Bounty of the Valley Scholarship Dinner raises over $745,000 for student scholarships

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Annual Heritage University event raises $745,000 for student scholarships

 

Toppenish, Wash. – The Bounty of the Valley Scholarship Dinner, the premier annual event in the Yakima Valley dedicated to raising scholarship funds for Heritage University students, brought in $742,275 this past weekend. Gifts continue to pour in as an additional $3,200 has arrived for a grand total of $745,475 as of Wednesday.

This year marked the 33rd anniversary of the event that celebrates the many talented men and women who are transforming their lives, and our communities, enabled by the gifts of the generous individuals who make it possible for them to earn their college degrees.

Heritage University students served as hosts for the 250 guests of the event, welcoming them as they arrived on campus, sharing their Heritage experiences and expressing their gratitude for their ongoing investment in the university. Shelby Clark, who served as the event’s student speaker, is a 2019 graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and has been accepted into the prestigious and highly competitive Doctor of Nursing Program at the University of Washington. Clark says she’s grateful for the opportunities she’s received, which were made possible by the generosity of Heritage University supporters. “It was gifts like yours which allowed me to be in a position to make life-changing discoveries,” she said in her speech to donors. “Thank you for believing that Heritage students are worthy.”

Jim Barnhill, a longtime champion of Heritage University, was overjoyed by the generosity he witnessed from longtime donors and new supporters. “Every year this event is spectacular and every year it just gets better and better,” said Barnhill. “The people of this valley believe in the power of education. By donating to scholarships, we are investing in our community as these students will go on to become professionals in the medical, education and business fields who will work here and become the next generation of leaders in the Yakima Valley,” he said.

Since its inception 33 years ago, more than $6 million has been raised at the event, with every dollar going directly to student scholarships. Senior Director of Donor Development and organizer of the Bounty of the Valley, Dana Eliason, said it’s an amazing experience to watch our donor community and our students get together at this event year after year. “The bond that is formed between students and donors is magical. Our donors get to see their investment in Heritage come alive by meeting our students,” she said.

To make a donation to student scholarships, visit https://heritage.edu/giving/donate-now/and select “Scholarship Dinner Fund” from the Designation drop down menu. For more information contact Dana Eliason at (509) 865-0441 or eliason_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University announces Spring 2019 Dean’s List

 

Heritage University Announces Spring 2019 Dean’s List

 

Toppenish, Wash. –  The following are students who earned a place on the Heritage University Dean’s List for the spring 2019 semester.  To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must be full-time, matriculated undergraduates who have earned semester grade point averages of 3.5 or better.

 

