Heritage University honors Yakama Nation tribal elders as highlight of Native American Heritage Month Celebrations

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Heritage University honors Yakama Nation tribal elders as highlight of Native American Heritage Month celebrations

Toppenish, Wash. – November is Native American Heritage Month, and Heritage University is celebrating by honoring four Yakama Nation elders for their lifetime contributions to the Yakama people and their community. This year’s recipients are Corky Ambrose Jerry Meninick, Phyllis Strom, and Patsy Whitefoot.

CORKY AMBROSE served in the US Air Force, and after returning to civilian life, he spent the next 40 years protecting natural resources of the Yakama Nation as a forester and then as a woodland firefighter. He supports fellow veterans and serves the community through the Yakama Warriors Association, an organization he helped found in 1992.

JERRY MENINICK is passionate about helping the people of the Yakama Nation thrive through the preservation and practice of their cultural history. It grew into a profession when he started collecting elders’ stories about the Columbia River for a preservation project with the US Forest Service, and into a passion when he was elected to Tribal Council and later became Chairman.

PHYLLIS STROM spent most of her years looking out for the welfare of her people of the Yakama Nation. A bookkeeper by training, she spent 35 years safeguarding the strength and sustainability of many tribal programs. Additionally, she sought new funding sources to provide additional services to the Department of Natural Resources, Human Services and Law Enforcement, while continuing to ensure services to manpower and career enhancement programs to assist Native Americans in becoming self-sufficient and build careers to sustain their livelihood.

PATSY WHITEFOOT is not afraid of confronting injustices. She’s spent a lifetime fighting for the rights of Native peoples everywhere. She’s been a strong voice for change at the state and national levels calling for improved access to educational opportunities from preschool through college for Native American students. President Obama appointed her to serve on his National Advisory Council on Indian Education. She’s brought attention to the need for improved mental health and addiction services for Native Americans and is a leader in the movement to draw attention to the plight of missing and murdered indigenous women both on the Yakama homelands and across the nation.

The four elders are being recognized during the fifth annual Honoring Our Elders ceremony at Heritage University on Friday, November 8, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. This event is by invitation only. Also, their stories are featured in a series of full-page ads, each dedicated to a specific elder, that are running in the Yakama Nation Review throughout November. Framed copies of these ads are being added to the permanent display of honorees at the university in the Violet Lumley Rau Center.

Heritage is holding many other events in November in observance of Native American Heritage Month as designated by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. These include:

Friday, November 8, 2019, 9:30 a.m. – Flag-raising Ceremony

Heritage University will raise the flags of the Yakama Nation, the state of Washington and the United States during a ceremony featuring the Yakama Warriors. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the main campus entrance.

November 9-16, 2019 – Rock Your Mocs Week

Heritage University students, faculty and staff are invited to wear moccasins expressing tribal identity between November 9 and 16 as a way to stand together celebrating Indigenous traditions and culture around the world.

Thursday, November 14, 2019, Noon – Native American Wellness through Round Dance

The American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) Chapter of Heritage University will present a Native Round Dance outside the Arts and Sciences Center. A round dance features a group of hand drummers singing traditional songs while people gather around the drummers in a friendship dance. This is called a social dance among Native people.

November 18-22: Spirituality Week

Monday, November 18, 2019, 10:30 a.m. – Interfaith Prayer Brunch

Heritage University will host an Interfaith Prayer Brunch, where spiritual leaders will gather to share a meal, learn about Heritage and explore ways our various spiritual traditions can support our life at Heritage.

Monday, November 18, 2019, Noon – Interfaith Prayer Service

We will host leaders from a diversity of spiritual traditions as we gather in prayer for our week in recognition of the connection we have with the many deep and ancient roots that ground us as we pursue our education at Heritage.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Community Dinner.

The public is invited to this free dinner which will be held in Smith Family Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. The Yakama Nation Native American Full Circle Scholarship students are invited to attend and be recognized at this gathering.

Thursday, November 21, 2019, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Indian Horse Movie Screening

Indian Horse is an adaption of Ojibway writer Richard Wagamese’s award-winning novel, this moving and important drama sheds light on the dark history of Canada’s boarding schools or Indigenous Residential Schools and the indomitable spirit of aboriginal people.

Friday, November 22, 2019, Noon – Closing Blessing in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Join us as we close our week with blessings, smudging, and labyrinth walks in honor of MMIW. We will focus our intention on those who are absent, but are with us in our hears in the sacred circle.

