by Emma Prophet

The 2025 CPP Fall Retreat was an insightful, energizing, and memorable experience that brought together faculty and staff as well as community members for a time of learning, reflection, and connection. The retreat has been an important tradition for the CPP college. It provides a strong sense of unity and thoughtful conversations.

Throughout that time, faculty and staff were able to step away from their busy routines and focus on growth in a more intentional way. Whether talking through ideas with new faces or reconnecting with familiar ones, everyone seemed genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to slow down and be present with one another. The retreat served as a reminder of how valuable it is to have dedicated time to gather, share perspectives, and build supportive relationships.

Each year, the CPP Excellence Awards recognize individuals who exemplify exceptional dedication, leadership, and service within the College of Professional Programs. Recipients of this award consistently demonstrate a commitment to elevating the student experience, advancing the mission of the college, and contributing meaningfully to their departments and the broader campus community. Their contributions strengthen our programs, inspire those around them, and highlight the remarkable talent and dedication present throughout CPP.

The 2024-2025 CPP Excellence Award Winners are:

● Faculty Service Activities: Ashley Lepisi, Education

● Faculty Teaching: Clive Gary, Education

● Faculty Scholarly & Creative Works: Rajeev Dwivedi, Business

● Classified Staff: Christi Wavada, Education

● Classified Staff: Christine Davies, Psychology

● Exempt Staff: Jill Stinson, Education

● Campus Partner: Margie Scammell-Renner, Advancement

● Community Partner: Matt and Candie Chew, Champions Retreat

● Community Partner: Bob Cole

● Team: Family Resource & Training Center (FRTC)

● Alumni: Alvaro Figueroa Garcia

● Alumni: Mary Beazer

One of the most anticipated moments of the event was the keynote presentation delivered by Cimone Wright-Hamor. Cimone’s message was powerful, engaging, and deeply thoughtful. She spoke with clarity and authenticity about leadership, the impact of faculty and staff on students’ lives, and how universities should navigate the information age. Her ability to connect with the audience through personal stories, practical insights, and genuine passion, made her presentation one of the defining highlights of the entire retreat. Attendees left feeling both inspired and challenged in the best possible way.

As the retreat concluded, the sense of community was amplified. Many participants expressed how refreshing it was to be in a space where learning, encouragement, and meaningful conversation were at the center of the day. The blend of educational content, supportive interactions, and Cimone Wright-Hamor’s outstanding keynote presentation, all created an environment that felt uplifting and restorative. Overall, the 2025 CPP Fall Retreat was a wonderful success!

By Brynne Irish

The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Hawa Bangoura for February’s Student Spotlight. Hawa is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program.

Hawa will soon graduate from EWU with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work and a minor in Psychology. She is currently interning with the nonprofit organization, Communities in Schools.

As Hawa grew up on the other side of the state in Federal Way, WA, she thought EWU was the perfect distance away from her family and hometown, not too far but still far enough for her to start her new journey. EWU was a top pick for Hawa, one because she was interested in seeing a different side of the state, but most importantly, she found that EWU had a good Social Work program which solidified her decision to attend EWU.

The Social Work program caught Hawa’s attention the most, and she decided to pursue this academic area of study because she felt that the social work field is very important but there are not enough social workers to do the work required. Hawa knew that she wanted to pursue a career where she would be helping others, and she believes that the real-world system is in need of more social workers. She expressed that “sometimes when people think of social workers, they may often think about the more negative side to it, such as taking children away from their home or how there is this narrative that social workers don’t get paid enough.” Hawa believes that this is what a lot of people can see or hear, and it steers them away from the social work field. She also mentioned that social workers can be present and helpful in many different settings, such as schools, hospitals, juvenile centers, and much more. However, “there just seems to be a lack of social workers when we need them and their support,” which is another valuable factor of why she is very passionate in contributing to improving the system.

Through her experience in EWU’s Social Work program, Hawa expressed how every faculty member and mentor in the program has been very helpful and has made it clear to the students that they have their best interest at heart, which Hawa found to be very reassuring.

Hawa is currently an intern with Communities in Schools, which is a nonprofit organization. For her internship, Hawa works at Sunset Elementary School in Airway Heights alongside the Student Support Coordinator there. She shared that in her role, she has learned how to do case management and how to help students who may be dealing with any behavioral issues. Additionally, Hawa and the Student Support Coordinator work with a caseload of kids with a big focus on social and emotional learning. One thing that had surprised Hawa during her time in the social work program was that when dealing with clients, “we aren’t necessarily telling them how to solve their problems, we actually help them solve their own problems instead of just doing it for them.”