Marixa Abarca-Perez, Kennewick Gissell Aguilar, Grandview Amalia Akagi, Yakima
Paulina Alcala, Yakima Brettagne Aleck, Toppenish Sonia Allende, Pasco
Danielle Almanza, Granger Lorena Alvarez, Wapato Yanett Alvarez, Yakima
Maritza Alvarez, Sunnyside Yessyca Alvarez, Grandview Eilee Andujo, Prosser
Adrian Araiza, Yakima Rosalinda Arreola, Toppenish Alonso Arroyo, Wapato
Alejandra Arteaga, Yakima Kimberly Avalos, Toppenish Emma Avalos, Yakima
Clarissa Bahe, Yakima Regina Baker, Toppenish Jeremiah Baker, Toppenish
Hema Balderas, Wapato Yosi Barajas, Yakima Junior Barrera Bucio, Buena
Franchesca Bazan, Selah Elizabeth Benitez, Kennewick Esther Bermudez, Kennewick
Alyson Blair, Kennewick Jeanne Blakeman, Pasco Alyssa Buck, Mattawa
Justin Burke, Yakima Juan Cabrera-Santos, Buena Ruben Calvario, Wapato
Jennifer Cantu, Prosser Roma Cantu, Toppenish Alexandra Cardenas, Toppenish
Janette Cardona, Mattawa Brenda Cardona, Mattawa Jenny Careaga, West Richland
Delia Castanon, Wapato Leslie Castillo, Sunnyside Erica Castro, Wapato
Zachary Catron, Wapato Noelia Causor, Yakima Jocelyn Celis Torres, Wapato
Jennifer Cervantes, Toppenish Kevin Cervantes, Pasco Lizbeth Chavez, Pasco
Diana Chavez Cerda, Yakima Ruben Chino Bustamante, Toppenish Heather Christensen, Richland
Ana Cisneros Chavez, Outlook Shelby Clark, White Swan Gardenia Contreras-Vazquez, Sunnyside
Grace Corning, Benton City Melissa Correa, Pasco Esmeralda Correa, Pasco
Guadalupe Cortes, Wapato Almarosa Cortez, Wapato Kristina Cortez, Moxee
Estefani Cruz, Wapato Veronica Cruz, Sunnyside Vanessa Cruz, Pasco
Brenda Cruz, Granger Stefany Cuaspud Guevara, Kennewick Samuel Cuevas-Carrillo, Grandview
Tamara Cyr, Wapato Ashley Davis, Naches Xavier Day, Toppenish
Connie Delacruz, Yakima Fatima Delgado, Toppenish Esperanza Delgado, Toppenish
Paige Delp, Yakima Jesus Diaz, Zillah Keila Diaz, Granger
Josue Diaz, Mesa Mercedes Diaz, Toppenish Rylie Dixon, Kennewick
Amanda Donelson, Kennewick Taylor Ebbelaar, Grandview Crecenciana Espinoza, Pasco
Nora Espinoza, Yakima Jocelyne Espinoza, Wapato Kaylyn Fairchild, Pasco
Krisana Fernandez, Sunnyside Spencer Fisher, Richland Artemio Flores, Toppenish
Stephanie Flores-Landin, Yakima Antonio Franco, Granger Isela Fuentes, Yakima
Jocelyn Galarza, Zillah Leticia Garcia, Granger Evelyn Garcia, Wapato
Victoria Garcia, Pasco Rosa Garcia, Kennewick Marlenne Garibay, Sunnyside
Kimberling Garibay, Sunnyside Dorothy Garwood, Prosser Lorenzo Garza, Othello
Anahi Garza, Richland Lindsy Gatewood, Pasco Nicole Glatt, Burbank
Sarah Gold, Bellevue Lesly Gomez, Yakima Tania Gomez, Pasco
Isabel Gomez Carrillo, Wapato Carmen Gonzales, Toppenish Diana Gonzalez, Kennewick
Eduardo Gonzalez, Grandview Claudia Gonzalez, Grandview Noe Gonzalez, Toppenish
Alfonso Gonzalez-Colin, Yakima Bianca Gonzalez-Estrada, Wapato Heather Gooss, Moxee
Heidy Granados Lopez, Kennewick Ashley Grego, Richland Shelby Groth, Selah
Brenda Guadarrama, Granger Sonia Guerrero, Toppenish Isaias Guerrero, Outlook
Estefania Guerrero Angel, Granger Yazmine Guido, Yakima Eva Guizar, Kennewick
Gricelda Guizar Gaitan, Yakima Kaylyn Gunnier, Zillah Alissa Gutierrez, Yakima
Yuli Guzman, Yakima Martha Guzman, Yakima Alexis Guzman, Pasco
Melissa Guzman, Pasco Kori Haubrich, Sunnyside Anna Hempel, Kennewick
Mayra Hermosillo, Prosser Elena Hernandez, Wapato Yaritza Hernandez, Yakima
Xochitl Hernandez, Pasco Noemi Hernandez, Pasco Lizbeth Hernandez Islas, Yakima
Pete Herron, Yakima Tracie Hicks, Kennewick Savannah Hill, Wapato
Christina Holland, Kennewick Chaelee Hudson, Yakima Kasey Hutto, Kennewick
Samanta Jimenez, Pasco Alondra Juarez, Wapato Ekman Kaur, Kennewick
Wendy Kleppin, West Richland Viktoriia Konko, Kennewick Valentyn Konko, Kennewick
Marna Kostelecky, Burbank Michael Kummer, Kennewick Rachel LaBelle, Benton city
Jiovanna Lamas, Wapato Maria Lechuga, Wapato Shiraz Lefeber, Pasco
Yovana Leyva Carmona, Wapato Ilse Leyva Manzanarez, Yakima Idalis Licea, Zillah
Andres Lima Elias, Othello Mark Litka, Richland Brittany Loeken, Yakima
Elvira Lopez, Toppenish Yesenia Lopez, Wapato Yezie Lopez-Perez, Yakima
Daisy Luna, Wapato Jennifer Macias, Toppenish Claudia Madrigal, Pasco
Yareli Madrigal Luna, Pasco Mariby Magana, Yakima Marlene Magana, Sunnyside
Herminia Magdaleno, Yakima Kaitlin Maier, Richland Richelle Maki, Kennewick
Edgar Maranon, Wapato Elisa Mariscal, Toppenish Ana Marquez, Grandview
Rosalinda Marquez, Toppenish Lydia Marquez, Yakima Natalie Martinez, Sunnyside
Dulce Martinez, Sunnyside Daisy Martinez, Wapato Enrique Martinez, Toppenish
Andrea Martinez-Santiago, Toppenish Christina Mattson, Richland Stephanie Maybee, Selah
Sara McColloch, Pasco Shaunacy McMurray, Yakima Ashlee Mearns, Kennewick
Judit Medina, Kennewick David Mejia, Yakima Sandra Mena, Granger
Debbie Mendez, Yakima Stephanie Mendoza, Mabton Jazmin Mendoza, Pasco
Guadalupe Mendoza, Umatilla Jesus Mendoza Mendoza, Yakima Diana Meraz, Tieton
Cassandra Mercado, Pasco Jheymy Mercado-Covarrubias, Yakima Rebecca Meza, Sunnyside
Celine Michael, Yakima Gladys Monroy, Pasco Priscila Montiel, Yakima
Brenda Montoya-Roman, Yakima Domitila Morales, Pasco Ana Morales Villafan, Toppenish
Gabriela Moreno, Toppenish Eva Morfin, Kennewick James Muggli, Kennewick
Susana Naranjo, Yakima Guadalupe Navarro, Sunnyside Thuan-Thien Nguyen, Pasco
Andrew Nguyen, Yakima Edith Noriega, Sunnyside Arlene Olea, Sunnyside
Meaghan Oliver, Richland Rosa Olvera, Pasco Daysi Orduño Jacobo, Grandview
Lorena Ornelas, Sunnyside Joel Osorio, Toppenish Esther Osorio, Toppenish
Alexis Oxley, Grandview Rebecca Ozuna, Toppenish Liliana Padilla, Grandview
Miguel Palma, Yakima Mary Pantoja Gonzalez, Yakima Stephanie Pardo, Yakima
Seong Park, Yakima Shane Parkhurst, Kennewick Marcelo Penaloza, Toppenish
Yolanda Penaloza, Mabton Ana Perez, Pasco Hunter Perez, Kennewick
Jasmine Perez, Wapato Sabrina Persinger, Pasco Eric Philipp-Petrick, Yakima
Diana Picazo Villanueva, Outlook Allison Platsman, Sunnyside Angela Ponce, Zillah
Hunter Pryse, Yakima Casey Quantrille, Selah Daisy Quinones, White Swan
Lezly Quintanilla, Yakima Mayra Quintero, Wapato Viridiana Ramirez, Pasco
Elizabeth Ramirez, Toppenish Nichole Ramirez, Hermiston Briceida Ramos, Grandview
Olivia Ramos Alvarez, Kennewick Lazaro Ramos Aragon, Walla Walla Rosa Rangel, Connell
Amy Rapin, Sunnyside Anyssa Rebollero, Yakima Rocio Regis, Toppenish
Araceli Regis, Toppenish Joshua Rein, Wapato Shealynn Reuther, Wapato
Anitramarina Reyna, Yakima Amy Richter, Pendleton Rosa Rios, Moxee
Abigail Rivera, Zillah Timothy Roa, Wapato Morgan Roberts, Kennewick
Ellie Robins, Selah Grisel Rodriguez, Moxee Lizbeth Rodriguez, Wapato
Adriana Rodriguez, Kennewick Cassandra Rodriguez, Grandview Justin Rodriguez, Olympia
Sarah Romano, Richland Juan Romero, Zillah Kristian Romero, Zillah
Robert Romero, Sunnyside Monica Romero Castro, Grandview Erika Romero-Vargas, Pasco
Leidy Rosales, Pasco Eva Rosenow, Kennewick Lizett Ruiz, Yakima
Vah-Leria Sampson, Yakima Mayra Sanchez, Kennewick Nita Sanchez, Zillah
Amarilis Santiago, Toppenish Danielle Sauceda, Pasco Johnathan Schab, Prosser
Erika Scheel, Meridian Robert Schreiber, Yakima Margaret Sewell, Yakima
Jeniya Slutskaya, Kennewick Brandon Smith, Yakima Diana Solorio, Granger
Gerardo Soto, Zillah Maria Soto-Galvan, Yakima Anothony Stewart, Yakima
Christy Taylor, Othello Destiney Theisen, Kennewick Jacqueline Tlatelpa, Sunnyside
Stephanie Tolley, Othello LisaLyn Tormey, Yakima James Torres, Grandview
Maribel Torres, Richland Jonay Torres, Pasco Yanet Torres, Zillah
Brayan Torres, Sunnyside Alejandra Treece, Zillah Daisy Vaca, Wapato
Victoria Valdez, Toppenish Maria Valencia, Toppenish Anakaren Valenzuela, Toppenish
Juan Valladares, Yakima Elizabeth Van Corbach, Sunnyside Brenda Vasquez, Toppenish
Veronica Vigil, Yakima Maurita Villafan, Toppenish Julia Villagomez, Toppenish
Maria Villanueva, Yakima Citlaly Villegas, Wapato Arcelia Virgen, Wapato
Dawn Waheneka, Wapato Kyle Wandling, Pasco Mette Warnick, Richland
Robyn Webster, Yakima Katie Wentz, WhiteSwan Shelby White, Burbank
Devin Williams, Kennewick John Williams, Kennewick Janae Williams, Kennewick
Jasmine Yellow Owl, Zillah Zachary Zamora, Sunnyside Ruby Zarate, Moxee

