"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
-W.B. Yeats
WWU Scholarship Recipient Yonas Ambaye celebrates his graduation in March, 2019.
BE THE CHANGE
At Western, we believe in the power of change and our ability, individually and collectively, to bring change. Here is your opportunity to help change lives, families and communities, and the world. Join us in making waves for Student Success by making a gift to these impactful University-Wide funds:
Make Waves Scholarship Fund
FACT: Over 44 million Americans currently owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. Ouch. That’s roughly $620 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt.
Scholarships help alleviate staggering debt faced by Western students.
FACT: College graduation rates for low-income and minority students are 20 percentage points lower than the rest of the population. We think we have a moral imperative to change that.
Scholarships help high-achieving students from under-served populations who desire to Make Waves at Western…and beyond.
Make Waves Study Abroad Experiences
FACT: Globalization is changing how we live and work, and employers are increasingly looking for skilled workers who have cross-cultural experience and understanding. College should not be a comfort zone.
With your support, students can study abroad for a few weeks, or a full quarter, and have experiences that open their minds and help them practice adapting to changing circumstances while learning in cross-cultural settings.
Make Waves Student Research & Creative Opportunities
FACT: Summer research and creative experiences enhance intellectual skills, communication and teamwork.
Supporting student research allows us to support innovation and to pay a stipend to students for the hours they spend researching, usually over a ten week period. It’s not only a great summer job, but a resume booster too.
The Western Fund
FACT: We don't have a crystal ball.
President Sabah Randhawa uses gifts to the Western Fund to meet areas of greatest need and emergent funding requests so our faculty and students can seize opportunities for travel, research and other scholarly activities as they arise. Recent examples include an investment in an adviser to help students apply for Fulbright awards, emergency grants to our neediest students and support for a project honoring the forgotten female poet, Ella Higginson.
