Hello, Eastern Eagles!

The EWU Alumni Association is proud to carry forward one of our most meaningful traditions – the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

Created to celebrate the lasting bond between Eastern and our alumni families, this scholarship supports children and grandchildren of EWU graduates as they create their own Eastern Eagle stories.

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends – and through revenue-generating programs like the Eagle Flights Wine Club, Alumni Adventures, and EWU License Plates – we now award scholarships to 23 legacy students a year.

These scholarships help our students offset the cost of their education and focus on what matters most: learning, growing – and developing skills for success.

Each recipient carries forward a piece of our shared history, building on the experiences of the generations that came before them. Your support ensures the Eagle legacy remains strong for years to come.

Visit our EWU Alumni Legacy Scholarship fund page to learn how you can help.

Thanks for your support – and Go Eags!

Kelsey

Kelsey Hatch-Brecek | Director of Alumni Relations
Eastern Washington University

Building the Future

Naming Gift Supports Students While Honoring a Legacy of Service

Dave Millet, founding director of EWU’s award-winning Veterans Resource Center, was preparing to retire when he received the surprise of a lifetime. A generous alumni couple made a major gift to support veteran and military-connected students, while ensuring Millet is forever remembered for his outstanding work.

Meet Dave

Eagle Impact

Generous Supporter Steps Up For Students

During a time of uncertainty for federal funding, the Krumble Foundation is building upon its commitment to Eastern students by offering five years of funding for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) to ensure these first-generation students have the tools to succeed.

Learn More

Lost for Decades, Veteran’s Ring Finds Its Way Home!

William P. Wall, a standout Eastern Washington State College linebacker, ROTC member and budding high school teacher, didn’t come home from Vietnam. His recently recovered ring brought to light a story of love, loss and a rich tapestry of Eastern-inspired relationships.

Read the Story

Create Your Legacy

August was Make-a-Will Month! It’s not too late to create your legacy by using this free online will-making tool designed for our EWU community. If your plans include the EWU Foundation, please let us know.

Explore Ways to Give

Hello Eagles,

From the kickoff at the Spokane Catalyst on April 2 until the final donation came in at midnight on April 3, Giving Joy Day was a spirited celebration of Eagle generosity.

The announcement of our first gift, given by beloved History Professor Bill Youngs to establish the Youngs Endowment for National Parks Studies, jump started 1,882 minutes of giving.

Your generosity helped establish an Occupational Therapy Fund, provide support for our student-athletes through the Eagle Athletic Fund, ensure students have access to affordable, hands-on learning through the University Scholarship Fund – and far more.

Moreover, several donors revealed plans to provide long-term future support for EWU through their estates. These planned gifts, generous sales of appreciated stock, and birthday gifts ranging from $14.30 to $1,430 totaled a whopping $910,554 – well surpassing our $550,000 goal!

Thank you for supporting EWU and sharing your joy with deserving students!

Linda Safford | Senior Director of Annual Giving
EWU University Advancement

Building the Future

EWU Receives National Kudos for Student Outcomes

Eastern received a major shout-out as the only university in the region to earn the “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation as an “Opportunity College and University” in the newest Carnegie Foundation rankings. In a nutshell, that means Eastern changes lives.

Learn More

Eagle Impact

EWU Graduates its First Cohort of Nurses!

This group of nurses is ready to serve. Not only were they the first to complete Eastern’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program — all 40 students who began the program graduated together at EWU’s semester commencement.

Read Their Story

Professionals Become ‘Professors for a Day’

Students enjoyed learning from a dozen talented alumni and friends of the university who taught a class for a day, sharing details about their professions and providing insider tips for future job seekers.

Get Their Advice

Meet the Future

As part of Eastern’s Build Our Future Campaign, we are raising $7M in funds to renovate the football stadium – which was built nearly 60 years ago. The updates will create a more welcoming experience for students, alumni, and other Eastern Eagles’ fans. Visit the Stadium Renovation Fund website to learn how you can help – and GO EAGS!

Explore Ways to Give

Hello, Fellow Eagles,

Spring is in the air!

We have been working on increasing our footprint in the region and following up on all the wonderful gifts received from our launch of Eastern’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Build Our Future.

We have raised $73M to our $100M goal with your generosity and support. This means close to 5,000 student scholarships and hundreds of paid applied learning opportunities, along with leveraging EWU’s brand position; the region’s polytechnic, to showcase the faculty and student hands-on learning in our communities.

We couldn’t do it without you! In fact, our annual EWU Scholarship Review Night takes place on Thursday, March 13, at 5 p.m. at the Spokane Club, in downtown Spokane.  And, we need volunteers to review applications and help award hundreds of scholarships. Please RSVP here if you’d like to help. Thank you to all of you for building Eastern’s future – now and beyond!

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Generous Supporters Bring EWU Campus Concert to Life!

It has been more than two decades since the Spokane Symphony teamed up with our student musicians to perform on the Cheney campus. This unforgettable musical experience will include classics and student compositions. We’d love for you to attend!