 

Costco Co-Founder’s Family Foundation Selects Second Cohort of Scholarship Recipients at Heritage University

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Costco Co-Founder’s Family Foundation Selects Second Cohort of Scholarship Recipients at Heritage University  

Toppenish, Wash. – The Sinegal Family Foundation, created by Jim and Jan Sinegal, has selected five students who will comprise the second cohort of Sinegal Scholars at Heritage University. These five students will receive the Sinegal Family Foundation Scholarship, which includes full tuition, fees and a $500 stipend for books for up to four years of study toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree. The cohort will also receive regular mentoring opportunities with Heritage alumni who work at Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash. and with Jim Sinegal, the co-founder of Costco, himself.

The recipients and the high schools from which they graduated are Rebecca Gomez, AC Davis High School; Jason Grajales, White Swan High School; Nansi Iniguez, Toppenish High School; Miguel Mendoza, Toppenish High School; and Kareli Mora, Granger High School.

These five students will join the five Sinegal Family Foundation Scholars already pursuing their degrees at Heritage as a result of a $1.14 million donation by the Sinegal Family Foundation to Heritage University in 2017.  Each year five new scholarship recipients are selected and by 2021, the fourth year of the program, there will be a cohort of 20 Sinegal Scholars on campus. Sinegal and his wife Jan created the scholarship to assist students in pursuing their educational goals as well as being a partner with Heritage University in serving students and developing accomplished alumni.

The five recipients were chosen by a panel which included Mr. Sinegal and Heritage University graduates who now work at Costco headquarters in Issaquah. Selecting only five scholarship recipients was a daunting task. “The five named as the second cohort left long-lasting impressions on us all,” said Sinegal. “We can’t wait to work with them as they pursue their education, and watch them excel and succeed.”