One challenge Hawa expressed that she faced was adapting to the college lifestyle and learning to become more independent.

I managed to overcome this challenge because I have such an amazing good support system through my program, family, and friends.

While one of her greatest achievements is making it this far into college because “at the beginning, I was unsure of how far I would get, but I am so grateful and proud of what I have accomplished and how much I have grown through my college experience.”

If I had to give one piece of advice to others who may be interested in the social work program, I would say make sure you plan out how to manage your time as much as you can, while also making sure you take care of yourself by prioritizing your own self care.

Hawa also expressed that she would encourage other students to join any club that interests them because through EWU’s clubs you can build connections that can further help you when you’re done with college.

Lastly, Hawa shared that she plans to get her Master of Social Work (MSW) after finishing her bachelors degree. Five years from now she sees herself having her Master’s degree in Social Work and potentially leaving the state or remaining local.

The College of Professional Programs is honored to feature Hawa for all of her hard work, her passion for social work, and helping others!

Ed Byrnes Joins State Public Safety Committee

On this Giving Joy Day, we would like to announce the creation of a new scholarship to support students going into the behavioral health field. The Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of EWU alumnus, Jeff Thomas, former CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health, by Coordinated Care. Coordinated Care aims to improve access to higher education for underrepresented populations in health care related fields.

Recipients must:

• Be undergraduate or graduate students majoring in behavioral health programs including Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Addiction Studies, or earning a Behavioral Health Support Certificate.
• Recipients must also meet at least one of these following requirements:
  • Demonstrated financial need, with preference to those with financial need outside of Pell Grant eligibility
  • First-generation college student
  • Non-traditional student
  • Come from an underserved or underrepresented community

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Belinda Hammond, Senior Lecturer in Children’s Studies.

Dr. Hammond and her coauthors on a paper in the Journal of Child Life, have been recognized by the national Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) with the 2024 Professional Research Recognition Award. The article, published this year, is titled “Being a Child Life Student Has Definitely Been Difficult: A Mixed Methods Study Exploring the Experiences of Emerging Professionals.”

On Wednesday April 3rd, 2024, EWU will be celebrating Giving Joy Day!  This annual event is an opportunity for new and returning gifters to give to programmatic and scholarships funds at any financial level, supporting student success and providing opportunities for current and future Eagles!

• In 2023-2024, 103 CPP students received EWU scholarships totaling nearly $312,000.

Here are testimonial videos from our students on the impact of receiving scholarship funds:

Explore funding opportunities by scholarship or program by clicking the button below.

]]> https://www.ewu.edu/cpp/news/cpp-student-spotlight-rachel-grubb/ Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:14:14 +0000 https://www.ewu.edu/cpp/?post_type=stories&p=19541 by Mya Brossoit The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Rachel Grubb for January’s Student Spotlight. Rachel is enrolled in the part-time Master of Social Work (MSW) program. As an air force brat, Rachel was born in the Philippines and spent a significant portion of her childhood in the southern and northern Prefectures...]]>

by Mya Brossoit

The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Rachel Grubb for January’s Student Spotlight. Rachel is enrolled in the part-time Master of Social Work (MSW) program.

As an air force brat, Rachel was born in the Philippines and spent a significant portion of her childhood in the southern and northern Prefectures of Japan before eventually moving back to the United States. For the last two decades she has called Spokane home. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Psychology from EWU, Rachel decided to take her education further by working towards her Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW). She plans to graduate in June of 2026.

When asked why she chose Eastern, Grubb shares how she appreciates EWU’s affordable education and convenient location. She goes on to explain how she is able to pursue a higher education degree with flexibility around her day-to-day life:

The MSW program at EWU offers a part-time degree schedule which allows me to balance and manage my work responsibilities, academics, and personal life.

Her ambition has even inspired several family members and colleagues to attend Eastern for their education as well.

For many students, choosing an area to study can be a confusing and long process of exploration. However, in time, the answer slowly tends to reveal itself through life experiences and various opportunities. Rachel describes her background working with individuals with developmental disabilities and through serving patients and families as a care coordinator in the non-profit health care setting. From this work, she has developed a deep passion for advocacy of vulnerable populations which has led her to pursue a Master of Social Work degree.

My purpose is clear and I have great desire to help vulnerable populations, but I know I need to develop a foundation and understanding of what it means to be a compassionate advocate. My professional journey begins with receiving the education and training necessary to create a socially just and equitable society.

While embarking on her graduate student journey, she experienced loss and hardship, but Rachel credits her friends and family for providing her with the support she needed to press forward with strength and fortitude that led her to academic success.