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Eastern Students Document Downwinder Histories

An Eagle Grant, supported by gifts to the EWU Foundation, allowed a team of history students to tell the untold stories of Hanford Downwinders – stories that are now featured on the National Park Service website.

Learn More

Named Scholarship Inspires Student Success

Returning student Jeff Schell got a much-appreciated boost from the Jerry LeClaire Biology Fund that helped fuel award-winning research as he heads toward graduation.

Learn More

Meet the Future

Giving Joy Day is right around the corner, on April 3. The day not only celebrates EWU’s 143rd birthday, it provides our Eastern Community with opportunities to celebrate – and support – Eastern’s transformational work. Learn how you can make a difference for students by visiting our Giving Joy Day website. Many Eagle supporters also give through their wills. Create your will by using our free online tool: freewill.com.

Explore Ways to Give

Eagle Endnotes

Get Lit! Festival
April 10-13

College of Health Science and Public Health
Celebration of Scholarly Works
April 14-15

EWU Night at The MAC
April 16, 5 p.m.

School of Social Work 50th Anniversary
April 26 | Everett, Washington

Eastern Washington University
Student Research & Creative Works Symposium
May 6-7

Hello, Fellow Eagles,

As the holidays approach, I’m reminded of how grateful our campus community is for amazing supporters like you. Thank you for being part of Eastern – and for pitching in to create life-changing opportunities for students!

You may already know about Build Our Future, the EWU Foundation’s 10-year campaign for Eastern. In October, we transitioned out of the seven-year “silent phase” into the campaign’s final phase. The secret is out!

I’m proud to say our university’s first-ever ‘comprehensive’ campaign has raised $68,415,200 to enhance programs, support special projects, and transform obstacles into opportunities for Eagles.

Sharing stories about students like Sage Norton makes all the difference. Thanks to our generous community, nearly 5,000 scholarships have been awarded so far during the campaign to ensure that Eastern students have access to a life-changing education with applied-learning experiences that prepare them to succeed as working professionals.

With GivingTuesday around the corner, there are even more ways we can come together to make a difference. (Visit our GivingTuesday webpage to learn how you can help.)

Whatever you give, please know we appreciate you!

Best wishes for a happy holiday season – and Go Eags!

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Fundraising Campaign to Change Lives For Generations

EWU has officially launched the final ‘public phase’ of a comprehensive fundraising effort that is bringing our Eagle community together to build a bright future for our students and university!

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Eastern is Now The Region’s Polytechnic

EWU is expanding on what the university has done so well for so long – connecting students with applied learning experiences that prepare them for workplace success while strengthening communities along the way.

Learn More

EWU Graduate Finds Success as a Dental Hygienist

Carlos Valdovinos says scholarships and applied learning at EWU’s nonprofit Dental Hygiene Clinic paved the way for a career he loves serving patients of all ages at a family dental clinic.

Learn More

Meet the Future

Here are a few of the many students you help when you give to the EWU Foundation.  Whether you make a GivingTuesday gift to support scholarships, experiential learning, programs and hubs for education, or athletics, please know that you make an impact for life.

Learn More

Hello, fellow Eagles!

As we prepare to welcome students for the 2024-25 academic year, and our traditional homecoming celebration, change is in the air.

Soon, the University will launch a strategic plan to chart our path over the next five years while also revealing a brand platform highlighting Eastern’s many strengths. The new branding will differentiate Eastern from other public universities in Washington, while supporting the enrollment, recruitment and retention of students from all backgrounds.

Eastern is building a future with the help of supporters like you – a future that creates life-changing opportunities that propel students like single dad Kevin Uyekawa into high-demand careers.

This means donors, alumni and friends of Eastern have stepped up – and will continue to step up. So, I guess, the secret is out.

In the months ahead, look for a bold presence as we honor Eastern’s humble past and lay the groundwork for our future.

In the meantime, thank you for supporting Eastern – and Go Eags!

Barb

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Newly Minted Alumni Celebrate Success

Congratulations to our 2024 EWU graduating class! More than 2,100 Eagles participated in the June 16 commencement ceremonies. Supporters like you own a piece of their success!

Meet Some of Our Graduates

Eagle Impact

Cutting-Edge Alumnus is Changing Lives 

Tom Fox ’70, a second-generation Eagle, was on the forefront of computer automation, contributing to advances that benefit today’s companies and consumers. Now Tom and his family are helping the next generation of Eagles find their own success.

Read More

Future Occupational Therapists Practice Pediatrics

EWU master-level students gained hands-on experience working with children with disabilities. They graduated with clinical hours – and helped some amazing kids reach milestones along the way!

Read More

August is National Make-a-Will Month

The EWU Foundation proudly offers a free online will-making tool for our EWU community. If your plans happen to include a gift to the EWU Foundation, please let us know.

Learn More

Dear Friends,

You did it! In 1,882 minutes of celebration on Giving Joy Day, April 3, your gifts to support scholarships and university programs totaled $501,770!