Nansi Iniguez, who also has a twin brother who will attend Heritage this fall on a different scholarship, says receiving the Sinegal Family Foundation Scholarship is life changing for her family. “We are very thankful to Sinegal Family Foundation and Heritage for giving us this opportunity. This scholarship will make the dream of a college degree possible for me and my brother.”

Miguel Mendoza, who wants to pursue either an engineering or a medical degree, says the Sinegal scholarship will also make college possible for his family. “As a first-generation college student, my parents and I are thrilled to have this opportunity.  My parents work in agriculture, and those jobs are changing rapidly too. What once required mostly a strong back and determination, now requires advanced education. Nearly all the students of the valley will need a college degree in the future and I am so thankful for the Sinegal Family Foundation and Heritage for making college possible for me.”

For more information, contact David Wise, VP of University Advancement and Marketing at (509) 865-0717 or wise_d@heritage.edu.

 

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Project NANO Tri-Cities Showcase to highlight student scientific investigations at The Reach Museum

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Project NANO Tri-Cities Showcase to highlight student scientific investigations at The Reach Museum

Pasco, Wash. – Six teams of Tri-Cities area elementary and middle school students will show off their scientific investigations during an event called Project NANO Tri-Cities Showcaseon Wednesday, May 22 at the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center (The Reach Museum)in Richland, Wash.

During Project NANO Tri-Cities Showcase, student teams will deliver oral and poster presentations which are based on their research using a portable scanning electron microscope (SEM). The schools participating in the Showcase include Captain Gray STEM Elementary School, Chief Joseph Middle School, Horse Heaven Hills Middle School, Carmichael Middle School, Marie Curie STEM Elementary School and Barbara McClintock STEM Elementary School. Each team member of the top presenting team will win a Kindle Fire tablet.

Project NANO began as an initiative which brought a portable SEM to Columbia Basin College (CBC) from Portland four years ago, with the goal of making science fun and exciting for teachers and their students. The Showcase developed as an event sponsored by the special outreach partnership between Heritage University in Toppenish, Heritage University at CBC as well as the Kennewick, Pasco and Richland School Districts. The partnership team includes Drs. Kazu Sonoda, Bob Kao and Marisol Rodriguez-Price from Heritage University, Drs. Sherry L. Cady and Josh Silverstein from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), as well as teachers from schools taking part in the competition.

Project NANO Tri-Cities Showcase runs from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Reach Museum is located at 1943 Columbia Park Trail in Richland, Wash.

For more information, contact Bob Kao at (509) 865-8681 or Kao_R@Heritage.edu.

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Heritage University announces 2019 Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholarship recipients

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Heritage University announces 2019 Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholarship Recipients

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University is proud to announce the 2019-20 academic year recipients of the Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholarship. This year’s cohort and their high schools or programs are as follows:

Elian Coria Brito – Granger High School
Heidy Lemus – Sunnyside High School
Arely Padilla – West Valley High School
Paola Villanueva – Sunnyside High School
Alejandra Morales – GED Program at Heritage University

The Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholarship, first awarded in 2018, is Heritage University’s most competitive scholarship.  It provides for the full cost of attendance, including tuition, books, and room and board for up to four years of study to earn a bachelor’s degree in any of the university’s more than 40-degree programs. The scholarship is awarded annually to five incoming students.  This year’s cohort will join last year’s inaugural cohort. In two years, and in perpetuity, there will be a cohort of 20 Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholars on campus in any given year.

Many of the recipients, including Heidy Lemus of Sunnyside High School, learned she received the scholarship during a surprise visit to her school by Heritage admissions counselors accompanied by several of her family members. “I was so happy to learn I received the Moccasin Lake Foundation Scholarship! I worked so hard to earn this opportunity,” said Lemus.

The Moccasin Lake Foundation is a private not-for-profit organization which seeks to enrich Northwest communities through its charitable contributions. Lisa P. Anderson, President of the Moccasin Lake Foundation, says the endowment created at Heritage by the foundation will provide scholarship funding for deserving students for generations.  “I’m excited to watch these students grow, learn, and graduate,” said Anderson. “It will be very rewarding to then see the amazing things they accomplish in their careers and their lives for the good of their communities.”

Dr. Andrew Sund, President of Heritage University, says he is enthusiastic about the opportunity this scholarship presents to students.  “This gift makes college possible for these five deserving students, and for that, we are truly thankful. It is the generosity of our entire family of supporters that allows us to make higher education accessible to so many promising individuals in our valley. We are grateful for each and every gift- together we are transforming the lives of students, their families and the communities in which they live.”

For more information, contact David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@heritage.edu.

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Coming Full Circle

 

Freshman Connie Batin was scrolling through her Facebook news feed when an announcement caught her eye and changed her life. It was a post about Heritage’s new Full Circle Scholarship, a guaranteed award for enrolled Yakama tribal members who have not previously attended Heritage that covers the cost of tuition at the university.

It had been 20 years since Batin had been in school. In that time she raised seven children, built a career working for the Yakama Nation, and served on the Washington State Health Advisory Council. She had long wanted to go to college, but something always seemed to get in her way— most often it was the expense. When she saw the message, she knew that it was time to get moving.

“Every excuse I had ever had that stopped me from going to college to get my degree was gone,” she said. “I was inspired.”

Connie Batin started her first semester of college with three classes: English, math and a drawing elective.

Batin is one of a dozen new Yakama college students who started at Heritage in January because of the Full Circle Scholarship. Most are nontraditional students who, like Batin, had long dreamed of earning their degree, but were unable to afford the gap left between traditional financial aid – federal and state grants – tribal scholarships and the cost of tuition. These students are exactly why the scholarship was formed, said David Wise, vice president for Advancement.