For more information on these events, contact Maxine Janis at (360) 513-2808 or Janis_M@Heritage.edu, Monet Becenti at (509) 865-8547 or Becenti_M@Heritage.edu, or David Mance at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@Heritage.edu, or David Hacker at hacker_d@heritage.edu

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Heritage University to host open house at Columbia Basin College

Heritage University
3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500
For more information contact:
David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator
(509) 969-6084 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University to host open house at Columbia Basin College

Toppenish, Wash. – College students in the Tri-Cities can explore different degree offerings to enhance their careers during a Heritage University open house at Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco on November 7, 2019. Representatives of the degree programs as well as financial aid and enrollment specialists from both Heritage and CBC to help prospective students learn more about the transfer process from CBC to Heritage, and receive information about the programs offered at Heritage’s Tri-Cities site. Prospective students will learn more about the programs offered at Heritage’s Tri-Cities site to help and answer questions.

Heritage University offers five programs at CBC for students to turn their associate degree into a bachelor’s, and one program to turn a bachelor’s degree into a master’s. The five undergraduate degrees are criminal justice, elementary education (K-8th grade), psychology, accounting, and social work. People with a bachelor’s degree can obtain a Master in Teaching (MIT) with a K-8 elementary endorsement and the option to add more.

Marisol Rodriguez-Price, the director of the Heritage University office at CBC, said the open-house serves as a one-stop-shop for students wanting to explore options in furthering their education and achieving their career goals. “Not only will people get to meet the chairs of each of the five programs we offer, but our Director of Admissions and Director of Financial Aid will be available to answer their questions and walk them through the process of applying,” said Rodriguez-Price. “Those who attend will see the personalized service and resources we offer to help them earn their bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. Also, students without an AA-DTA can speak with CBC recruiters for information on how to complete transfer requirements.”

The open house will take place at the “B” building at CBC from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Marisol Rodriguez-Price at (509) 542-5506 or Rodriguez-Price_M@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University receives $5 million federal grant to support STEM students at HU and at Portland State University

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Heritage University awarded $5 million National Science Foundation grant to support STEM students at Heritage and Portland State University

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University has received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support high-achieving, low-income students majoring in STEM fields at Heritage and Portland State University (PSU) in Oregon. The grant will fund a program titled Engagement Achievement and Graduation for Low-incomE Students, or “EAGLES,” and will provide scholarships to cover tuition for at least 116 students in STEM majors, including environmental science, engineering, ecology, chemistry, and biology at both campuses.

EAGLES will accomplish three objectives. The first will be to increase enrollment and retention of low-income and other under-represented groups in STEM fields; the second will be to develop an integrated structure to mentor, advise and engage these students in research and outreach activities focused on community-based challenges associated with environmental pollution; and the third will be to examine the impact of instructional interventions in introductory STEM courses and to fine-tune culturally-responsive learning procedures aimed at developing undergraduate students’ science identity and sense of community. With annual career panels at both Heritage and PSU, additional support services, research experiences, and coursework, EAGLES will not only provide scholarships for biology, environmental science and studies, and chemistry students but will also enhance learning opportunities. EAGLES will fill existing gaps at HU in the STEM pathway by allowing Heritage pre-engineering students to pursue bachelor’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering at PSU and giving them access to PSU career placement services and graduate programs.

Heritage Associate Professor Alexander Alexiades, Ph.D. is the principal investigator along with his counterpart at PSU, Dr. Gwynn Johnson. Alexiades will oversee the EAGLES program at Heritage. He is excited about the STEM opportunities for Heritage students, and for the possibility for the EAGLES model to be used at other campuses across the country.

“The research and service-learning activities conducted by our students will address authentic local and regional issues and strengthen community connections, and these results will demonstrate a model worthy of national replication for increasing enrollment, retention, and graduation in STEM majors and development of the sense of science identity needed in further studies and/or careers in the environmental sciences and engineering.”

Heritage Provost Dr. Kazuhiro Sonoda said this NSF award, when combined with other recent NSF grants (including a $2.5 million announced in June and a $350K grant for research experiences for undergraduates), the university is well-positioned to help STEM students for the next five years. “Heritage University and PSU campuses serve some of the nation’s highest-need students,” said. Sonoda. “These awards make it possible for us to create a comprehensive support system for our STEM students, and I’m very excited about the opportunities these grants will help us bring to them.”

The EAGLES program at HU and PSU will begin in September of this year and run through September 2024. For more information, contact David Mance, media relations coordinator at Heritage University at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University to host El Grito de Independencia to honor Mexican Independence Day for second year in a row

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Heritage University to host El Grito de Independenciato honor Mexican Independence Day for second year in a row

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University is hosting El Grito de Independencia, a Mexican cultural festival in honor of the Mexican Independence Day for the second year in a row.El Grito de Independencia will take place at the Heritage campus on Saturday, September 14, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. El Grito de Independencia commemorates the “Cry of Dolores,” a historical event in Mexico that set off the Mexican War of Independence from Spain and will be reenacted at 7:45 p.m.

