The Engaged Scholar Spring 2025
Community Engagement: An Essential Coug Experience
The WSU Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) exists to help students to achieve one of the most vital parts of the Coug Experience: community engagement. Community engagement helps students connect with their community, grow their personal and professional skills, foster critical thinking, and inspire them to make a positive impact when they graduate.
This spring, the CCE collaborated with 60 faculty and staff, resulting in over 2,700 students in 87 courses and 2 co-curricular leadership programs actively engaged in community engaged learning. WSU Pullman, Vancouver, and Global students in service-learning courses contributed over 24,000 hours of service throughout the spring semester. This demonstrates the faculty and students’ commitment to personal growth and applying classroom learning in real-world contexts
Join the CCE and WSU campus and community from across the system to learn more about WSU’s Carnegie Community Engagement classification and the inspiring stories happening across the state! Register for the Community Engagement Summit on May 12th from 9:00-11:00 am on Zoom. Additionally, we will announce the inaugural Partners of Innovation: Community Engaged Learning Award winners during the event. This award was developed in partnership with the WSU Office of the Provost.
Enriching Student Learning Through Engagement
We're excited to share that the GivePulse community engagement platform is now integrated with Canvas! This new feature allows faculty and students across all campuses to connect with community service opportunities, track service hours, and reflect on their experiences, all within Canvas. We encourage faculty to follow these simple steps and edit their Canvas course settings, making GivePulse visible and accessible to students directly within their course space. This helps ensure students can fully engage with community-based learning opportunities through the integrated platform.
English 402 and TerraGraphics International Foundation
This semester, students in Dr. David Martin’s English 402: Professional Writing class collaborated with TerraGraphics International Foundation, an environmental nonprofit based in Moscow, Idaho, that assists with environmental cleanup efforts throughout the world.
TerraGraphics is currently working with local government of Karakalpakstan, a semiautonomous region of Uzbekistan. TerraGraphics asked English 402 students to assist them with developing materials for their project with Karakalpakstan authorities that is tackling the water access problems due to the disappearance of the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea, once the third largest lake in the world, has lost over 90% of its surface area since the mid-20th century due to mismanagement of irrigation water upstream. UN Secretary General António Guterres called the disappearance of the Aral Sea “probably the biggest ecological catastrophe of our time.”
English 402 students helped TerraGraphics with their Aral Sea project by creating a user manual for the XRF handheld elemental analyzer. TerraGraphics uses the XRF to determine which dangerous elements are present in sites near the Aral Sea and requested that students create a user-friendly manual for local members of the public without scientific training. The team at TerraGraphics were very pleased with the manual that the students created, even stating that they were in the process of having the manual translated into Russian before their next trip to the area in May.
Computer Science 423: Softwear Design Projcet II and Boost Collaborative
Curtis Voeks with Boost Collaborative Application
Computer Science students Alex Lopez-Garcia, Chetanye Maheshwari, Kyle Tilley, and Curtis Voeks from Dr. Parteek Kumar’s Computer Science 421 and 423 classes worked from Fall 2025 through Spring 2025 semester to create a mobile survey feedback and analysis application for Boost Collaborative.
Eric Hoyle, Boost Collaborative’s executive director, said that they will use this application to conduct in-person surveys with clients starting immediately. Boost currently plans on using Android tablets for the application, but is considering putting it on employees’ company mobile devices as well. The application has a user-friendly interface allowing easy survey creation, real-time data collection, and secure storage with encrypted data.
Boost employees will be able to edit survey questions and see real-time feedback from their clients. This is the second collaboration between Eric Hoyle and Dan Moore on behalf of Boost Collaborative with the WSU Computer Science department. Both hope to continue this collaboration in the future.
WSU Global: Student Leadership & Engagement
The Spring 2025 cohort of the Global Cougar Leadership Program, a leadership development initiative with a strong civic engagement component led by the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), consisted of eight participants actively engaging in leadership development and community service.
A key highlight was the community engagement presentations facilitated by CCE graduate assistant Oluyemisi Oloniyo, who led three interactive sessions over the six-week workshop. The final session, Perspective Taking and Servant Leadership, held on March 5, emphasized the importance of understanding diverse viewpoints and leading through service.
Participants actively contributed to meaningful discussions and reflections, deepening their understanding of civic leadership. As part of their leadership development, they also completed hands-on community service projects, including:
Send a Letter: A Million Thanks – Writing heartfelt letters to express gratitude to military members.
Decorate Sack Suppers - Kid’s Food Basket – Supporting efforts to provide meals to children in need.
