Whitworth University

Student-Athlete Spotlight | Maia Santa Monica '26

Maia Santa Monica is a business management major and an outside midfielder on the women’s soccer team. Although this past season was her second season with the team, it was her first year playing due to an early injury the year before. Maia shares what it's like to be a student-athlete and why she chooses to begin each game with gratitude:

“During the season, my typical school day starts early, either at 8 or 9 a.m., with a couple more classes later. I usually have some free time between classes and after, which I use to tackle homework or study. I also fit in an hour or two of work on campus. Sometimes, before practice, we watch film to review our games from the weekend. Then it's practice time from 4 to 6 p.m., where we work on our skills as a team.

“Something that I admire about Whitworth women's soccer is that after every home game, win or lose, we always gather in a big circle in the middle of the field to pray. What I like most about this is that we always invite the opposing team to join us, and they mix with our circle. I think overall, it just shows great sportsmanship and brings us together to appreciate the game and the people around us.

“[Former teammate] Kalena Pfaeltzer ’23 has had an important personal impact on my Whitworth athletics experience, demonstrating to me what it truly means to be a leader, whether on or off the field. Before one of my first games back from my ACL injury, she also sent me a text saying, 'Choose to have fun with a grateful heart for where you started and where you are today.' Now, before every game, I make sure to take a moment and appreciate the journey that brought me to where I am and the reasons why I play.”

The tech industry is booming in Spokane, and it's great to see our graduates excelling with companies like F5. A handful of Whitworth grads, including Hunter Smit '19, MBA '20, are currently employed there and are proud to be part of the Spokane region's rapid success in this global market.

The hidden link between Seattle and Spokane: Tech companies find success on both sides of the state One of F5's two locations in Liberty Lake, Wash., in Spokane County. (F5 Photo) Back in 1999, when F5 recruited Jeff Stockdale to build its hardware

Learn about the outstanding news from campus this spring in the latest issue of "Mind & Heart." You'll find highlights from the jazz ensemble (pictured here at the Leavenworth Jazz Festival in May with guest artist Russell Malone), forensics team, athletics department and more! Plus, President McQuilkin reflects on the joys of Commencement Weekend.

https://www.whitworth.edu/cms/administration/president/mind-and-heart-newsletter/june-2024/

(Photo credit: Lisa Hagen Glynn)

In Whitworth’s senior capstone engineering course, engineering majors work on yearlong projects for real clients. This year, two student teams had the opportunity to design solutions in the area of nuclear safeguards research for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Read more about their successful projects on PNNL’s website.

Whitworth University Students Present Projects to Address Nuclear Safeguards Research Challenges Capstone engineering projects deliver equipment to improve accuracy of chemistry lab elutions and enhance training to safeguard critical infrastructure.

What a tree-t! Our campus has over 2,200 trees (plus many more in the Back 40!), which means we have about a 1:1 student-tree ratio.

Whitworth has earned Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for the past six years for our commitment to effective campus forest management. Tree-mendous news!

The new issue of "Whitworth Today" has landed! Enjoy stories of tenacious, big-hearted, faith-filled Whitworthians (with a dash of rabble-rousers): https://www.whitworth.edu/whitworthtoday/

We are so excited to announce bestselling author and literary biographer Joseph Pearce is coming to Whitworth! Pearce will present this year's Simpson-Duvall Lecture, "The Christianity of The Lord of the Rings," on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall's Robinson Teaching Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Critically Acclaimed Author Joseph Pearce to Visit Whitworth University Bestselling author and literary biographer Joseph Pearce will present this year’s Simpson-Duvall Lecture, “The Christianity of The Lord of t...

Even though it's officially summer here at Whitworth, our campus is still bustling with students. Not just college students, but a much younger variety as well.

In the past week, two health sciences department faculty members, Professor Matt Silvers and Instructor Justin Ulbright, have been showing 235 bio-med students from Mead, Mt. Spokane and Ridgeline high schools, as well as a group from Spokane International Academy, what health science is all about. The students spent a day learning in our labs and took a tour of the campus with some of our admissions staff to find out why Whitworth may be the perfect fit for them.

Fun fact: At one point this month, these tours coincided with regular summer classes. That meant in just one 24-hour period, Justin and Matt taught their regular summer courses to Whitworth students, then labs to high school students, and then a human anatomy and physiology class to elementary school students. Hats off to these two wonderful faculty members for the way they inspire students of all ages!

We love having members of our faculty featured every year in The Inlander Scholastic Fantastic issue. In today's paper, you'll learn all about Anthony Clark, one of our beloved history professors, and his new book "Catholicism and Buddhism: The Contrasting Lives and Teachings of Jesus and Buddha." He's had quite a whirlwind year, and his new book is fascinating. Take a look!

Whitworth historian Anthony Clark's recent book helps Buddhists and Christians acknowledge their differences in order to celebrate each other Anthony Clark speaks Mandarin fluently, studied in Beijing, and taught tai chi and kung fu for more than 15 years. Students can pop into the...

Construction gets underway at Whitworth on the new PACCAR Engineering Building. The world-class facility will enable our engineering and physics students to do in-depth work that explores, analyzes and materializes engineering solutions.

Construction Begins on Whitworth’s New PACCAR Engineering Building Construction is set to begin in late May on the new PACCAR Engineering Building at Whitworth University. The $20 million-plus, world-class f...

Remembering and honoring our brave servicemen and servicewomen who sacrificed all for our freedom.

One week until our June 1 extended deposit deadline! Future Pirates, make it official and submit your enrollment deposit today at www.whitworth.edu/deposit. We'd love to welcome you to campus this fall!

They're singing their way to the top! The Whitworth Choir and Xiaosha Lin, director of choral activities, have been selected as national finalists for the 2024 American Prize in Choral Performance and Conducting, respectively. Congratulations!