“Heritage sits on the Yakama’s ancestral lands. We were formed by the vision and tenacity of two Yakama women. Our history and our future are tied to the people and the prosperity of the Yakama Nation,” he said. “Heritage is honoring our relationship with the Yakama Nation the best way we can, by providing educational opportunities for its citizens. The Full Circle Scholarship removes what is one of the biggest barriers that keep tribal members from going to college, the expense.”

The establishment of the Full Circle Scholarship was driven, in large part, by Heritage’s President’s Liaison for Native American Affairs, Maxine Janis.

“Maxine is one of the biggest advocates for our Native American students and was steadfast in her efforts to get this scholarship established,” he said.

The university works closely with the Yakama Nation’s Department of Higher Education to ensure that the application and selection process runs smoothly. The scholarship is open to enrolled Yakama tribal members who have to also apply for scholarships from the Yakama Nation and the Bureau of Indian Education.

Elese Washines (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

“Heritage University is the first choice for Yakama students pursuing Higher Education,” said Elise Washines, program manager at Yakama Nation Higher Education Programs. “the university’s commitment to putting students first, to helping them achieve academically is demonstrated year after year with the number of Yakama students graduating from Heritage exceeding any other 2-year or 4-year college. With the Full Circle Scholarship in place, our students will be able to obtain their educations with full tuition support of both the University and Yakama Nation Higher Education.”

Initially, Heritage administration planned on launching the scholarship for fall semester 2019. But when word got out, the response was so overwhelming that they went into high gear and opened it up for a spring start. Given the timing of some of the requirements, applicants have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as apply for the two Yakama Nation scholarships, the window to apply was only a few short weeks. Still, Batin and her fellow cohorts of incoming students jumped at the opportunity.

“I called the university the next day and started my application,” she said. “The whole process was great. Everyone, the admission counselors, my financial aid officer, were so helpful and made sure that I was getting everything done that I needed to do to start college.

Now, two decades after opening a textbook, Batin is fulfilling a dream and a promise made.

“I’m doing this to honor my mother. She would always say ‘You need to go to school. When are you going to go to school? I would tell her ‘I’ll do it someday.’ I’m so glad someday is here. I know she’d be proud of me.”

Student for a Day – Trading Briefcases for Backpacks

Washington State Senator Curtis King

There was a different kind of student roaming Heritage’s campus and classrooms last fall. This one had already earned his degree and had built a lengthy and impressive career of service. It was Washington State Senator Curtis King, and it was his time to dust off the old book bag and don the college colors as he was a Student for a Day at Heritage University.

Student for a Day is a new program at Heritage that gives university supporters a first-hand account of the day in the life of HU students. Participants spend several hours with students, attending classes, having lunch in the café, or participating in any one of the on- campus activities. The goal, said David Wise, vice president for Advancement, is to give some of the university’s greatest supporters a deeper understanding of the academic experience that students undertake here at Heritage.

“Our supporters are committed to Heritage because of the students we serve,” said Wise. “They are truly interested in them, their goals, and their experiences at this institution. There is no better way for them to connect with our students than by spending time with them here on campus and in the classroom.”

The Student for a Day experience includes one-on-one time spent with students.

King’s visit was the first in what Wise hopes will become a regular occurrence at Heritage.

During his visit, the senator sat in on a fisheries course with a few environmental studies and sciences majors. After class, he sat with them for lunch and got to learn a bit more about their lives and hopes for the future.

“It was a great experience getting to see what happens inside the classroom, getting insights into the professor and how he reaches the students,” said King. “And mostly, it was great to be able to connect with the students, to hear about what inspires them, how they see life and where they want to go after college.”

King’s visit included just one classroom visit, but, he said, next time he’d like to expand that and visit two or three. With the flexibility of the program, King could do just that. Wise points out that his goal is to connect supporters in ways that are most meaningful. Classes can be chosen based on interest area, as can the duration of time spent on campus.

 

Senator King got to know more about salmonids, fish such as salmon and trout, during Dr. Alexander Alexiades’ Intro to Fisheries class.

“We are striving to build an authentic experience with Student for a Day,” Wise said. “Each participant’s experience will be unique. What you will experience in the classroom will depend upon the scheduled activity of that day, whether it is a lecture on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien or a science lab looking at simple-celled organisms.”

To learn how you can participate in the Student for a Day program, call (509) 865-0700.

Quizfolio: Innovation Through Introspection

Dr. Robert Kao teaches biology Jan. 22, 2019 at Heritage University in Toppenish, Wash. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

Dr. Robert Kao leads his Biology 111 class through their lab exercise. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

Weekend homework in Dr. Robert Kao’s biology class looks a little different than other science classes. There are chapter readings and typical quiz questions about scientific terminology and functions. But using an innovative tool he developed called “quizfolio,” students are also asked to broaden their thinking by reflecting on and then writing about challenges, reactions and questions the material generates inside themselves.

Dr. Kao was inspired to create quizfolio through his own experiences as a student a few years earlier studying for a certification in Native American education. As part of his coursework, he was encouraged to journal and spend time thinking about his own thought processes, a term called metacognition. It’s a discipline he still uses every day, to grow in self- awareness about the personalized needs and experiences of those within his classroom and how he’s addressing them.

“I wanted to listen to our students about how they think and find ways to connect with individual learners.”