Your generosity expanded an emergency fund that keeps students enrolled even as they experience hard times. You also fully endowed scholarship funds honoring professors Steve Blewett and Sally Winkle, as well as Activist in Residence and Eagle Pride funds.

Thank you for helping to provide transformative learning experiences for Eastern students! 

On June 15, the 2024 class of Eagles will don their caps and gowns and celebrate their achievements in career fields ranging from accounting and education to visual arts. Many are the first in their families to earn a life-changing bachelor’s degree – and they stand ready to make a difference. 

You can help EWU students fulfill their dreams of a college education. Your gift today means more opportunity for tomorrow’s Eagles.

Thank you!

Linda Safford | Senior Director of Annual Giving
EWU University Advancement

Eagle Strong

Every Step of the Way

You’ve made the dream of a college degree a reality for our Eagles, opening doors to a transformational education and providing assistance when hard times threaten their ability to stay on course. We thank you profusely – and so do our students!

Read More

Eagle Impact

Future Teachers Help Kids Become Better Readers

EWU is graduating a class of educators who are well-prepared to help elementary students improve their reading skills, thanks to an experiential capstone at Grant Elementary School.

Learn More

Prairie is Set for Restoration!

Prairie restoration is moving ahead full force after several seasons of student-faculty research charted a sustainable – and cost-effective – path forward. Gifts from generous supporters like you got the tractor engine running!

Read More

Eastern’s Hello Walk has a story to tell. Follow the red brick pathway leading to Showalter Hall and you’ll notice stories – plenty of them.

Short and sweet, the personalized red bricks honor the memories and accomplishments of students, alumni, faculty and staff. You can give a brick as a shout-out to a new graduate, pay tribute to a club or friendship, and even share your own story. The sky is the limit when it comes to honoring Eagles.

Bricks in our historic walkway campaign are available for a donation of $100 for graduating seniors and their families; $200 for alumni and individuals, and $500 for corporations.

Learn more by visiting our Brick Campaign webpage.

Something amazing is in the works at EWU!

We are going to announce some exciting news on Friday, Oct. 18. It’s news that we can’t wait to share with our Eagle community – especially generous supporters like you.

EWU’s Homecoming will feature fireworks during the football game, along with other donor-sponsored activities throughout the week.

Jessica Avalos

Jessica Avalos grew up in the agricultural community of Grandview, Washington as one of 11 children in the family. Her parents were strict about education – something they did not have the opportunity to complete themselves. Ultimately, this first-generation college student and her siblings were told, “Your happiness is what matters most.”

Jessica has found that happiness in preparing for a career in healthcare. When she was in middle school, she wanted to become a surgeon, but instead moved to Spokane after high school to live with family and pursue pre-med at EWU. She joined the first cohort in the new School of Nursing in the fall of 2023.

Diversity was also a draw for Jessica. “Eastern made it easy to get to know people,” she says. And while her first semester was hard, she is grateful for her professors and Department Chair Donna Bachand, who have listened and responded to student needs.

Bachand supported Jessica and fellow student Brooklyn Parkey in establishing the Eagle Nursing Student Association, to assist future nursing students as they prepare for careers in the Spokane region.

Jessica received the Proud Eagle Nursing Scholarship, which allowed her to move from part-time employment as a barista to working as a nursing technician while she finishes her degree.

“I really needed it,” she says appreciatively. “The Spokane housing market is so expensive, but this scholarship helped me to remain in stable housing while I changed jobs to work in my field.”

Established by alumni donors Kathy and Ken Privratsky, the Proud Eagle Nursing Scholarship Fund honors the heroic sacrifices of doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, while helping students in their home community to earn nursing degrees and inspire others.

Jessica hopes to someday meet the Privratskys and thank them in person. “They sound like such amazing and generous people,” she says. “I can’t believe they would do this for me, but I am so happy that they did.”

Brooklyn Parkey

“I love being an Eagle!”

When Brooklyn Parkey was seven years old, her mom went back to school to become a nurse – all while raising four children at home.

“I admire her so much,” Brooklyn says. “I never thought about how hard that was!”

Brooklyn graduated from high school in Spokane and enrolled at EWU. When she learned that Eastern would open the School of Nursing in the fall of 2023, she was excited that she did not have to transfer schools, and could remain an Eagle.

Upon learning that she had been awarded the Proud Eagle Nursing scholarship, Brooklyn recalls being excited: “With a scholarship, I can work less and focus more on my studies,” she says.

Established by alumni donors Kathy and Ken Privratsky, the Proud Eagle Nursing Scholarship Fund honors the heroic sacrifices of doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, while helping students in their home community to earn nursing degrees and inspire others.

When Brooklyn graduates, she plans to stay in Spokane and follow in her mother’s footsteps, helping to meet the health-care needs of families in our region. And like her older siblings, who are also Eastern alumni, Brooklyn’s sister plans to enroll in the School of Nursing having been inspired by her mom and sister in a family of proud Eagles!