Reflecting on his experience, Abidiel Figueroa shared how his civic engagement journey shaped his perspective:
I think the biggest takeaway is realizing how much appreciation these letters bring. It’s something small, but it really matters to those receiving it.”
He further emphasized the personal impact of civic engagement:
Community engagement does not only impact people, but also at the same time makes you feel enriched. You'll feel that you've really contributed to something greater than yourself.”
On how this initiative aligns with leadership and civic engagement, he noted:
... because it’s about connecting and engaging with others, which is quite important. And as a person and, most often, as a leader, it's always good to serve.”
This program exemplifies how civic engagement fosters both personal and community growth, reinforcing the mission of WSU’s Center for Civic Engagement.
Building Capacity Through Community Partners
WSU students learned alongside a diverse group of community partners who served as co-educators in their academic journey. We extend our heartfelt thanks to these organizations for their generous collaboration, mentorship, and commitment to student growth through real-world learning experiences.
Community Partners Supported by WSU Students - Spring 2025
WSU Global
| Community Partner | Service Hours |
| Online or Onsite: White Spring Ranch Museum/Archive Library | 33 |
| Letters to Foster Children | 24 |
| One Life | 13 |
| Free Clinic of Southwest Washington | 14 |
| Catholic Charities Eastern Washington | 15 |
| Habitat for Humanity Snohomish | 16 |
"Writing this letter was a chance to focus on reassurance and positivity, aiming to remind children of their inner strength and the support they have around them."
-Mia Bryant, WSU Global student
WSU Vancouver
| Community Partner | Service Hours |
| Free Clinic of Southwest Washington | 14 |
| Friends of Trees | 18 |
| Watershet Alliance of SW Washington | 65 |
| City of Vancouver Volunteer Programs | 89 |
"Working with Friends with Trees was a great experience personally and educationally. While doing the work, it made me think about what I was going and what I could have been doing. It seemed more impactful to be contributing to something that others benefited from and made me feel good to be a a part of that. The experience also taught me how to plant a tree. It is more than just putting a tree in a hole and covering it with soil. The people were very nice, helpful, and patient. It was overall a great experience."
-Porecha Browning, WSU Vancouver student
WSU Pullman
| Community Partner | Service Hours |
| Food Distribution at Community Action | 646 |
| Haunted Palouse and Palouse Chamber of Commerce | 304 |
| City of Pullman Recreation | 229 |
| Council on Aging and Human Services | 213 |
| Community Action Center | 197 |
| Lauren McCluskey Foundation | 147 |
| Pullman Civic Trust | 134 |
"This service-learning project has allowed me to connect with communities of people I normally wouldn't have while at college. Working with families and individuals that need more help in day-to-day life will help me as a veterinarian by building compassion and understanding for clients while allowing me to connect better with a variety of people."
-Hannah Rhee, WSU Pullman student
Amanda Robinson enjoying the outdoors
New Staff Introductions
We’re thrilled to introduce the CCE’s new Community Partnerships Coordinator. Amanda Robinson, who is dedicated to building meaningful relationships and enhancing collaboration.
Amanda recently moved to Pullman after completing her PhD in German Literature and Culture at the University of Oregon, specifically with a focus on Women's and Gender Studies. She has lived abroad in Venda, South Africa as a Peace Corps education volunteer and has spent time studying and interning abroad in Germany and Austria.
Amanda enjoys travelling and living in new places while connecting with the local community. When not on campus, Amanda can be found cycling on the many gravel roads in the area or exploring the outdoors by foot.
Research & Creative Activities Spotlight
In March, at the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) 2025, Androu Luzader, Cougar Food Pantry assistant, showcased his research with Cougar Food Pantry Coordinator Merri LeCoq and sociologists Dr. Julie Kmec and Dr. Sarah Whitley.
The project, Campus Hunger: Bridging the Food Security Gap with Student Experiences, used a mixed methods approach combining qualitative semi-structured interviews, skill specific surveys, and a state-wide survey from the Washington State Achievement Council to define students’ experiences with food, evaluate areas for interventions instead of treatments like food pantries, and compare the effectiveness of university efforts across the state for food insecurity.
Contact the Center for Civic Engagement at cce@wsu.edu for an accessible version of the SURCA poster.
Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities(SURCA) 2025.
Engagement News & Awards
The most recent issue of the WSU Campus Connection can be found here.
We're so proud to celebrate the outstanding students, staff, and community partners whose dedication to leadership and community service has earned them well-deserved recognition and awards!