The festivalwill have fun for the entire family, including games and piñatas for kids, food and beverages, traditional dancers, mariachis and live music. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Melissa Hill at (509) 865-0411 or Hill_M@Heritage.edu.

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Heritage University awarded $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant to increase the number of Hispanic and Native American students in STEM workforce

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Heritage University awarded $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant to increase the number of Hispanic and Native American students in STEM workforce

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University and its partners will use a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program for “CRESCENT,” a project to increase the number of Hispanic and Native American students in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce. CRESCENT, which stands for “Culturally Responsive Education in STEM”, will combine innovative strategies for professional development of STEM faculty, STEM curriculum enhancement through institutional partnerships, offering experiential learning to students through hands-on research experiences and community outreach, and development of intensive culturally-responsive student support services to increase the number and diversity of students pursuing higher education in STEM disciplines.

CRESCENT will be led by Heritage University faculty Dr. Jessica Black, the Director of the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment and the Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences. The program will incorporate students’ unique cultural strengths in the STEM Student Learning Intervention (SSLI) wrap-around services, combining near-peer mentoring, intensive advising, enhanced tutoring, undergraduate research training, and leadership development activities for engaging and supporting underrepresented minority (URM) students in learning. “We have many talented and driven students in our region who are interested in pursuing STEM careers but can sometimes struggle on their journeys and become discouraged. The CRESCENT program is designed to support these students throughout their pathway from high school to graduate school”, said Black. “CRESCENT program activities will also empower faculty to develop innovative teaching strategies for instructing our diverse students and prepare the next generation of global citizens with a breadth of knowledge and essential life skills to succeed in the rapidly changing environment of the 21^stcentury”.

The CRESCENT program will also investigate factors influencing STEM gatekeepers at the most influential and critical educational transitions that are limiting URM student engagement and advancement into STEM careers, testing innovative models transforming these gatekeepers into positive forces. Other goals include expanding a sustainable collaborative network with regional high schools to increase the pool of URM STEM-prepared first-generation freshmen undergraduate students, increase the number of URM student interested in STEM disciplines, improve the performance and retention of URM STEM students, and increase the number of URM students who pursue graduate studies in STEM disciplines after completion of their undergraduate degrees. The project will generate new knowledge on how to improve the retention and graduation of these students, and the outcomes will be shared with other HSIs seeking to grow their numbers of successful students.

Other HU faculty involved with CRESCENT include Dan Sisk, engineering professor and Dr. David Laman, chemistry professor. Project partners will include Dr. Naidu Rayapati, professor/plant pathologist and Director of the Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser, Dr. Rodney Cooper, research entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture office in Wapato, and Dr. Matthew Loeser, biology faculty at Yakima Valley College. The CRESCENT program will be funded from September 2019 through August 2024.

For more information contact David Mance at (509) 969-6084 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Seven-year accreditation reaffirmation reflects Heritage University’s commitment to higher education for all

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Seven-year accreditation reaffirmation reflects Heritage University’s commitment to higher education for all

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University President Dr. Andrew Sund announced two recent milestones that demonstrate Heritage University’s commitment to delivering higher education opportunities for all people of the Yakima Valley. The first, the reaffirmation of Heritage University’s accreditation by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) for another seven years, and the second, the adoption of a board-approved strategic plan for the University’s growth and continuous quality improvement through the year 2022.

Accreditation is a process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public. Eight accreditation evaluators visited Heritage University for five days in early April to review the institution’s seven-year self-evaluation report. Following their visit, the evaluators commended Heritage in five areas:

The deep commitment of its faculty, staff, and administrators to the mission of the University, which guides them in outstanding support of transformative, student-centered education, developing leaders who embrace social justice and community engagement.
Its dedicated, data-driven efforts to support student access and equity, as exemplified by the summer Math Bridge and English Academy programs that have enabled hundreds of students to advance from developmental to college-level study.
The Center for Intercultural Learning and Teaching’s (CILT) dedication to the delivery of high quality and continuous faculty development in areas of program review and assessment, the use of classroom technology, cultural responsiveness and care of students, and pedagogy that supports academic excellence for all students.
The culture of assessment among its professionally accredited undergraduate and graduate-level majors and programs.
Its Board of Directors for advancing the mission of Heritage University through its strong leadership, engagement, advocacy, philanthropic support, and discerning recruitment of new members to the Board.

