WWCC NEWS

A Walla Walla Community College commercial truck driving semi travels along a rural highway.

January 23, 2026

WALLA WALLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AWARDED SECOND FEDERAL CDL SAFETY TRAINING GRANT

Walla Walla Community College has been awarded a second Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, further strengthening the college’s commitment to roadway safety and workforce development. The new competitive grant totals $75,136 and is effective immediately. It will provide student financial assistance for the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program […]

December 8, 2025

TRISTATE HEALTH FOUNDATION FESTIVAL OF TREES RAISES OVER $1 MILLION

This year’s TriState Health Foundation Festival of Trees was truly historic—raising more than $1 million to support local healthcare. One standout highlight of the evening was “Christmas in the Canyon,” the tree selected as Best in Show. What made it especially memorable was its foundation: a handcrafted miniature aluminum jet boat fabricated by Walla Walla […]

November 24, 2025

FROM LAWN MOWER TO SIX-WHEEL MACHINE: WWCC STUDENTS BRING DIESEL INNOVATION TO LIFE

A donated diesel-powered lawnmower—rusted, rough, and far beyond repair—ended up becoming the spark for one of the most creative student projects in WWCC’s Diesel Technology program. When students Adam Fundak and Phinehas Kerr got the mower running last spring, one thing stood out: the engine was strong. Too strong to throw away. As they pulled […]

November 14, 2025

WWCC CONNECTS VETERANS WITH RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED

Jeannette Wilson-Kirtley began her Army career in 2000. She served as an engineering officer in Afghanistan and Iraq before an illness forced her to leave active duty in 2012. She was fortunate to land a civilian job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla. “It was a great job with amazing people and extremely satisfying work,” Wilson-Kirtley says. Still, she couldn’t let go […]

October 23, 2025

WWCC AUDIO ENGINEERING PROGRAM EXPANDS ITS REACH WITH EVENING CLASSES

Walla Walla, WASH – A generation ago, people didn’t pay much attention to the quality of the sound that came out of their televisions, from stage speakers at a live concert or even at their child’s graduation. Too soft. Too many echoes. Too scratchy. Not too much anybody could do about it. Jump forward to […]

October 23, 2025

WWCC’S WARRIOR PLEDGE SUPPORTS SINGLE MOM’S COLLEGE DREAMS

Covering tuition and fees, Warrior Pledge makes WWCC possible for all Joining the crowd of soon-to-be Walla Walla Community College graduates, Paulina Avila-Ruiz thought about her parents, immigrants who left school after the sixth grade and spent a life working in fields to give their children better futures. She thought about her siblings. As the […]

October 22, 2025

IS COLLEGE WORTH THE INVESTMENT? STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, EMPLOYERS SAY IT IS AT WWCC

Alondra Sustaita describes herself as a “dedicated” student. She earned a perfect, 4.0 grade point average in high school and was very involved in extracurricular activities. She assumed that she’d go on to a four-year university after graduation. Her father had other ideas. “There are people who consider college to be expensive and question its […]

October 22, 2025

WWCC SUPERCHARGED HIS CAREER IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Walla Walla overcomes language and education barriers to realize his dream Juan C. Gaytán didn’t consider going to college until he was in his 30s, already married and working a grueling minimum wage job at an onion-packing facility. He wanted something better for him and for his family and he saw education as a way […]

October 22, 2025

WALLA WALLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT EARNS PRESTIGIOUS JOHN DEERE LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATION

From Dairy Farm to John Deere Certified: WWCC Student Joel Heisey Reaches the Top Growing up on a dairy farm, Joel Heisey spent countless hours in the cab of a John Deere tractor—cutting hay, baling, plowing, and planting. But it wasn’t just the work in the field that left a lasting impression. When equipment broke […]

Walla Walla Foundry Workshop staff looking at sculpture on table

July 8, 2025

WWCC RECEIVES RECORD-SETTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANT IN PARTNERSHIP WALLA WALLA FOUNDRY

Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) has been awarded its largest Job Skills Program (JSP) grant to date through an innovative workforce development partnership with the Walla Walla Foundry—an internationally recognized leader in art fabrication and a major employer in Eastern Washington’s manufacturing sector. The JSP-funded project will support more than 450 hours of customized training […]