From the president
Jonathan Becker, a third-year student at Whitman College, is a leader active in addressing issues of accessibility, voting rights, environmental stewardship, and community connection. He has internalized the importance of community and the collective responsibility we all have to support one another. He cares deeply about the work he is doing, and thinks deeply about how his actions relate to equity and inclusion for all. Jonathan is currently serving as the student leader for Project Sidewalk—a student-led volunteer program that partners with the Blue
Mountain Mobility Action Group to identify issues that impede access and movability for pedestrians in our local community. Additionally, he has served as the student community engagement leader for DEI and volunteer recruitment and the leader for the Walla Walla Stream Team–a student-led volunteer program centered around environmental sustainability and stream habitat restoration. He is committed to building community and confronting societal inequities in a truly unique way that is gentle, honest, humble, and unwavering.
Personal Statement
Some describe Walla Walla as “the town so nice, they named it twice.” I resonate with this characterization and am beyond grateful for the opportunity to call Walla Walla home. My work centers on creating mutually beneficial relationships between Whitman College and Walla Walla. I have done this work in a variety of settings, including in my current role as Community Engagement Leader for DEI and Volunteer Recruitment. In this role, I help to assure that our volunteer programs are accessible and provide student volunteers with the support they need to be successful in our eight different volunteer programs. I also have led Project Sidewalk, a volunteer program focused on sidewalk accessibility throughout our region, the Stream Team, a program focused on riparian habitat restoration, and a series of voter registration drives on campus. Outside of these leadership roles, I have served as a volunteer for Buddy Program, a program that connects Whitman students to members of the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network, Story Time, a program that promotes literacy in local elementary schools and daycares, and OPTIn! Tutoring, a program that focuses on tutoring local high school students.