empathetic TV alter-ego, as she showcases preschoolers of color on her children’s show ‘Look, Listen & Learn’
Class Notes: Golf Pro Cathy Kim, '08
Kim uses social media to share golf advice -- and get more people out on the course
The Story of Alma Clark Glass
Western is naming its newest residence hall after its first Black student, who became an early 20th century advocate for racial equality