"I strive to continuously grow, not only for my own fulfillment, but also to set an example for my children. I want them to understand that regardless of life's challenges, the pursuit of education and personal development is a lifelong journey."

Lydia Roloff Logsdon '24 graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management on Saturday. Lydia made the decision to go back to college, amidst a very busy life with five children ranging in age from 6-16 and a fulltime job as a medical practice manager.

She enrolled in Whitworth's Continuing Studies program, trusting that new opportunities would emerge. They did! Lydia was just recently appointed the Inland Northwest Medical Managers Association president. Driven by mission and rooted in community, she represents the best of what a mind-and-heart education has to offer. Congratulations, Lydia!

Whitworth honored two graduates who have committed to serving in the military at our Commissioning Acknowledgment Ceremony on Friday. Matthew Verschoor ’24 has been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Cyber Corps, and Anders Johnson ’24 will be commissioned in the United States Marine Corps and plans to become a Marine Corps aviator after completing training. We are grateful for these mind-and-heart graduates’ dedication to serving our country!

We are blessed at Whitworth with wonderful counselors and interns from our master's in marriage & family therapy program. Giving them a huge shoutout during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Marshall McLean '22, M.A. '24, Counselor Intern
Quote that inspires him: “For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.”
– Viktor E. Frankl, "Man’s Search for Meaning"

Horizon Warden, Counselor Intern
Current candidate in Whitworth's Marriage & Family Therapy program
Quote: "My approach to therapy is to come along side you from a nonjudgemental perspective as you navigate every part of your life. Yes, this includes the big things, little things, and everything in between!"

See you later, graduater! We can't wait to see what's next for you. We're so proud of our undergraduate students, who were celebrated at Sunday's commencement ceremony.

Whitworth has won the Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy recognizing all-around athletics excellence! With 262 points, the Pirates reclaimed the trophy Whitworth possessed every year from 2007-08 through 2018-19. Our teams won NWC championships in football, men's basketball and men's swimming this year. Go Bucs!

Congratulations to our graduate class of 2024! We celebrated the outstanding students who earned their master's degrees at Saturday's commencement ceremony.

Congratulations to Josh McDowell ’08, who summited Mount Everest for the third time on Monday. Way to represent Whitworth at the top of the world!

Whitworth engineering and physical therapy students are teaming up to create high-tech toys for children with prosthetics. It's a first step toward creating an inclusive toy design lab at the university.

In teaching disability-inclusive engineering, Whitworth University professors hope to open lab creating inclusive toys for Spokane children Designs created by freshman engineering students at Whitworth University may one day help create toys for Spokane children with disabilities.

We’re excited to see the first graduates from Whitworth's new Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP) program walk at commencement! Designed to be completed in 10-17 months, this popular program prepares graduates to serve individuals, families and companies seeking a financially secure future. Photographed is Whitworth’s inaugural program cohort, including trustee and MSFP graduate Mark Lupton ’99, who will be leading the processional at graduate commencement on Saturday!

So proud of Karen and Will! Good luck to you both!

Giving thanks for our wonderful counselors during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Alessandra Mulroy, MSW, LICSW-A
Professional background: Group therapist at Inland Behavioral Northwest Hospital
Quote: "Fine-tuning your mind and moving past your stuck points is a challenging journey in life, but well worth it. Let's build up your toolkit, find presence in the now, and continue to help you be resilient through life's ups and downs. We will use a wellness check-in for your mind, body and spirit."

Sophie Miller, M.A., LMHC
Professional background: Counselor/Health Awareness Team Coordinator at WSU
Quote: “Something I believe is ultra important when it comes to mental health is building in time in your schedule to relax, experience flow, and decompress without obligations. That space looks different for everyone, but I believe most people would benefit from creating some time for that in their busy schedules.”

We checked seeing the northern lights off of our bucket lists on Friday night! Check out these photos taken by the Whitworth community.

Such exciting news! Whitworth University Associate Professor of Education Keith Lambert is headed to Indianapolis in June to be a swimming official at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming. This competition serves as the United States’ selection event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Congratulations, Keith! https://bit.ly/3QAVwA2

Meet Chamelle Abringe '26!

We asked Chamelle what it's like to be a health science – pre-nursing student:

"For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a nurse. My interest in nursing began when I was a young child who wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps. During my freshman year of high school, I was admitted to the hospital because of a car accident my family was involved in. I remember the care and compassion those nurses showed me. They inspired me with their dedication and ability to lift my spirits during my stay. After watching the care they provided me, I became even more fascinated with providing care and support to others during vulnerable moments. I have also been fascinated with the human body and have always wanted to promote wellness and healing.

"My favorite class I have taken so far has been Anatomy & Physiology with Justin Ulbright. Justin is a fantastic professor who is passionate about the course, inspiring students to be interested and motivated to learn. He also fosters a supportive learning environment for the success of each student.

"My dream job is to become a nurse practitioner. I plan to specialize in family practice. I want to work with people of all ages and help treat them. ... My advice to people would be to truly consider if nursing is what your heart is set for. Being a nurse requires you to be compassionate and have a genuine desire to help people. A nurse learns how to collaborate with other disciplines for the health of their patients. Also, pay attention to everything you learn because it is all relevant to the nursing career. There may be quite a lot of information, from psychology to nutrition, but in the end, it will help you be a better nurse."

It was the perfect day to “Paws for Finals” on Thursday! Students took a break from studying to hang out with Louie, Wally, Wilson, Dexter, Elliott and Mr. Clark in The Loop and enjoy temperatures in the 70s. Hosted by the HEAT (Health Education Action Team), this recurring event aims to boost students’ well-being by offering a time to relax with furry friends.