QUIZFOLIO QUESTIONS ENCOURAGE INTROSPECTION AND CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

Quizfolio is aptly named because it’s both a quiz and a mini-portfolio of open-ended questions based on the homework. Assigned every Friday, quizfolios are completed over the weekend and turned in on Monday before class, influencing class discussion. Students are asked to reflect on what they are learning and to recognize it’s okay to feel vulnerable when you don’t know all of the answers. He regularly reminds his classes that all scientists have vulnerable moments when they don’t know the answers and are unsure how to find them.

“Many times, when reading a text or analyzing data, something doesn’t quite make sense,” explained Dr. Kao. “It’s hard to admit we don’t know something. Some students might have a particular term that doesn’t make sense to them. Others have another. The quizfolio helps me realign and re-adjust so I can clarify the chapter readings and create more meaning for individual students.”

Vanessa Tahkeal (left) and Maria Soto review their biology lab work. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

He’s quick to point out that he doesn’t regurgitate what he’s already taught, however. He presents new information to make the material clear and relevant to them, whether it’s relating it to lived experiences in the communities of Toppenish or the Yakama Nation or in the wider world. If a student wonders how doctors develop chemotherapy, Dr. Kao might bring in a real-world example to explain the concept. Or create a quiz question on the spot, based on the class discussion. This tool provides the doctor with real-time insights into student comprehension and confidence that allows him to reshape that learning experience as he goes to meet their needs and build resiliency.

One week, students may be asked to watch a video on a first- generation scientist and write a reflection on it. Another week, they are assigned reading and writing prompts about the challenge of managing acute kidney malfunction, and then they go into the lab to study planaria, an organism that regenerates its own tissue.

“In that example, we used the quizfolio as an entry point to delve into the molecular and cellular machinery of how different organisms regenerate upon injury,” continued Dr. Kao.

QUIZFOLIO RESHAPES CLASSROOM CONVERSATION, LAB EXPERIMENTS

Considered a community of scholars, with Dr. Kao himself a member of that dynamic community, students regularly work together in teams, building relationships of trust with one another while learning to use their voices to speak up and to, conversely, take notice of the unique voices of other students.

The quizfolio often serves as a stepping-stone for the classroom teams to design their own experiments to rule-in or rule-out different possibilities. Dr. Kao knows not every student will become a scientific scholar, but he points out that critical thinking skills apply far beyond biology… into areas like test taking and later, into the students’ careers.

Dr. Kao uses quizfolio in about half of his classes and is gratified to see the level of sophistication it has developed in his upper-level students as they formulate research proposals and plot their career path.

“The quizfolio fosters student curiosity and teaches them it’s ok to ask questions,” said Dr. Kao. “The questions they are asking are questions even scientists might ask! It’s pretty neat to see that. It’s part of a journey, not the destination.”

15 Years of Heritage + CBC

Adjunct professor Alex Nelson with his Human Behavior in the Social Environment class

Senior and education major Christy Jo Taylor dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. She’s committed to that goal.

Every day, she drives an hour each way from her home in rural Othello, Washington to attend her Heritage classes on the Columbia Basin College (CBC) campus in Pasco. Four years ago, when she first started her academic journey, she had no idea how she was going to complete her studies after she earned her associate degree. The nearest university was more than 200 miles away, which meant she would either have to move or spend four hours a day on the road. Still, she took that first step and enrolled at CBC. It was there that Taylor learned about a partnership between the community college and Heritage that meant that Adjunct professor Alex Nelson with his Human Behavior in the Social Environment class she could continue her education right there, on the campus she knew so well.

“I saw a sign for Heritage, and I went over to the office to see what degrees they offered,” said Taylor. “I was surprised to see they had an education program, and I was thankful I didn’t have to travel to WSU, which is so far.”

Heritage University and CBC are celebrating 15 years of working together to provide access to higher education to students in central Washington. It’s a partnership that has led to hundreds of students like Taylor following their dreams and building careers in social work, teaching, criminal justice, psychology and accounting. At Heritage University on the Tri-Cities campus, students can earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees in their desired fields. In short, this successful partnership between CBC and Heritage has strengthened both schools – by bringing more degree options to students in the Tri-Cities.

PARTNERSHIP FORGED THROUGH THE DEDICATION OF SISTERS AT FORT WRIGHT COLLEGE

Heritage’s commitment to providing access to bachelor’s and master’s degrees to communities far from its Toppenish campus goes back to before the university was formed. It started with its predecessor institution, Fort Wright College, which was operated by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

The university’s founding president, Sr. Kathleen Ross, was then the provost of Fort Wright. She and her fellow sisters discovered that students from Omak, Washington, a rural community nearly three hours away, were driving to Spokane to study to become teachers. The need for teachers was high in the community, but there were no local options for higher education. The college opened up a small, regional degree program where students could earn their education degree in their hometown. They operated a similar program in Toppenish. When Fort Wright closed, Heritage was formed. Ross took on the presidency of the new institution. Heritage started in Toppenish and kept the satellite campus in Omak. It was the start of a core commitment that ultimately led to the Heritage and CBC partnership.

PARTNER WITH THE SAME GOAL – BRING EDUCATION TO THE UNDERSERVED

Over the years, as the university grew and deepened its roots in the Yakima Valley, then president of CBC, Rich Cummins, noticed that much of what the university was accomplishing— providing access to higher education to underserved communities—was precisely what CBC was doing. However, he noticed that many of his CBC graduates didn’t continue into bachelor’s degree programs, even though they were well prepared and had all of the prerequisites.

