Yesenia Arellano ’13 discusses her work as a bilingual mental health counselor
PLU alumna Yesenia Arellano ’13 was recently honored by the City of Tacoma during National Hispanic Heritage Month for her work as a mental health counselor providing bilingual therapy to diverse community members and an immigrant clientele. Yesenia spoke with PLU Assistant Director of Communications…
Kenzie Knapp ’23 discusses summer environmental work, role with ASPLU, and public transit advocacy
In the spring of 2021, Kenzie Knapp ’23 was awarded a Udall Foundation scholarship. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships, fellowships, and internships to students pursuing fields of study related to the environment or Native American nations. Knapp has served as a G.R.E.A.N. club officer, is…
Community First: PLU alum supports local sellers and town with 3 Sisters Market
For Whidbey Island business owner Roshel Donwen ’17, her close-knit island community is everything. She finds fulfillment in running her store, 3 Sisters Market, providing local food and goods to the people she considers family. “The best part about running and owning 3 Sisters Market…
PLU launches Internship Fund to create equitable opportunities for students
During her senior year at PLU, Chloe Willburn ‘21 wanted to intern with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. As a social work major, Willburn believed that the experience gained from working alongside DCYF would benefit not only her but her future…
How Keegan Dolan’s PLU mentor helped him land a dream internship in Boston
Hard work pays off. Networking is key. Relationships are everything. While this advice might sound cliché, people give it often, and for good reason. Just ask Pacific Lutheran University’s Keegan Dolan ’22. Dolan, a double major in philosophy and economics , is in the midst…
Teaching in the Pandemic: How Three Teachers Made the Best of an Unprecedented Time
High school choir and guitar teacher Alonso Brizuela ’14 was in Spokane at a national choral directors conference in mid-March of 2020. Just a day and half days into events, the conference shut down early—due to a mysterious new illness that had arrived in the…
Andrew Whitney ’12 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…
Gurjot Kang ‘21 grows her skills and makes an impact as a Tacoma Housing Authority intern
Despite the challenges and uncertainty of life during the pandemic, PLU student Gurjot Kang ’21 is focused on her future after graduation. Kang is interning with the Tacoma Housing Authority to help build her skills and improve the community through this difficult time. Kang —…
Brian Lander ’89: Career Humanitarian is PLU’s Connection to 2020 Nobel Peace Prize
PLU alumnus Brian Lander ‘89 grew up in Washington State’s Tri-Cities. But in early 2020, Lander was far from his childhood home, as he helped meet urgent needs in Northwest Syria. Turkish troops, Syrian and Russian armies, and opposition forces negotiated and battled over resources…
Looking Outward: Mark Carrato ‘94 leads the U.S. Government’s Power Africa initiative
A year after graduating from Pacific Lutheran University, Mark Carrato ‘94 had been island hopping around rural southwestern Japan teaching English to junior high school students. But now he had a decision to make—return to the United States and begin the law school he had…
How Matt Bliss ’98 turned a family tradition into Modern Christmas Trees
As a child, Matt Bliss ’98 relished celebrating the holidays at his grandparents’ Broomfield, Colorado, home where the Christmas tree was anything but ordinary. Bliss’s grandfather, Lawrence Stoecker, designed his own tree, an artful cascade of concentric rings that hung from the ceiling. He crafted…
PLU MAE alumna Brooke Brown ’06 named the 2021 Washington State Teacher of the Year
Brooke Brown ’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). Brown engages students in her classroom by centering each student’s…