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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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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Heritage University to hold 37th annual Commencement at Yakima Valley SunDome

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Heritage University to Hold 37th Annual Commencement at
Yakima Valley SunDome

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University will celebrate the Class of 2019 during the 37th Commencement Exercise Saturday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. at the Yakima Valley SunDome. Undergraduate and graduate students from the Yakima Valley and the Tri-Cities will participate in the ceremony.  Overall, 363 students will earn their degrees at Heritage this year.

Justice Steven Gonzalez will be the commencement speaker. Mr. Gonzalez was appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court on January 1, 2012, and has been elected to six-year terms in 2013 and 2019. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Gonzalez served for ten years as a trial judge on the King County Superior Court hearing criminal, civil juvenile, and family law cases. Justice Gonzalez has also served as Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Washington, a domestic violence prosecutor for the city of Seattle, and in private practice at a Seattle law firm.

Justice Gonzalez earned his B.A. with Honors in East Asian Studies from Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. and his J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law. He’s received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2011 and the University of Puget Sound in 2015. Gonzalez has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the “Golden Scarf” from the Seattle Sounders FC, and “Judge of the Year” awards from the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Asian Bar Association of Washington in 2011.

Heritage University will present the 2019 Violet Lumley Rau Outstanding Alumnus Award to Maria Villalobos-Bevins. Maria is one of Heritage University’s earliest students. She graduated with a Master of Education in Professional Development in 1986. Through her lifetime, Maria has had a significant impact on the people of the Yakima Valley through her professional and volunteer work. As an educator, she nurtured children’s natural curiosity and helped hundreds become life-long learners throughout her 26-year teaching career. Through her volunteer work, she has helped heal bodies and souls both as a translator working with physicians at the Union Gospel Mission and as a visiting preacher working with women incarcerated at the Yakima County jail. Maria is also part owner of Hispanavision and leads a weekly television program that airs on several of the station’s channels.

Heritage will announce the recipients of the Board of Directors’ Academic Excellence Award and the President’s Council Student Award of Distinction during the ceremony.

The Yakima Valley SunDome is located at 1301 South Fair Ave. in Yakima. Parking is free. Additional information is available online at  http://www.heritage.edu/Community/2018-Commencement.

For more information, contact David Mance, media relations coordinator at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@Heritage.edu.

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The 36th annual Heritage University commencement held May 5, 2018 at the SunDome in Yakima, Wash. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

Renowned author Sandra Cisneros to visit Heritage University

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Renowned author Sandra Cisneros to visit Heritage University

Toppenish, Wash. – Renowned author Sandra Cisneros will be a guest of Heritage University as she visits the Yakima Valley on April 16, 2019, and meets with students from Heritage and area high schools. Cisneros will give a reading and books signing from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Smith Family Hall located in the Arts and Sciences Center. Cisneros will also give a presentation at the Yakima Valley Museum from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All events mentioned are open to the public.

Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist whose work explores the lives of the working-class. Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over six million copies and has been translated into over twenty languages. Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including Chicago’s Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, the Fairfax Prize, and the National Medal of the Arts awarded to her by President Obama in 2016. Most recently, she received the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized among The Frederick Douglass 200, and won the PEN/Nabokov Award for international literature.

This won’t be Sandra Cisneros’s first appearance at Heritage; in 2009 she accepted an invitation by then-President Dr. Kathleen Ross snjm to visit the campus and speak to students. Both Cisneros and Sister Kathleen are MacArthur Foundation Fellows and began a friendship in the 90s which continues today.

For more information contact Melissa Hill, interim vice president for Student Affairs at (509) 865-8500 ext. 5807 or hill_m@heritage.edu.

 

Heritage University hosts Career and Education Job Fair

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Heritage University hosts Career and Education Job Fair 2019

 

Toppenish, Wash. – An upcoming event at Heritage University will connect Yakima Valley job seekers with more than 30 employers. The Career and Education Job Fair 2019 is free and open to the public and will also allow companies to explore internship and job shadowing opportunities for Heritage University students and academic programs.

 

Confirmed participants to this year represent a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, agriculture, and others. They include Astria Health, Comprehensive Health Care, EPIC, Legends Casino Hotel, Virginia Mason Memorial, Yakama Forest Products, Yakima Chief Hops, several area school districts, and many more.

 

The Career and Education Job Fair 2019 is a collaboration between WorkSource Yakima and Heritage University and will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2019, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Smith Family Hall located in the Arts and Science Center on Heritage University’s main campus in Toppenish.

 

Employers interested in participating in the event should contact Heather Collins, Business Solutions Specialist for WorkSource Yakima County at (509) 574-0182 or hcollins@esd.wa.gov. For more information, contact Melissa Hill, interim vice president for Student Affairs, at (509) 865-0411 or hill_m@heritage.edu.​

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Heritage University hosts 3rd Annual All Nations Student Powwow

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Heritage University students bringing successful powwow back to campus for third year

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University’s two Native American student clubs are bringing the successful All Nations Student Powwow back to campus for a third year. This year’s powwow will take place Saturday, April 13, 2019.

“The powwow is a great way to showcase the rich culture of the Yakama people, and share it with the community, said Brenda Lewis, president of the American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) of Heritage University chapter. “We are honored that more and more people come out each year to celebrate with us and to experience a bit of the cultural traditions that we hold close to our hearts.”

Central to the powwow are the dance and drumming competitions. Registration for the competitions opens at 10:00 a.m. The event officially kicks off with the Grand Entry at 11:00 a.m. Men and women of all ages – from tiny tots to seniors over 55 – will compete in traditional, fancy, and grass for men and jingle for women dance competitions. Several honor dances and intertribal dances, where people from every culture are invited to participate, are also planned.

Local drum group Chute #8 will serve as Head Drum. Heritage University board member and long-time supporter Arlen Washines, deputy director for Yakama Nation Human Services, and Clayton Chief from the Ministikwan Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada will serve as masters of ceremonies. Casey Wallahee will be the Arena Director and Karen Umtuch will serve as the Whip Woman.

In addition to the drum and dance competitions taking place in the arena, various other cultural activities will go on throughout the day, including a stick game demonstration, storytelling and basket weaving demonstrations. Shoppers can enjoy handcrafted Native and western arts as well as enjoy food from a variety of vendors. Rounding out the day will be a hosted evening meal at 5:00 p.m. prepared by the Toppenish Longhouse.

The Powwow is a free event and open to the public. It is presented by AIBL and the Heritage University Native American Club (HUNAC). Vendor applications are still being accepted. For more information, visit heritage.edu/powwow or call (509) 865—8588.

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