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 oldest of five, Avila-Ruiz would become the first in her family to earn a college degree. She hoped she set a good example. If Avila-Ruiz, a 34-year-old single mother of five, could finish, they could, too.
She also looked for her own children – ages 6 to 18 – who were in the audience. She knew that they were proud.
“They think it was a long journey, with more ahead,” Avila-Ruiz says of her kids. “But they look at it in a positive way – hard work pays off. Even though we had to make sacrifices, with education it’s possible to get a better life.”
Her college journey began in 2017, when Avila-Ruiz first enrolled in WWCC. She loved school but quickly discovered she couldn’t afford the rent and food for her children as well as tuition. Not even if she worked three jobs, which she often did.
Avila-Ruiz put a pause on college until she learned about the Warrior Pledge. Unique to WWCC, the Warrior Pledge ensures that cost is not a barrier for any student seeking a WWCC degree or certificate. The Pledge covers remaining tuition or fees not paid by state/financial aid or scholarships. It makes it possible for all WWCC students to attend without the burden of paying for tuition.
To be eligible, students must apply to the college, submit a financial aid application and maintain passing grades.
“That was extra motivation,” Avila-Ruiz says. “I didn’t want to let my donors down by investing money in somebody failing their classes.”
Combining two scholarships offered through the WWCC Foundation plus approximately $2,000 per quarter from the Warrior Pledge, Avila-Ruiz restarted her classes.
She succeeded, despite a crazy schedule. Working full-time at a law office in Pendleton from 9 to 4:30, Alila-Ruiz spent a couple of hours in the evening with her kids and the remaining hours – often until 1 or 2 a.m. – focused on homework.
She attended her WWCC classes online and, at her own pace, until she completed all the requirements for an associate degree in criminal justice. Avila-Ruiz plans to continue her education at Portland State University this fall. Her goal: To become a criminal defense lawyer. Not in a big city. But at home, in eastern Oregon, where she volunteers as a firefighter and EMT.
“I owe a lot to my community,” she says. “When I’ve needed help, they have provided. The best way I can pay it back is joining a good fire department and helping other people in need.”
Now, with her degree in hand, Avila-Ruiz says she also wants to help people realize their educational dreams.
“I often meet people who say: “I just can’t afford college.” I had that same mentality. But I tell them: “Just try talking to the cc. You’d be surprised by the team that comes together to make your dream become reality.’”
New and returning WWCC students must have a financial aid application on file by December 1 , to receive Warrior Pledge support this winter. For more information contact Melissa Holecek, Asst. Director of Outreach, melissa.holecek@wwcc.edu; 509-524-5208.