In a letter to Dr. Sund reaffirming Heritage University’s accreditation, NWCCU President Sonny Ramaswamy stated “The NWCCU is committed to an accreditation process that adds value to institutions while contributing to public accountability. This action was taken after consideration of the evidence, including the institution’s Self Evaluation Report, the Peer-Evaluation Report, and information received as part of the institutional representative meeting with NWCCU Commissioners.”

Dr. Sund represented Heritage at the NWCCU Commission meeting in Park City, Utah last month at which the Chair of the visiting team officially presented her report to the Commission. “I am happy to report that the commission accepted the report of the visiting team with no additional comments. It is a reflection of our faculty and staff’s ongoing commitment to achieving the Heritage mission and that we meet the Commission’s expectations for complying with the accreditation criteria,” said Dr. Sund. “The accreditation renewal reinforces our conviction in the Heritage mission to empower a multi-cultural and inclusive student body to overcome the social, cultural, economic and geographic barriers that limit access to higher education embracing a transformational student-centered education that cultivates leadership and a commitment to the promotion of a more just society. We will continue to support the initiatives that made the university what it is and develop new programs that are responsive to the needs of students and the Yakima Valley community we serve.”

Recent initiatives demonstrating the University’s commitment to the valley include:

Strengthening the University’s relationship with Yakama Nation: This year instituting the Full Circle Scholarship which allows enrolled members of the Yakama Nation to attend Heritage with no out of pocket expense for tuition.
Reinforcing alliances with both Yakima Valley College and Columbia Basin College to make seamless the transfer process for their students.
Adding the Heritage@Work, workforce development unit, to enhance training and development opportunities for local industries in preparing their employees for increasingly challenging positions within their organizations.
Enhancing the University’s partnership with Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) through shared programs including the Master of Arts in Medical Sciences (MAMS) and the Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA): Both preparing graduates to succeed as innovative leaders in the delivery of healthcare in the Yakima Valley and nationwide.
Developing closer ties with Valley High Schools: Students can participate in the University’s “New Horizons” program that allows their students to earn college credit while still in high school at no cost; and establishing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Yakima School District (YSD) to become the primary provider of free college credits for College in the High School classes for YSD’s A.C. Davis and Eisenhower students.

The Strategic Plan adopted by HU’s 30-member board of directors in June lays out a roadmap for growth and continuous quality improvement at Heritage through December 31, 2022. The initiatives embraces are directed at growing the offering of services to students. These include implementing programs to meet the transportation, health resources and nutritional needs of students; completing a feasibility study on having on-campus housing; and implementing a sports program. “I’ve been blessed to work with faculty and staff who are dedicated to designing programs that further our mission,” said Dr. Sund. “Thousands have trusted this institution to transform their lives through their Heritage experience, and our strategic plan and renewed accreditation only embolden our intention to do just that.”

In addition to regional accreditation of the University, several programs at Heritage are accredited by accrediting bodies responsible for certifying competency in specific programs. They are as follows:

Medical Laboratory Science: The MLS program at Heritage is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Lab Sciences (NAACLS).

Education: State of Washington approval through the Professional Education Standards Board (PESB) has been granted to the following education programs: Residency Teacher; and Residency Principal/Program Administrator.

Nursing: The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Heritage University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. It is also approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission.

Social Work: The Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) effective with the class of 1997. The program was re-accredited in 2019.

Physician Assistant: At its September 2018 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) extended Accreditation-Probation status for the Heritage University Physician Assistant program until its next review in September 2020.

For more information, contact David Mance at (509) 969-6084 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University announces first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” June 27 to boost student scholarships

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Heritage University announces first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” June 27 to boost student scholarships

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University friends, donors, and alumni will have the opportunity to help make college possible for countless students by participating in the university’s first-ever “Eagle Giving Day” on Thursday, June 27. Every dollar raised during this one-day online fundraising campaign will go directly to student scholarships.

David Wise, VP of Advancement and Marketing at HU, said the university has been blessed by generous supporters who believe in the Heritage mission of providing students an opportunity to earn a college degree regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. “Nearly every student who has ever attended Heritage has had scholarship support thanks to the generosity of our amazing donors. If there is one constant in this valley it is the belief that education offers the best mechanism to transform lives, and the women and men of the Yakima Valley have demonstrated this belief through their giving,” said Wise. “All of us are lifted up when we provide those who are most in need, with the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

HU alumni are also being invited to help provide scholarships to students who are following in their footsteps. Alumni will be able to support students in the programs of their choice. “Social workers can give to social work majors, teachers can give to education majors, nurses can give to nursing majors, and so on,” said Wise. “It is not the size of the gift that matters, lots of small gifts add up to really big opportunities for students. And as added incentive an anonymous alum has agreed to match every gift up to the first $5,000!“

Gifts can be made before and through June 27 using Heritage University’s secure online donation form at heritage.edu/givingday, or by calling (509) 865-8587.

