PLU alumni stories illustrate the impact of donor support
The tremendous impact of donor giving continues long after students graduate — throughout their personal lives and continuing vocational journeys, and into the communities they care for. In the heartwarming stories below, PLU alumni showcase the impact of the life-changing education and experiences they accessed through PLU. Each individual story is proof that donor investments mattered. Thank you!
A Magical PLU Collaboration: Songs for the Spring of Waiting
What do you get when you mix a poet, a composer, three musicians, and two editors? A fabulous collaboration between multiple School of Arts and Communication faculty with South Sound poet and PLU alumna Josie Emmons Turner ’07! These artists came together as part of Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma.
The PLU Years: Five Students x Four Years = Five Unique PLU Experiences
Every college experience is different. Each student takes a unique path from arrival, to sticking with it, to forging forward. We followed a small cohort of students over the course of their college careers to illustrate those different paths, and get a glimpse of their PLU Years.
PLU business alumni Bradd Busick (MultiCare) and Andrea Adams (Nike) talk mentorship
Andrea Adams ’15 is Direct Strategy & Portfolio Manager at Nike and a former PLU student-athlete. Bradd Busick ’99, MBA ’09 is an adjunct business professor at PLU and chief technology officer and vice president at MultiCare Health System.
Join their conversation about business, mentorship, and seizing opportunity.
PLU MAE alumna Brooke Brown named the 2021 Washington State Teacher of the Year
Brooke Brown MAE ’06, an ethnic studies teacher at Parkland’s Washington High School, was recently named the 2021 Washington State Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
Andrew Schwartz’s journey from PLU sociology major to environmental justice advocate and eco-ministry leader
When we first catch up with environmental advocate Andrew Schwartz ’07, he’s preparing for a massive road trip with his wife, Emily, and 8-month-old daughter, Maja. They’re headed east to visit Emily’s family in Illinois. But the 36-year-old Schwartz’s life has also been a journey, of sorts, from suburban Oregon to changemaking on the global scale—with a few stops along the way—fueled by hope and faith.
Andrew Whitney directs program to pair Tacoma students with local internships
Ten years ago Andrew Whitney ’12 was preparing for graduation, completing internships, and looking forward to starting a career in the world of business and finance. Now, it’s his job to help place local high school and college students in internships with businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies in Pierce County, learning from his experiences, the good and the bad, in his own internships.