“Your daughter has Leukemia.”

Loan Lam’s parents were stunned. It was July 1999 and Loan was a few days away from celebrating her 9th birthday. The formal diagnosis: childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of cancer in children. With ALL, the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell).

Advancements in modern medicine saved her life. According to the National Cancer Institute, from 2005-2011, the five-year relative survival rates for ALL: 91.2 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years, and 92.9 percent for children younger than 5 years.

However, beating ALL requires rigorous treatments. “Pediatric … » More …

College Bound, With an Interception

Washington State University senior Spencer Anderson had always planned to attend college, perhaps even graduate school. “Both my parents graduated from college,” he said, “so secondary education was expected of me.” At WSU, Spencer majors in communication and broadcast journalism, and minors in sports management.

Spencer was born and raised in the Tri-Cities in Washington. He confessed he “wasn’t the most creative or imaginative kid growing up.” By the time he reached middle school, he’d set his sights on a … » More …

Celia Balderas
Senior, majoring in Comparative Ethnic Studies at WSU Pullman, and recipient of the Lou and Ruth Allen Pass It On scholarship, which encourages recipients to practice the Pass It On Principle: you get most for yourself when you learn to share what you receive with others.

Celia is from Pasco, Washington. She graduated from Chiawana High School and Columbia Basin College where she was a Running Start student. She is the second-oldest of seven children and will be the first in her family to attend and graduate from a university.

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Navaraj (Raj) Lamichhane
Junior, Business Administration, WSU Vancouver
International Student from Nepal
Recipient of the Stanton E. and Lana Y. Schmid Multicultural Opportunity Scholarship, which carries out WSU’s land-grant mission of accessible higher education while recognizing the commitment of former Vice President for University Affairs, Stan Schmid.

Activities:  Secretary, Associated Students of Washington State University Vancouver (ASWSUV) Senate; President, International Students’ Association at WSU Vancouver (promotes multicultural exchange of perspectives between International and American students); volunteer for campus clubs helping students with their educational needs.

What do you like best about WSU?

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Washington State University education major Kayla Davis probably never imagined homeschooling her younger siblings and working at Chuck E. Cheese for five years would help lead her toward a career in education. And yet, Kayla said the leadership, organizational, and communication skills she gained from both experiences carried over easily into her dream.

Despite being born and raised in Longview, Washington, she calls herself a “Kelso kid” having attended school in nearby Kelso. Kayla always knew she would attend college. Her mother earned a bachelor’s … » More …