We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to this incredible community for giving more than $1.3 million to support hard-working Walla Walla Community College students in 2023.
Your generosity made it possible for the WWCC Foundation to distribute $1.7 million last year for student scholarships and college programs – from nursing to engineering, auto repair to welding. More than 700 WWCC students received approximately $950,000 in WWCC Foundation scholarships and emergency funding in 2023 alone.
Generous community members, including alumni, WWCC retirees, local businesses, industries and organizations came together to invest in changing the lives of students like John Moreau, 28, who received a $1,000 scholarship to support his dream of earning a degree in computer science.
“I pretty much dropped out of school when I was 18 and my dad died,” said Moreau, who has four siblings. “I needed a job to help my family.”
After eight years working various jobs, Moreau discovered a passion for computer programming and a reawakened desire to pursue an education. Without financial help – through financial aid and a Foundation scholarship – he knew it would have been impossible.
“Community college is not expensive compared to most colleges,” he said. “But, even with community college, I couldn’t afford classes and also to eat.”
Nationally, research shows that communities with a larger percentage of people who have attended college enjoy more prosperity and a better quality of life. Locally, we know that most WWCC students stay close by. Their education and career success benefit every single one of us, leading to higher wages, better health, less crime and healthier and more successful children.
Nearly all WWCC students are eligible for some form of financial assistance and that includes students from outside the state, adult learners and international and undocumented students. WWCC’s Warrior Pledge Program, launched as a pilot program last year and still developing, covers the costs of tuition for two years while eligible students complete an associate degree or workforce training. Funds are available for new and returning students — even those who already have a degree.
In recent years the WWCC Foundation has seen a significant increase in donors giving via tax-smart gifts of appreciated stocks, gifts in wills and from IRA accounts. In addition to providing money for need-based scholarships, donors also support new and growing programs – including audio engineering, which will launch next year; nursing; agriculture; culinary arts; and enology and viticulture. Your gifts help WWCC supply graduates with skills in demand here in our region. Thank you.
Awards to WWCC students through the Foundation average $1,000 to $1,500 per year. Students have a role to play, too. In addition to financial need, students must be willing to put in the work, demonstrating their perseverance and engagement.
For example, computer science student Moreau attends classes part-time while he continues to balance a full-time job and caring for his family. He hopes to finish his studies at WWCC in 2025 or 2026. His long-term plans focus on staying in the Walla Walla Valley to work and raise a family.
Bottom line: Every gift to the WWCC Foundation makes a difference for our students. We urge potential donors to contact the WWCC Foundation today to explore the options. We can put to immediate use support for a broader range of programs. And we encourage every student — or future student — to contact WWCC’s Student Success Center to find out what’s available for you.
“Investing in yourself is important,” said Moreau, who has already created a software order/shipping program now used by a handful of local businesses.
“This has put me on a path where I feel like I really know what I want to do,” he said. “Ultimately, I want to make people’s jobs easier and their lives easier, too.
Chad Hickox and Jessica Cook Special to the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin