A newsletter for alumni & friends

Dear Alumni & Friends:

This is always an exciting time for the Admission team and for the Whitman community as we welcome a new entering class of Whitties to campus.  To lead off the September Whittie News, it’s my pleasure to tell you about the talented class of 2027 that just moved in to begin their lifelong Whitman journey.

The class of 2027 comprises 455 first-year students handpicked from a record 6,238 applicants for admission. They averaged a 3.77 unweighted high school grade point average and 29 had a perfect 4.0. Whitman was also a popular destination for transfer students – we welcomed 26 transfer students from a wide variety of colleges, ranging from community colleges (Walla Walla CC, Bellevue College, Pasadena City College ) to liberal arts colleges (Reed, Macalester, Smith) to large universities (WSU, UC Davis, McGill).

By many measures, this class is the most diverse in the College’s history.  32% of the class identifies as students of color.  As I write to you today from a recruiting trip in China, I can report that international students representing 43 countries make up 14% of the class. We drew students from 34 states and two sovereign tribal nations, and welcomed 20 students from the Walla Walla valley (the highest total in recent memory).

Read more about the Class of 2027.

The Board of Trustees and President Sarah Bolton invite you to celebrate the power of a Whitman education and the difference our graduates make in the world.  Together, we will launch an ambitious campaign to uplift current and future generations of students.  Save the dates and plan to join the Whitman family for gatherings at these locations: 

Oct. 12–14: Whitman Campus
Oct. 17: Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 18: San Francisco, CA
Oct. 26: Portland, OR
Nov. 2: Denver, CO
Nov. 8: Seattle, WA
Jan. 10: New York, NY
Jan. 11: Washington, DC

This past year, Whitman student-athletes excelled greatly in their respective arenas and beyond. During the 2022–2023 season, 14 Blues squads garnered both team and individual academic honors for their spectacular work in the classroom. 

Eleven Whitties dedicated to the study of Mandarin Chinese boarded a plane in May to study for six weeks in Taiwan led by Whitman College faculty members Xiaobo Yuan (Anthropology) and Wencui Zhao (South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies). Read more about this inaugural Whitman program in Taiwan, the first Whitman faculty-led academic trip offered by Off-Campus Studies since the end of the pandemic.

“Whitman alumni are so dedicated to this institution, and they’re very interested in helping the next generation of students move into their professional arena,”says Kim Rolfe, Co-Director of the college’s Career and Community Engagement Center.

Read about the new program connecting Whitman students to alumni working in finance.

Join your friends for a weekend of reconnecting, reminiscing and making new memories - September 21-24! See the schedule of events and register to attend before prices increase this Friday at 5 p.m.

Whitman Residence Life former staff, friends and family are invited to celebrate the accomplishments and impact of Nancy Tavelli, longtime Director of Residence Life & Housing.

Whitman Blues alumni, fans and friends are invited to golf on the beautiful Walla Walla Country Club Course in support of all 17 of Whitman's varsity athletic teams.

Join fellow Whitties for the annual All In for Whitman days of giving on October 25th & 26th!

Support the Whitman Fund--including Scholarships, Internships, DEI, and more--as we seek 1,500 donors over two days. Gifts raised enhance the exceptional liberal arts education offered to all Whitties on campus.

Ready to help current students right now? Be an early supporter of The Whitman Fund this fiscal year and check back on Oct 25 & 26 to share why you give back!

If you missed the first Virtual Alumni Event of the new academic year, the recording is available now in our online archive! Watch the lively conversation with five professors who are advising and teaching courses in Whitman's new concentration in Human-Centered Design.

If you're looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a current Whitman student, Whitman Connect is the place to do it - and we offer a Mentor Handbook to help! The handbook outlines your role & responsibility as mentor, provides general tips and guidance, and includes a high-level timeline. Once you've completed your profile setup, head to the Resources tab and get started!

Attention all cluster and milestone reunion classes--now is the ideal time to make your Reunion Gift! 

Whether or not you are able to join your classmates in Walla Walla later this month, alumni from all reunion classes can be a part of the celebration with a gift to The Whitman Fund. Your support, combined with that of your classmates, creates an outsized impact for current students. 

Your gift will be totaled with those of your classmates to recognize the generosity of each reunion class. Be sure to make your Reunion Gift before the festivities get underway later this month!

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