Spring 2019
News articles
President’s Letter – Spring 2019
My Dear Fellow Alumni and Friends, It is my honor to write this issue’s opening letter. I am a 2011 and 2013 graduate of Eastern Oregon University, and the current President of the EOU Alumni Association Board of Directors. It has been my pleasure to work with the Alumni Association for the last six years,...
Social butterfly
EOU outpaces all other regional and technical universities in Oregon with the fastest growing fanbase on Facebook and Instagram. A significant part of this growth comes from the work of art and anthropology student Berenice Chavez, who served as social media intern for admissions throughout 2018-19.
Finding their voices
Seven hours earlier they wouldn’t have taken the risk, but by 3 p.m. on the second Saturday of March, dozens of youngsters lined up to read their freshly written work. Poems, skits, short stories and essays resounded through EOU’s McKenzie Theatre as teachers and peers listened to the many new works crafted at the 2019...
One step at a time
The iconic Grand Staircase at EOU has touched generations of students and community members as a link between campus and downtown La Grande. Anne (Hanford) Olson remembers when graduation and Evensong took place on the steps. As the ceremony concluded, graduates carried their lit candles (the light of knowledge) out into the community. Today, the...
Finished degree gives others a strong start
By Katy Nesbitt When Angelica Fuentes, ’18, enrolled at EOU, she found an institution that invested in her career and success as an individual. An early childhood education professional, Fuentes attended Treasure Valley Community College and EOU in a variety of non-traditional ways – online from home and by taking intensive weekend classes on the...
Writing off the page
When Sandra (Ellston) Mason’s husband passed away in 2008, she decided to commemorate him with a gift to the EOU Foundation that would bear his name in perpetuity. The Carl and Sandra Ellston Ars Poetica Literary Lecture Series invites professional writers to visit campus in La Grande each term, where they read from published work,...
A winning team
Anji Weissenfluh, ’94, hates to lose. But it’s all right because the long-time women’s basketball coach and athletic director rarely does it. EOU’s all-time winningest coach and the CCC’s 2017-18 Athletic Director of the Year said she’s driven by a fear of failure more than a love for trophies. That humility grounds Weissenfluh, who said...
Closing the gap
New advocate gives sexual assault survivors options Privilege means more than special treatment for Tyana Musrasrik, ’18. In her new role as Privileged Campus Advocate at EOU, it signifies her ability to provide resources and services while keeping information confidential. Musrasrik, who earned her degree in social welfare, has an on-campus office, but technically works...
The science of success
EOU alum’s company brings jobs, medical services to rural regions By Katy Nesbitt More than 3,500 healthcare providers throughout the Pacific Northwest depend on Interpath Laboratory for timely and accurate results — often overnight. Alumna Judy Kennedy, ’88, leads the company alongside her husband Tom. Headquartered in Pendleton, Interpath’s three healthcare companies employ over 1,000...
Growing strong
Alumnae lead workforce development programs in Morrow County One of Oregon’s most rural counties is home to one of its fastest growing centers of commerce. The Port of Morrow is the second largest port in the state, but the county’s population density is less than six people per square mile. And developing its growing workforce...
Waiting on the DAWN
Judy Cornish, ’99, was a divorced mother of three when a friend talked her into registering for community college in Coos Bay. “I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship where I was told how stupid I was for 16 years,” she said. “And I was convinced I was going to flunk out.” She...
Living in Neon
Rebels on homemade motorbikes clash with gleaming cyborgs in the cyberpunk landscape of Neon District. The soon-to-be-released video game is the brainchild of Blockade Games CEO Marguerite deCourcelle, ’09. Hidden riddles and surprise attacks await players in the painterly tech-noir environment.