Rachel expresses a great deal of gratitude towards the faculty that supported her along the way. She states,

Each instructor puts so much emphasis on self-care and protecting our mental wellness, making me feel cared for as more than just a student in a cohort.

Grubb has noticed a great deal of transformation in her personal worldview as a result of the MSW program. Enriched in constructive evaluation and reflection, she has learned to navigate her responsibilities to provide care for others in the workplace.

The MSW program is preparing me for real world professional work that is collaborative and ethical.

Rachel imagines her future to be shaped by this ever-growing passion to support individuals through the advocacy of social change. She excitedly presses forward towards a future of service and meaningful work once she receives her MSW degree.

The College of Professional Programs is honored to feature Rachel Grubb for her meaningful ambition to make a difference in the lives of others!

Social Work Interns Tackle Community Needs

Congratulations to MSW student Mariah Brigman for winning the Native American/Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award at the National Diversity in STEM Conference in October 2023.  Mariah’s graduate poster presentation was titled “Effects of COVID-19 on Housing among American Indian/Alaska Native Adults” and featured in the Psychology and Social Sciences category. The conference was organized by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).  On the impact of winning this award, Mariah states:

ʔa x̌əst sx̌lx̌alt (Hello, good day) The impact this award had on me was confidence in my work. I appreciate the recognition in the work so much. The work is important especially for Native people where there is such a huge lack of research, that I now feel more confident in my abilities and in furthering Indigenous research with all the support I received.

 

I remember first starting college where I already felt imposter syndrome coming from a rural reservation, I would do research projects for class and wanted to do my projects on Indigenous issues. I could never find any research on Indigenous people or anything and it felt very frustrating and insignificant as though us Native Americans didn’t exist anymore, and it did not help the imposter syndrome go away. But we are still here, and I really appreciate the support and recognition and furthering Indigenous research and it feels like such a huge accomplishment for us all.

 

This also helped open up doors in not only the research and academic world but in the career field as well and it’s such an honor. Lem’lemt (Thank you)

by Mya Brossoit

The College of Professional Programs is excited to recognize Nathan Bradford for November’s Student Spotlight.

Nathan is currently attending EWU as a Senior on the Cheney campus, majoring in Social Work. He plans to receive his Bachelor’s degree in June of 2024.  After growing up in Selah, Washington, Nathan sought out an affordable and practical option for higher education. When considering what university to attend, he ultimately decided Eastern was the best option with its overall lower cost, and convenient location.  When asked why he chose Social Work as a major, Nathan shares his deep desire to use his abilities to support others in a positive way.  The vast opportunities EWU’s Social Work program offers is what then convinced Nathan to take the next step and apply to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program.

Though Nathan accomplished his goal of coming to college, the journey as a whole has not been entirely easy. As with many students during their college years, discovering how to manage mental health as a new adult can be a great challenge amidst the pressures of school. Not to mention, as a student managing the stressful changes during the Pandemic made it all the more difficult.  Nathan describes the debilitating anxiety that surrounded him during his first couple years of college. Battling panic attacks and unpredictable emotions was a challenge Nathan has learned to manage in a healthy way as he finishes out his college degree. He shares the importance of having support and tools in your life in order to set yourself up for success. Though these mental health struggles are still present at times, Nathan testifies to the great amounts of improvement he has seen over time.

Bradford recommends other students take full advantage of their education while attending school because all that the content taught by professors in class is directly applicable to a career in social work. He states that:

All of the professors I’ve had in the school of social work have been great. I’ve learned so much from each of them.

One of his greatest accomplishments since arriving at Eastern has been the multiple ultramarathons he has run over the years. Not only has he been able to finish these tough races but recently soared higher as he crossed the finish line of his very first 50 miler run. Through his discipline and hard work, Nathan exemplifies the grit and strength that comes with being an Eagle.  Nathan also credits his community through the on-campus organization, Cru, as it remains an influential support in his life. He also expresses his gratitude towards all of his professors that have helped him along the way:

Bradford is grateful for the many lessons he has learned throughout his Social Work program. One thing specifically he has discovered is the valuable connection between social work practice and social work policy. When considering his line of work during his required practicum classes, Nathan has grasped the considerable essentials of macro-level social work.  Looking towards the future brings great hope to Nathan as he reflects on the meaningful work he dreams of doing. He shares:

I know I want to be dedicated to helping people and making the world a better place in a tangible way.

The College of Professional Programs applauds Nathan for all of his hard work and deep compassion towards others as he soars into his future!