Generational Legacy – Wings Spring 2025
BILL AND RHONDA DOLSEN
Generational Legacy
One family, four decades of giving
Bill Dolsen’s parents, Bob and Ruthie Dolsen, were long-time supporters of Heritage University.
The Dolsen family’s support of Heritage University goes back more than 40 years. It is a testament to the strength of a family legacy that extends beyond one lifetime to generations and its impact on generations to come.
Longtime supporters Bill and Rhonda Dolsen were first introduced to Heritage in the mid- 1990s. The couple had recently returned to the Yakima Valley, and Bill was working for the family business, The Dolsen Companies.
“Dad called me to his office and said, ‘There is a woman you have to meet.’ In walked Sr. Kathleen Ross. Dad told her, ‘I don’t have much time. How much do you need?’ He was like that,” Bill laughed. “He was a very busy man and very supportive of the university. Then he had Kathleen tell me about Heritage.
“Of course, I had heard about the university in passing but had never heard about it, as Kathleen described it and the students they served.
“I was spending a lot of time down in the Lower Valley. I saw the need there and the people and how they adored Sr. Kathleen. At that time, we didn’t have much money, but we knew how important it is to have a college accessible to students with different life challenges.”
The Heritage story resonated with Bill and Rhonda on many different levels. They grew up in the Yakima Valley and have great reverence for their community and the people who called it home. From a business perspective, they also understand how important having an educated workforce is to the prosperity of the community they love. Moreover, they built personal connections with students like those who attended Heritage when they were in college. Bill and Rhonda were non-traditional students who returned to college later in life. They were married with two young children when they decided it was time to finish their degrees. They enrolled at Western Washington University, selecting that college in part because it was family-friendly.
“When we went to Western, we saw so many students who were there because they had figured out how to find the resources to pay for their schooling. Not everyone has that opportunity,” said Rhonda. “Our communities have some really bright people who deserve an education. They shouldn’t have to be satisfied with less just because they were not born into families with the resources to pay for their schooling.
“This is what we love about Heritage; they help these students—farmworker kids, Native American students from the Yakama Nation, and people who can’t leave the Valley to go to school. And many of these students graduate and stay in the Valley.”
Bill and Rhonda’s support of the university grew over time as their circumstances changed. Then, in 2005, Bill’s father, Bob, passed away. Bob and his wife Ruthie (who passed away in 2020) had been supporters of the university since the 1980s. They gave generously, both personally and through The Dolsen Companies. The couple had been a fixture at the university’s annual Scholarship Dinner, attending almost every year since it began. They created the Dolsen Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship that will award funds to Heritage students in perpetuity. Additionally, their gifts helped build the university’s infrastructure, including most of the buildings that make up the campus, and they made the cornerstone gift that helped create the Ross Institute For Student Success.
“Heritage University was such a big part of Dad and Mom’s life. Until we lost Dad, we mostly supported the university through the business. When he and Mom passed, we started looking at things differently,” Bill said. “It was important to us that we carried on the work that they started at Heritage.”
After losing the family patriarch, Bill and Rhonda took a more personal and active role in supporting the university. They bolstered
the family-named scholarship and created an additional endowed scholarship to help nursing students. They, too, became Scholarship Dinner fixtures and supported the capital campaign that built the university’s Arts and Sciences Center.
“We have been very blessed in our lives because of this community. It is important to us that we repay the community by supporting local organizations like Heritage,” said Rhonda.
From the student perspective, the family’s commitment has an immense impact. Their support was instrumental in growing the campus from its humble beginnings of a collection of recycled portable buildings to what it is today—48 acres of state-of-the-art facilities housing classrooms, study spaces, computer labs, the library, cafe and student areas. Their scholarship support, and that of other like- minded supporters, has made college accessible for more than 11,000 graduates so far. That number will continue to grow as more students enroll at Heritage.
“I’ve never really thought of this as a family legacy, but I guess it is,” she said. “Now I see how our sons are involved in their communities, in things that are important to them. It is fulfilling to know that they value serving the community as much as we do and find joy in that service.”
“I’m proud of how our sons have embraced giving back to the community,” said Bill. “They saw the joy it gave us to be able to do things to help others and have implemented this service in their own lives.”
In reflecting on the Dolsen family’s enduring support for Heritage University, it becomes clear that their commitment goes far beyond financial contributions—it is a testament to a deep-rooted belief in community, education, and opportunity. Over the course of decades, the Dolsen family has strengthened the university’s foundation and shaped the lives of countless students who have gone on to make a difference in the Yakima Valley and beyond. Their story, one of legacy, service, and love for their community, will continue to inspire future generations of students and supporters. 