Dr. Matt Kincaid helps a student during his Business Ethics course taught on the CBC campus.

“When you are a community college, you see there are just some in your population who won’t transfer because they are place-bound. So we tried to figure out different options for degree completion,” he said.

Cummins and the Vice President of Administration at the time, Bill Saraceno, approached Heritage with an innovative offer: CBC would provide space to Heritage to establish a satellite location on their campus and in

exchange, Heritage would grant scholarships to CBC employees to those who wanted to enroll at the university. This trade-off was made necessary because CBC was a public college and couldn’t offer taxpayer resources free of charge. And Heritage, as a private college, simply couldn’t afford to open a new location. This creative plan benefited both institutions and was given the green light by the state.

“Whenever you start a business endeavor like expanding into a new community, you need entrepreneurial capital,” explained Cummins. “CBC was able to solve that. Heritage didn’t have to build or rent a building, and the staff ROI was instant because there was immediate enrollment. For our part, as a public institution, our buildings largely go unused in the evenings, so we had an interest in making sure they were well-used and filled with students who could become successful with our help. It’s a pretty darn good model!”

STUDENTS SUPPORTED IN TRANSITION TO HU CLASSES

Today, the relationship between CBC and Heritage has flourished and grown with 152 students enrolled on the Heritage Tri-Cities campus. Social work and education majors have usually been the most popular, with more than 50 students enrolled in each program this year. As workforce needs evolve and students express a desire for other majors, however, other degrees have gained traction, like criminal justice, which welcomed its largest cohort of 10 students last fall, and accounting which currently has 20 students.

“Heritage provides programs and classes that are in high demand for students at CBC,” said Dr. Marisol Rodríguez-Price, the regional director of Heritage University at the Tri-Cities campus. “We complement their programs. Our vision is to have a strong presence here so students can transition to Heritage seamlessly. We respect each other as institutions, collaborating, but also operating as independent partners.”

With offices right in CBC’s Thornton Center, students can walk over anytime and find a Heritage staff member. Heritage staff does not wait for the students to find them, however. They go to their classrooms every night, and for the first hour of class, they answer questions, give advice and offer support. That is how Nichole Ramirez, a senior in elementary education, discovered Heritage.

“Someone from Heritage came and talked to our class while I was a CBC student,” she remembered. “I had no idea that Heritage had a campus there. I set up a meeting with them, and they made the transition super easy.”

Before that, Ramirez thought she would have to transfer to a larger school, which was difficult since she worked full time and already drove 45 minutes to CBC, or take online classes.

“I don’t think I would have done very well with online classes,” she admitted. “I like the fact that we are together in-person. I have been in a cohort of 16 students, the same ones the whole time, and we have helped each other. I also know that if I have questions, I can ask my professor and get an answer right away, which doesn’t happen in online class.”

Accounting professor David Hale leading a lecture in his Federal Income Tax course.

SHARED MISSION STRENGTHENS BOTH INSTITUTIONS

Vice president of student administration at CBC, Tyrone Brooks, explains that there is synergy between the two institutions because they share the same goals and understand the unique needs of their students.

“Our missions are similar, so the way we serve students is similar too,” said Brooks. “The main niche we occupy is serving first-generation and historically underserved students. We both understand the added level of support they need to transition to a four-year program and to complete it successfully.”

Taylor vouches for that: “The faculty is warm and welcoming and very approachable. They give great advice and were very understanding if I was unsure about anything.”

This like-minded purpose allows both institutions to identify needs in the community and adapt the programs they deliver to students. A recent example is CBC’s introduction of a bachelor’s degree in Pre-K – 3 elementary education. So many new families are moving into the area that there is a lack of teachers for the younger grades.

“It stacks up perfectly with what we already offer in early childhood education,” Brooks confirmed. “And it helps our student graduates who want higher level credentials but are place-bound.”

Dr. Rodríguez-Price agreed, noting that when the two schools sit side-by-side at career fairs, they offer a wide variety of degrees. “We say to students, ‘Start with CBC and finish with us. It’s all here!’”

Conferencing In

CONFERENCING IN

Heritage students shine on the national level

Eliseo Alcala was hired by Noel Communications just before he graduated in December 2018. A computer science major, Alcala had participated
in the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) 2018 conference in San Antonio, TX. There he presented a research paper on “Broadcasting Technologies and Data Mining Techniques” – a hot topic in computer science. Representatives from Noel said they were impressed by the opportunities given Heritage students on cutting-edge technology research.

Likewise, computer science major Cesar Flores was hired by the second largest company in Yakima, Alliant Communications two years ago, even before graduation. Flores got a jump – make that two jumps – on the competition, not only through his participation in the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Tampa in 2016, but also at the International Conference on Ambient Systems, Network and Technologies Conference 2016, in Madrid, Spain.

Conferences give students the opportunity to meet with top-level scientists such as Dr. Mario Capecchi, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Psychology or Medicine (center). Here he is pictured with (left to right) students Juan Cabrera and Rosario Ramirez, Heritage professor Dr. Robert Kao, and student Alondra Zaragoza-Mendoza.

Creating meaningful opportunities for all students is one of Heritage University’s fundamental promises. For STEM students like Flores and Alcala, that promise includes meaningful research presentation opportunities at national and international academic conferences. These research internships and academic conferences are game changers – and often life changers – for Heritage students.