Chancellor’s Award for Leadership
- Grace Sauvage — President’s Award for Leadership
- Katelyn Smith — Chancellor’s Award for Leadership
- Kaylee Hoffmann — Distinguished Leader Award
- Sandra Alvarez — Distinguished Leader Award
- Anthony Le — Distinguished Leader Award
- Phoenix Conservancy — Distinguished Leader Award, Community Partner Category
- Disability Action Center — Distinguished Leader Award, Community Partner Category
From left to right: CCE student employees Anthony Le, Katelyn Smith, Sandra Alvarez, Grace Sauvage, and Kaylee Hoffmann
Grace Sauvage with WSU Pullman Chancellor David Cillay
Student Employee of the Year Award
-
Olivia Lizarraga, Student Employee of the Year Nominee
-
Grace Sauvage, Student Employee of the Year Honorable Mention
-
Ashe Walker, Student Employee of the Year Nominee
CCE student employees Olivia Lizarraga, Grace Sauvage, and Ashe Walker with CCE Student Engagement Coordinator Dave Jones
Gail McNeilly, Council on Aging and Human Services
Women of Distinction Award
-
Gail McNeilly– Community Partner Category, Council on Aging and Human Services
-
Oluyemisi Oloniyo, Graduate Student Category, CCE Graduate Assistant
-
Jessica Perone, Staff Category, CCE Assistant Director of Engaged Learning
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
-
Olivia Corona, 2025 Student Voting Honor Roll
2025 Western Region Community Engaged Professional Award, Continuums of Service Conference
-
Jessica Perone, CCE Assistant Director of Engaged Learning
Top 10 Senior Award: Community Service
-
Eva Sheffler participated in over 85 hours of community service projects throughout 2023-2025 including her active role with Palouse Habitat for Humanity, Boost Collaborative, Palouse Land Trust, Palouse Discovery Science Center, and Regency Senior Living. Additionally, Eva has devoted time to mentoring and assisting youth at Jefferson Elementary School and participating in community events such as Haunted Palouse.
- Amy Robbins, CCE Community Programs Coordinator, has been elected the Chair of the Administrative Professional Advisory Council (APAC) for the 2025-26 academic year.
Oluyemisi Oloniyo, CCE Graduate Assistant with Jessica Perone, CCE Assistant Director of Engagement Learning.
Student Quotes
Participating in the Kids’ Food Basket community service project, decorating paper lunch bags for kids, was an uplifting and stimulating experience. What I thought was going to be the simple task of writing inspiring messages and drawing creative designs with color ended up being a lot more impactful than I thought. It reminded me of the power of small acts of kindness and how it can impact others.
-Melissa Matatorres, WSU Global
Since starting my service, I've learned how to be more efficient and independently helpful.
I've learned that a successful community is one that encourages empathy and integrity. Being part of a community connects back to the idea of a balance of serving and being served; there will always be someone on each side in an effective community. A community is a support system and should feel safe to fall back on when needed.
-Hannah Rhee, Honors 211: Introduction to Community Engagement
I have gained a lot from my service at Family Promise of the Palouse, mostly in ways I did not expect. I have a deeper and more whole understanding of what it is like for a person to experience homelessness, especially to experience homelessness with a child or multiple children. I am so grateful to have learned this, and it has gifted me a more profound sense of empathy for people in situations of homelessness, food insecurity, and more.
-Jessica Lewellen, Honors 212, Active and Immersive Community Engagement
This volunteer experience was very enjoyable. I loved being able to interact with the students in Mr. Haynes' fifth grade classroom during their time making Valentine's Day boxes. This experience provided me with a lot of insight into classroom activities and routine.
-Kate Wright, Teaching and Learning 301.
I enjoyed being able to apply the information I have learned thus far in class to a project serving a greater purpose to the scientific community.
-Abby Schoenleber, BIO 308: Marine Biology, WSU Vancouver.
We planted live stakes in and around wetlands/ponds and helped set up birdhouses. It was impressive and rewarding to see how much we could accomplish with many hands doing work.
-Ryan Barnes, PSYCH 105: Introductory Psychology.
I had a great experience volunteering at the Hope Center. The staff are very friendly and make your time there worthwhile. My partner and I volunteered together and spent hours color sorting clothes and rearranging them by size, which was a lot of work, but I gained a great hands-on experience in retail!
-Katherine Kristiansen, AMDT 210: Textiles.
This has been the best community service project I have done. It has been a treat getting to write to my pen friend in first grade and really feel connected to them and feel like I am making a difference in this small town. I would 100% do it again.
-Olivia Dicker, Pen Friends, WSU Pullman.