A Symphony of Gratitude: Jane Lin’s PLU journey and her commitment to future Lutes
For those who have thoughtfully included Pacific Lutheran University in their estate plans, you understand the profound impact an institution can have on a life’s trajectory. Jane Lin ’92 embodies this spirit of gratitude. Her journey demonstrates the power of a PLU education and the…
Bringing Back the Bluebirds: A Local Research Project Takes Flight
Strandness Endowed Professor of Biology Julie Smith, through support from the new endowed professorship, is spearheading a research project focused on the Western Bluebird in the Puget Sound lowlands, offering exciting opportunities for undergraduate involvement. These charismatic cavity-nesters, once common in Western Washington, faced extinction…
Planting Seeds for Tomorrow
When Donald “Gene” Strandness ’50 arrived at Pacific Lutheran University in 1946, he was not impressed. As he recalled in his 1980 Distinguished Alumni Award speech, “When I arrived on the campus in 1946, it was largely an institution without facilities. In fact, at first…
Journeying With Others
From the moment Kerry Dolan ’22 arrived at PLU, she knew she wanted to make a difference in the world. What she didn’t expect was how deeply her experiences on campus — from late-night RA conversations to studying away in Mexico — would shape not…
From Storyteller to Caregiver: One Alumna’s Journey to Her True Calling
Mallory Presho-Dunne is living proof that changing one’s career field just requires a little soul searching and a lot of hard work. Graduating from PLU’s Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) program in 2020, she works as a nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital,…
In Parkland, a Clinic With PLU Ties Quietly Rewrites the Rules
It looks and feels like a typical neighborhood clinic, but this place is exceptional. One key difference? No one is turned away due to inability to pay. Those without insurance are charged on a sliding-fee scale based on income and family size. For some patients,…
PLU Alum Kameron Jacobs ’14 Communicates Through Crises With Compassion and Grit
That’s what drives Kameron Jacobs ’14. Whether he’s managing global HIV prevention messaging, volunteering for Pride events, coordinating clinical trial communications, or connecting people through music, care is at the center of it all. We caught up with Jacobs at 208 Garfield, the café where…
Meet the Class of 2029: Reformers
Pacific Lutheran University is set to welcome the Class of 2029, a dynamic group of students ready to make an impact. This is a cohort of Reformers: students who are ready to turn passion into purpose, and purpose into action. One of them, incoming freshman…
After experiencing PLU’s “Community of Care” first-hand, PJ Morales ’25 strives to reciprocate that care to local high school students.
PJ Morales ‘25 comes from a small town on Maui named Lahaina. Although she loves her island, PJ realized that the “small island life” wasn’t for her and began to look for colleges in the continental United States. When her admissions counselor, fellow Filipino Brandon…
Zari Warden’s ’25 PLU journey leads to an interdisciplinary tapestry of creativity and advocacy
Zari Warden ’25 arrived at PLU as a vocal performance major ready to pursue a career in music. However, her journey quickly took a transformative turn, one that would redefine not only her academic path but also her sense of identity and purpose. “I came…
Olivia Tate: Interdisciplinary scholar, advocate, and future nurse scientist
When Olivia Tate ’25 tells people she’s triple majoring in nursing , religion , and Native American and Indigenous studies — with a Peace Corps prep minor — the usual response is one of confusion and curiosity. But for Olivia, those reactions confirm that she’s…
2025 grad Lydia Downs wins prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Thailand
Lydia Downs ’25, a Master of Arts in Education student at Pacific Lutheran University, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award to serve as an English teaching assistant in Thailand during the 2025–2026 academic year. Lydia, who previously earned her undergraduate degrees in global…