Thanks to scholarships a student is on the path to achieve a childhood dream.

Since childhood, Dominic Devengenzo has loved sports. He knew he wanted to be an agent for athletes, but he wasn’t sure he could afford a college education to get the skills he needed. Thanks to the donors who are making his WSU education possible, he is taking courses at WSU that has set him on a path to achieve his goal.

As a high school student in Northern California set to graduate in 2020—in the middle of the Covid pandemic—Dominic was not able to visit most of the universities he had been accepted to, complicating the decision of choosing the right college. So he decided to call faculty members at the colleges he couldn’t visit, asking questions and listening to what they had to say.

“When I called WSU faculty, they were so welcoming and friendly and very knowledgeable. They really stood out from those I had spoken to at other colleges,” Dominic said. “It’s why I decided to come to WSU. Even though I had never been there or knew anyone from WSU, it felt right.”

But there was another complication: Dominic worried that he wouldn’t be able to afford to attend WSU. As a first-generation college student, he felt overwhelmed when he began the process of completing financial aid forms and applying for scholarships, and he didn’t know anyone who could offer advice or guide him through the process.

However, soon after he was admitted to WSU, he received notification he had been granted several scholarships covering full tuition and room and board to WSU. He could hardly believe it. He remembered how emotional he felt when he learned that he was actually going to go to Pullman—to become a Coug.

“It really was a gift. It made me think that I’m going to WSU for a reason.”

Dominic received two of the scholarships that made it possible for Dominic to attend WSU. The first was the Phillip M. and June E. Lighty Scholarship. The Lighty scholarship, endowed in 1980, was created for students who demonstrate leadership and have excelled academically. Phillip Lighty was once in a similar position to Dominic, as he was also an out-of-state student from California struggling to afford tuition.

The second scholarship came from the Carson EDGE Program, which provides financial support for first-generation students and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. This program is unique in that it doesn’t offer only financial help: it also supports students like Dominic as they transition to the demands of college life by providing mentorship, helping them develop academic skills, and involving them in opportunities to network with peers, faculty, and business professionals.

“I credit my scholarships and the EDGE program for not only allowing me to get a college education,” said Dominic, “but it has also served as the catalyst for everything I’ve accomplished during my time at WSU.”

Dominic, now a senior at WSU, is pursuing a triple major in Accounting, Finance, and Management Information Systems—all necessary skills to be an effective agent for athletes. Presently, he is mentoring other first-year students in the EDGE program. He also recruited his younger brother, Jacob Hood, back in California to attend WSU. Jacob is also in the EDGE program.

“I want to help the newest members of EDGE find their WSU community the way EDGE helped me find mine.”

In addition to supporting new Cougs as a student mentor, Dominic also plans to give back to WSU financially one day. He knows first-hand how donors’ gifts made college financially possible and how it gave him the confidence to explore opportunities that changed the trajectory of his life.

“If I could meet the donors of my scholarships, I would tell them about all the things I accomplished in my three years here. And I would love to tell them that my future is bright because of them.”