Marissa Chukwu (’18, Bio.) always dreamed of attending college to study the medical sciences and become a doctor, eventually gaining the experience to one day establish a hospital in her home country of Nigeria.

First, though, she needed to conquer a substantial hurdle: the rising cost of higher education. “I always had that problem of figuring out how to finance my way through college,” she says.

Her mother was divorced and unable to help Marissa financially. But that obstacle disappeared when Marissa enrolled at WSU and received a generous scholarship to help pay her expenses.

“My mum has always been so supportive of me and the fact … » More …

Scholarships have empowered Yuliya Baranovskaya in her studies at WSU Tri-Cities, where she has earned a place on the President’s Honor Roll each semester since her freshman year. Now a junior, Yuliya is grateful for the opportunities that keep her educational goals on track as she balances a multitude of responsibilities.

“For me, attending college is not a choice, but a must,” she says. “Working two jobs and being a full-time student was my choice, backed by necessity. In a situation like this, any extra help for tuition and school expenses is welcomed. Scholarships increased my ability to put extra time into school, which is … » More …

Thanks to the scholarships that paid most of his expenses at WSU, Adam Bakken is well-prepared for his next step in life: becoming a teacher and ultimately, working in the field of international education.

Adam will graduate in December with a double degree in Elementary Education and in Linguistics, with a Japanese minor and a Teaching English as a Foreign Language teaching certificate.

“I have always known that I want to be a teacher, instructing the future leaders of tomorrow. I now know I will do this by teaching English to non-native speakers,” he says.

Adam worked part-time while attending WSU, but scholarships made the … » More …

Avid listeners of Northwest Public Radio know her name and recognize her voice, but they are unfamiliar with what defines Janelle Mendoza’s character: a determination to overcome obstacles and graduate from WSU with two undergraduate degrees.

Janelle was facing an abrupt end to her educational journey at WSU. “I couldn’t afford many things that were essential to doing well in school, such as purchase books or even pay tuition, which held me back from registering in classes,” she recalls.

Her parents had been borrowing the money to help pay for tuition, fees, books, and housing. But financial pressures increased dramatically when her family was no … » More …