Whitman College

10/01/2026

Like natural talents, every student-athlete brings different strengths to their leadership style. Head Coaches Matt Helm (volleyball) and Michelle Voiland (women’s soccer) are part of a cohort of Whitman Blues coaches in a program designed to develop leadership skills across their teams.

“These students—whether they become executives, lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs—will draw on the skills they’re learning through athletics for a lifetime,” Voiland says.

Helm and Voiland highlight 3 leadership lessons for life:

1. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Real growth requires stepping out of your comfort zone. “When you’re faced with the toughest challenges, that’s where you grow, so run toward them,” Helm says.

2. Invest in relationships. When you prioritize people over performance, you build trust. That makes hard conversations easier—and more productive, Helm says. It pays to invest in relationships and really getting to know your teammates.

3. Own your mistakes. “Nobody is perfect. As a leader, you will make mistakes. Own them,” says Voiland. While it may feel uncomfortable, taking accountability builds trust and strengthens relationships.

Read more on our website:

Whitman’s student-athletes develop leadership skills that continue to pay off long after the game is over. Head Coaches Matt Helm and Michelle Voiland shared their insights into how they turn teammates into lifelong leaders.

09/28/2026

Leaves are starting to change color on campus, which means it's almost time for Fall for Whitman Day! 🍁 🍂 If you know a high school student that could be a future Whittie, make sure they know about this special visit event on Saturday, Oct. 17. They will get to:

Attend a class 📚
Take a tour of campus 🗺️
Get a (free!) lunch in our amazing dining hall 🍣 🧇 🍕 🌮 🥦
Peek into what could be their first room 🛏️

More details and the registration link are on our website: https://bit.ly/4z3jqIg

09/24/2026

Chemist Annie Stefanides ’18 has been exploring the ocean ever since studying abroad in Turks and Caicos as a Whitman student. Today she studies how bacteria in the ocean’s “twilight zone” metabolize nutrients in the water—research that has implications for the fate of carbon in the ocean.

Meet Annie and other young alums diving into meaningful careers in the great blue: https://www.whitman.edu/whitman-stories/whitman-magazine/fall-2026/totally-immersed-young-alums-plunge-into-the-depths-of-marine-science-and-advocacy

09/22/2026

As an intern with the Salem Arts Association, Amy Charnholm ’27 painted bright, encouraging murals at local elementary schools. But beyond making this big addition to her portfolio, she also developed more of her creative process while building skills in working with clients and project management.

09/17/2026

Measles response ✅
Health communications ✅
Computer system to help with contact tracing ✅

Each day Finn Stukerjurgen ’29 spent interning with the Polk County (IA) Health Department this summer helped him better understand the work that public health professionals do on the day-to-day and narrow down which area of public health he would like to work in.

Now he's brought that focus back to campus, working on a double major in Brain, Behavior & Cognition and Politics. He's also a member of the Blues swim team, the Cycling club and the Whitman College First Responders club.

09/08/2026

Why does scientific curiosity matter in today's world? We put this question to three members of the Whitman community — a faculty member, a current student, and an alum — and their answers, though different, converge on something worth reflecting on.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Erika Langley points out that curiosity counteracts motivated reasoning: it shifts us from defending what we already believe toward genuinely understanding what's true, which matters as much in public discourse as in the lab.

Catherine Gallo '27, a Biochemistry and Health Policy major active in Whitman's Science Outreach program, sees curiosity as the discipline of looking past face value, especially important when we're navigating conflicting information daily.

And Laura Sanchez '07, now Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, offers a perspective shaped by years of reviewing graduate applications. In the age of AI, she believes the next major breakthroughs won't come from any single field, but from the genuine curiosity that lets people synthesize ideas across disciplines and lived experience.

Three generations of the Whitman community with one shared conviction: asking good questions is more valuable than ever.

The illustrations accompanying this piece were created by current Art major Melissa Castro '27.

https://www.whitman.edu/whitman-stories/whitman-magazine/spring-2026/the-big-q-why-does-scientific-curiosity-matter-in-todays-world

09/03/2026

Hey Whitman, welcome to Walla Walla!

Join us for Whitman on Main: A Downtown Block Party on Wednesday, September 9 from 5-7pm and explore 36 participating downtown businesses and community organizations.

Here’s how it works:
- Start at Heritage Square and pick up your passport.
- Visit at least 20 participating stops throughout downtown.
- Return to Heritage Square to receive your Welcome Bag, while supplies last, and 1 entry to win a $100 Natural Grocers gift card.

$100 GIFT CARD PRIZE DRAWING: 7pm
Must be present to win.

There’s more happening at Heritage Square too, including community organizations, a 360° photo booth, music from DJ PHAZ3R, and performances by 5th Element Project, and Blue Bites food truck.

A big thank you to our event partners Whitman College, Natural Grocers, Create the Arts WA, Blackbird Creative, DJ PHAZ3R, and 5th Element Project, and to every participating business and organization helping us welcome Whitman students downtown.

See the full list of participating stops at https://downtownwallawalla.org/whitman-on-main

09/01/2026

Wishing all our students (and employees, too) a great first day of classes!

08/31/2026

We asked our newest Whitties what things they absolutely had to bring to college. Their answers ranged from soft and squishy (a stuffed axolotl, a bouldering crash pad) to essentials like a water bottle and a good book.

08/28/2026

Helpful hands and big smiles greeted our newest Whitties on Move-In Day.

Staff, coaches and students from all across campus volunteered to direct traffic, carry boxes and most of all, offer a warm Whitman welcome!