This year’s annual Senior Send-Off, held on May 5, provided a fond farewell to the more than 200 soon-to-be graduates who chose to participate in the well-loved Eastern tradition.
Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, EWU’s director of alumni relations, kicked off the festivities by congratulating the participating seniors and welcoming them to the 123,000-strong Eagle alumni family.
“Class of 2025, you are now officially an Eagle for Life,” Hatch-Brecek said.
Eastern Washington University President Shari McMahan also shared congratulations. “It was an honor to have you in our classrooms enriching the conversation, engaging with your peers through activities and clubs and serving our community as student employees, volunteers and even researchers,” McMahan said.
ASEWU president Ashton McKean, himself a graduating senior, followed with his own remarks, urging his classmates to leverage lessons learned at Eastern during their upcoming professional journeys.
Participants at the event made the quick trek from in front of Showalter Hall down the “Hello Walkway,” walking back through the Herculean pillars that many had passed between as incoming freshmen.
Amya Cook, a 23-year-old from Bellingham, Washington, studied at Eastern for five years while earning a master’s degree in athletic training. She worked with soccer and track and field athletes while also making memories as an EWU student attending basketball games with friends.
“I’ve gotten to work with some amazing athletic trainers,” said Cook, who appreciates the applied learning opportunity working with Mr. Loughery at Cheney High School.
Cook’s academic and applied learning experiences helped her find a job working as an athletic trainer for the Bellingham School District.
Kaylani Shah, 21, of Zillah, Washington, is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in cultural anthropology. After transferring in from Running Start, Shah completed her degree in two years. “I didn’t go through the pillars then,” she said, “but I’m going back out through them.”
She plans to pursue a graduate degree and may pivot from her current ambition of becoming a college professor to instead working with children. This change of direction, she said, came after spending the past two years working with special education students at Betz Elementary School and becoming attached to the kids.
“I am going to be looking into grad school options for, potentially, special education or becoming an SLP (speech language pathologist). But I am keeping the professorship open, as well,” Shah said.
For Raul Segura, his time at Eastern has opened the door to a master’s program at Central Washington University. The 21-year-old from Pasco, Washington, plans to pursue a career as a school counselor.
“I really am trying to give back to my community and I know I can do it as a school psychologist – especially in Pasco,” Segura said. “I come from a large Spanish-speaking community. I know that my abilities to speak in their language will help translate in that field.”
Segura said when he first arrived at Eastern, he didn’t realize he would be as involved as he has become. “I really did find a second home with my fraternity here. I found some inspiring people through the McNair Scholars Program and friends from tennis and M.E.Ch.A, a cultural club here on campus.”
Segura, who earned his bachelor’s in psychology and received the Student Leader of the Year Award for his community service and accomplishments, summed up his time at Eastern: “You know I would just say that 10 times out of 10 I would do this all over again if I had a chance.”