For more information contact David Mance at (509) 855-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University to host week-long career-enhancing seminar for Yakima Valley teachers

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Heritage University to host week-long career-enhancing seminar for Yakima Valley teachers

Toppenish, Wash. – Yakima Valley teachers will gain insight into the science of how children learn, and learn how to re-engage their students as part of the Summer Institute Neuroscience of Learningat Heritage University July 15-19. In this immersive course, a framework and foundation in evidence-based Neuroscience is taught that empowers educators. Teachers will gain insight into the science behind how children learn and will be given practical and proven skills to identify and re-engage students.

The Summer Institute Neuroscience of Learning is a program of Neural Education, Institute for Connecting Neuroscience with Teaching and Learning. Its founder, Kieran O’Mahony, Ph.D., FRGS, is a learning sciences fellow with the University of Washington College of Education LIFE (Learning in Informal and Formal Environments) Center. The LIFE Center was the first Science of Learning Center funded by the National Science Foundation whose primary objective was to investigate social, cognitive and neuroscience of how people learn. “Education in America has stagnated, as efforts to raise education levels during the last 50 years have gone nowhere,” said Dr. O’Mahony. “By using a neural lens, we can positively affect our education deficiencies by giving teachers tools and practices that align with how the brain works and how children learn.”

Neural Education aims to enhance education outcomes by inspiring teachers to ignite their classroom using research-based brain science methodologies which allow them to manage the classroom by managing the brain; provide K-12 professional development to help educators realize a new paradigm – a way of thinking about teaching and learning using a neural lens; translate neuro-scientific research (how the brain processes and retains information) into accessible practices and processes; and improve educational outcomes for all students by empowering them to access their own potential as they understand themselves and see themselves as learners. O’Mahony is passionate about how these new methodologies have changed the learning world since the Decade of the Brainin the early years of this century. “It shocked me to realize that for all my years in the classroom, I hadn’t taken any classes on how the human brain works or how children’s brains learn. Today, teachers get to understand the organ that is most influential in learning—the cognitive machinations of each brain—as we create learning spaces that work in their schools.”

“In order to overcome these education deficiencies which may leave anxious and disengaged students behind, we need a new perspective that breaks free of the current system that isn’t working,” said Kari Terjeson, the Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Heritage University. “Neural educators view teaching and learning as collaborative practices that grow cognitive capacity with the goal of helping every student reach their full potential.”

Heritage University will host the basic summer institute during the week of July 15-19. Participants will learn how to create a stress-free classroom, eliminate disciplinary referrals, increase academic performance and help students self-engage with voice and agency. The Basic Institute cost is normally $995, but with every teacher being sponsored at 90%, the final cost is $99.50, and those who complete the week will earn 35 clock hours.

To register for theSummer Institute Neuroscience of Learning, visit Neuraleducation.org.For more information, contact David Mance at (509) 865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Pacific Power Foundation gives $3,000 grant to Heritage University for student scholarships

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Pacific Power Foundation gives $3,000 grant to Heritage University for student scholarships

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University is pleased to announce it has once again been awarded a $3,000 grant from the Pacific Power Foundation. This is the fourth year in a row Heritage has received the grant, which will be used to fund scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the health sciences and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.

David Wise, VP of Advancement and Marketing for Heritage, was presented with a grant check from Lori Froehlich, regional business manager of the Pacific Power Foundation on June 5. “I am grateful for Pacific Power Foundation’s continued support of Heritage University’s mission of providing educational opportunities for students of the Yakima Valley. This generous grant will help the students who have the drive but not the financial means to obtain the education that prepares them for exciting and rewarding careers in health sciences and STEM, two of the fastest-growing industries today,” said Wise.

Pacific Power Foundation’s Lori Froehlich presents a check to Heritage University’s David Wise

Froehlich said Pacific Power Foundation supports Heritage University’s mission of making a college education accessible to anyone with the talent and drive to pursue a degree is in close alignment to the Foundation’s support for projects that best serve community interests. “We’ve seen how communities across the nation strive to bolster its numbers of technology and healthcare workers. We are happy to support Heritage and its work to prepare students to thrive in these important fields.”

For more information, contact David Wise at (509) 865-0717 or wise_d@heritage.edu.

About the Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.8 million customers in six Western states as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington, and California) and Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation.

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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 http://www.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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