Commencement Speaker Cecilia Kang '94, HCD News & Alumni Affinity Networks!

A newsletter for alumni & friends • June 2024

Dear Alumni and Families:

Commencement always brings a meaningful cap to the academic year as we celebrate our graduating seniors and welcome them into the alumni community.

The New York Times technology reporter Cecilia Kang ‘94 delivered an inspiring address, calling the class of 2024 “the greatest comeback kids in history” and encouraging them to “double down on their humanness” in the face of rising AI. We know a Whitman education provides a strong foundation for doing just that.

We’re grateful for the generosity of Matt Osborne ‘93 and the late George Osborne ‘66 for their Upward Together Campaign philanthropy to strengthen community and residential life through health and safety investments in our fraternity chapter houses. The Osbornes are among 14,053 valued donors making an impact for students through gifts of all sizes to the Upward Together Campaign.

Summer is quiet on our campus, but it’s a time of anticipation to renew our work of preparing young people to be the leaders and thinkers our communities need. You make this good work possible. Thank you!

Steve Setchell
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

More than 300 graduates—and their families and friends—had their moment to celebrate well-earned diplomas at Whitman College’s 138th Commencement. Cecilia Kang, Whitman alum and award-winning National Correspondent at The New York Times, delivered the Commencement speech.

A gift from Matt Osborne ’93 and the late George Osborne ’66, along with an investment from Whitman College, will fund $900,000 in fraternity housing upgrades this summer. Learn more.

In the last 15 years, more than 500 Whitman students have earned prestigious fellowships and grants. This year was no different, with over a dozen successful applicants who excelled in the areas of academic achievement, leadership and community engagement.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded Whitman College nearly $150,000 to develop new curricula for the Human-Centered Design concentration. The NEH grant will provide two years of support for faculty to design, refine, enhance and implement the core components of the program.

Enjoy the Spring 2024 edition of Whitman Magazine. This community-themed issue celebrates the stories of caring humans who are there for others and each other.

Cameron Conner ’20 was a student leader passionate about making a difference. As a Watson Fellow, Conner examines how communities come together to meet their needs. See his path.

Leigh Ann Lucero and her husband created a scholarship endowment to help make a Whitman education accessible for students of all walks of life. Read more.

The Alumni Office recognizes that class year is not the only way Whitties relate to their peers—ties to identity, background and interests can run deeper. We are looking for graduates with similar lived experiences to jumpstart alumni affinity networks to:

- Meet and learn from Whitties across generations

- Host in-person identity-based gatherings both regionally and (potentially) on campus

- Help determine what is needed from the college to support each affinity

Fill out this form to let us know you're interested!

Whitman's new Human-Centered Design concentration seeks alumni mentors for the 2024-25 academic year. Visiting mentors will lead class meetings, offer workshops, and advise students and faculty. Work will be primarily remote, with some campus visits. Visiting mentors will be compensated as 1099 contractors. Apply now.

Award-winning technology journalist, Cecilia Kang ’94, urges Whitman College graduates to “be human.”

More than 300 graduates crossed the stage cheered on by joyful families and friends. Speaker Cecilia Kang ’94, an award-winning National Correspondent at The New York Times, took to the podium 30 years after her own Whitman graduation day and shared wisdom and practical tips in her inspiring Commencement address