Seniors Katie Wentz (above) and Alexis Oxley (below right) were invited to present at the Murdock Science Conference last fall. Wentz took first place in the poster competition.

For STEM majors – whether computer science, biology, environmental science, biomedical sciences or a host of other majors – academic conferences provide a rare and meaningful way to set oneself apart, both academically and experientially.

The chance to spend two or three days at a conference, on another campus, in another city, steeped in STEM, presenting your own research to other academics, and networking with decision makers at graduate schools as well as leaders in STEM industries is a rare opportunity for undergraduate students anywhere.

For Heritage’s students, it’s part of the educational experience, and all STEM students are encouraged to participate.

 

 

When they do – many who may never have set foot on an airplane, travel cross-country, and those for whom public speaking has been a life- long fear, present their research before hundreds of people – they are opening the door to an array of academic and career possibilities.

“Students go to a conference not quite sure how they measure up, and they learn other students from bigger schools, are their peers,” says Dr. Kazuhiro Sonoda, Heritage provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “They learn they are not alone in their efforts and struggles, or their achievements. The whole experience is eye-opening and inspirational.”

“These conferences are comprised of a very high-performing, intelligent, accomplished groups of academics,” says Richard Swearingen, chair of Heritage’s Department of Math and Computer Science. “All these companies are there to meet our students and university graduate programs are there to recruit them.

“One of the ways we position students to be able to compete is that we give them something extra. Research-based internships and the experience of presenting at conferences are that something extra.”

INTERNSHIPS TEACH RESEARCH PRINCIPLES

The Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics
& Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Conference. Mellon Mays Western Regional Conference (MMWRC). The Murdock Science Conference (MSC).

Lots of long names and acronyms, but each conference represents one thing for Heritage’s STEM students: academic and personal growth.

The prerequisite for students’ conference experience is simple: Conduct meaningful research and communicate your results. How? Internships.

Students’ participation in conferences starts with their internship and research experiences. Robyn Raya, environmental studies, has conducted several projects, including an air quality study conducted with support from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Heritage faculty help students find research opportunities, either on campus, within industry or business or at another educational institution. About a quarter of STEM students doing internships do their first internship on campus.

“When they intern on campus, they learn the basics of research here with one of their professors,” says Jessica Black, Ph.D., director of the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment and chair of Heritage’s Science Department.

“It’s a good place to learn the principles and make mistakes. Things don’t always come out perfectly, and that’s ok. They’re learning. They’re enthusiastic.”

Computer science professor John Tsiligaridis, Ph.D., helped his students Alcala and Flores find their research internships. Working closely with each of his students, Tsiligaridis knows their strengths and interests. He regularly connects with his many contacts on and off campus to identify or craft internships.

“John is particularly adept at anticipating changes in computer science and seeing what’s going to be cutting edge,” says Swearingen. “He’s very good at getting research and internship placements.”

The Yakima Valley’s agribusiness focus means lots of STEM internship possibilities off-campus, including the following internships, many of which are funded by grants through the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment (CIHCE):

• Michael Buck, an environmental studies major, interned with Yakama Nation Fisheries.

• Katie Wentz, a biology major, interned at the United States Department of Agriculture ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research in Wapato.

• Yanet Torres, a biology major, and biomedical science major Autumn Teegarden worked at Washington State University-Prosser in its agricultural research facility.

• Paige Delp, Alex Martinez, Xavier Martinez and Jose Figueroa, all studying environmental sciences, worked on biochar projects in a Yakima Valley orchard, examining biochar’s role in water retention.

Black and several colleagues have even led a number of environmental science/studies majors to Costa Rica to do an assessment of tropical stream habitats and a survey of species of birds that frequent certain types of vegetation.

“Whatever students’ research experience, they own that experience. Then they develop their academic interests and their work based on their own background and skill sets,” she said.

CONFERENCES CHALLENGE AND REWARD

Once the internship and research has been done, a student will look at conference options with his or her advisor.

Conferences typically include a keynote speaker – often a renowned scientist – luncheons with speakers, opportunities for socialization and even field trips.

For their presentations, some students prepare a poster that features information about their research process and results. Others give oral presentations.

Some Heritage students receive special recognition for their presentations – students like Juan Cabrera who went to SACNAS twice, attended other conferences, and won awards for his presentations. Brothers Abraham and Andrew Calderon, who graduated in 2016, presented at numerous conferences, won awards and have both gone on to graduate school on the East Coast.

Samuel Small, a 2013 HU computer sciences graduate who’s now the director of the information technology department at Centralia College, says the first conference he attended was the beginning of many meaningful professional and personal relationships.

Now finishing his master’s with Georgia Tech, he’s done presentations at other conferences, has been invited to speak at conferences, and has produced white papers in his areas of expertise.

TRANSFORMATIONAL AND PROFOUND

Faculty like Tsiligiradis and Black almost always accompany their students to conferences. What they see there and afterward is transformational and profound.

“Every time we take students to conferences they come back with a renewed drive,” said Black. “We see over and over why having an academic dream and keeping that alive is so important. We’ve seen them come back with ideas not only about new career options and avenues for grad school, but ideas about research they want to pursue,
and for our Native students, things they want to communicate with their tribe about.”

“It’s an amazing resume builder, and it’s something students may not have had the opportunity to do if they were at a larger school,” said Swearingen. “It can make the difference between getting into grad school or not, when they ask them what their research interests are, our students can answer that.” page11image50103312