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Central Washington University Foundation

The Central Washington University Foundation Assists Promising Students With The Gift of Private Fun

The Central Washington University Foundation is a partnership of committed staff working in concert with donors, alumni, friends, and the university community to raise funds that support the students, faculty, and programs at Central Washington University.

08/27/2026

CWU Dining Services earned two national honors at this year's NACUFS conference in New Orleans: a Gold for Employee Development Program of the Year and a Silver for Innovative Dining Program of the Year.

The Gold award recognizes the Student Leadership Program, introduced in 2020, which gives student employees a structured path to advance, take on mentorship roles, and develop real professional skills. With more than 300 student employees, the program has grown into something bigger than its original goals.

"It keeps getting more and more relevant to supporting that career readiness that we aspire to for our students," said Dining Services Director Dean Masuccio. "A good amount of them continue their employment with us after graduation as a starting point for their careers, which is so rewarding to see."

The Silver for Innovative Dining recognized a program built on consistent listening—meeting regularly with student leadership to understand what the campus community needs and staying flexible enough to deliver it.

"Our team really cares about what they do, and our mission to serve our campus," Masuccio said. "This is a good reminder for us that our work matters, and that we're succeeding in what we're trying to accomplish."

Link below for the full story.

https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/08/cwu-dining-services-recognized-with-pair-of-national-awards

08/17/2026

Two years ago, Hannah Campbell describes herself as a wallflower who wasn't looking to get involved. One class changed that.

An intro to sustainability course with Dr. Susan Kaspari opened up a new direction for the geography student, and she followed it hard: Senator for Sustainability with ASCWU, leadership roles with the Environmental Club and Geography Club, and eventually a class project that turned into something real. In her Sustainability 301 course, Campbell and two classmates proposed a peer-to-peer program to teach students about sustainability and land stewardship. Rather than let the idea end with the semester, she carried it into the Sustainability Office and helped stand up the new Student Sustainability Ambassador position, a role she held for six quarters alongside fellow students Brooke Cruz and Caydence Hesch.

"I pretty much created my own job, which feels pretty cool to say," Campbell said. "It felt really awesome to work with the Sustainability Office to get the program off the ground and build some real momentum. We are proud that we were able to leave such a lasting impact."

Campbell graduated this year with two sustainability awards and a keynote at SOURCE behind her. The ambassador program she helped build stays behind too, with a new team of students carrying it forward.

Read her full story at the link below.
https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/07/student-sustainability-ambassador-program-pioneer-leaves-her-mark-at-cwu.php

08/11/2026

A tragedy in Cameroon. A soccer camp in Ellensburg. A health clinic that's been saving lives since 2017.

Blaise Dondji, a CWU biological sciences professor, was 12 years old when his mother died after giving birth, unable to reach a hospital in time. Decades later, working as a scientist at Yale, a conversation with a friend pushed him to act on the promise he'd made himself as a boy: build a clinic so no other family in Bawa would face the same loss.

Dondji brought that mission with him when he joined CWU in 2008. Since 2013, his Bawa Soccer Camp has drawn Ellensburg kids by the hundreds, with proceeds funding the Bawa Health Clinic he built back home. This year's camp ran June 30 to July 2, backed by local businesses including Shirtworks, Utopia, and Domino's.

This is what CWU faculty carry into the world: expertise, purpose, and an impact that stretches from Ellensburg to Central Africa. Read Dondji's full story at the link below.
https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/07/cwu-professor-saving-lives-in-cameroon-through-his-love-of-soccer.php

08/04/2026

Central Washington University just closed out its most generous fiscal year on record: $13.17 million in gifts and commitments from more than 3,000 donors, supporting scholarships, student programs, athletics, and endowments across campus.

For students, that generosity is anything but abstract. The Wildcat Promise scholarship covers the gap between financial aid and the full cost of attendance, $5,000 a year for up to four years, and for first-generation student Zahid Antonio Romero Ramirez, it's what's keeping his plans for a double major in economic forecasting and accounting on track.

"My best teachers have come from this institution," Romero Ramirez said, "and I aspire to be as positively influential as they were on me, as well as to bring value to those around me with my work and ideas."

This year also marked the 10th anniversary of , CWU's annual day of giving. Through Direct the Dollars, 200 students got to direct real donor funds toward the campus initiatives that mattered most to them, 605 donors in total raised more than $140,000 for 42 student and campus projects. Endowed funds at the CWU Foundation now total roughly $58 million, a resource that will keep supporting Wildcats for generations.

"This record year is a powerful reminder of what can happen when community comes together for student success," said Paul Elstone, vice president for University Advancement.

Read the full story at the link below.
https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/07/cwu-donors-deliver-record-breaking-year-of-support.php

07/27/2026

Ethan McKune graduated high school in 2021 unsure if college was even the right path. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, and it wasn't until he heard about Army ROTC scholarships at Central Washington University that he decided to give college a try.

He arrived on campus in fall 2022 still uncertain, but a strong sophomore year in ROTC earned him a scholarship."That made a huge difference for the rest of my time there," McKune said.

A political science class he took to fulfill a general education requirement changed his direction entirely. He graduated last month with a degree in political science and a minor in military science, and he starts a new role as a corrections officer with the Washington Department of Corrections in August, hoping the experience will one day support work in prison reform.

His advice for anyone on the fence about college: "Just go for it. You won't regret it."

Read the full story: https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/07/change-of-heart-gives-political-science-graduate-an-optimistic-outlook.php

07/20/2026

Some news worth celebrating from Central Washington University: the Child Life graduate program has earned a national endorsement from the Association of Child Life Professionals, joining just nine programs across the country with this distinction.

Child life specialists work in children's hospitals, helping kids and families cope with illness, injury, and everything that comes with a hospital stay. It's a career that demands a lot: national certification, specialized training, and a competitive four-month internship.

That's exactly where this endorsement helps. It clears the path for Central's students to pursue certification and land those hard-to-get internships.

"This is really exciting for us because our students now have a streamlined process that will allow them to obtain certification as a CCLS," said Professor Amy Claridge, who has led the program since 2014.

Central is the only child life program in the Northwest, and it's building a national reputation, thanks to dedicated faculty, hands-on partnerships with local healthcare providers, and donors who help students get through training that would otherwise be out of reach.

Read the full story and see the students in action: https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/07/national-endorsement-raises-profile-of-cwus-child-life-graduate-program.php

07/13/2026

Small program, mighty results!

Huge congratulations to the CWU Film and Communication students who took home FOUR wins at the 63rd annual NATAS Northwest Regional Emmy Awards in Seattle! From showcasing local history in "Bringing Fish Back" to collaborating on PULSE Magazine’s “Boots & Boogie,” our students proved their storytelling is among the best in the Pacific Northwest.

Milestones like this highlight what happens when donor generosity meets student passion. Philanthropic support provides the high-end gear and hands-on learning opportunities that allow Wildcats to excel on a professional stage.

Thank you to our incredible donor community for investing in the future of CWU’s talented creators and communicators!

Click https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/06/cwu-film-communication-students-take-home-regional-emmy-awards.php to read more.

07/06/2026

When you invest in Wildcat excellence, the results speak for themselves!

Huge congratulations to the student media team at PULSE Magazine for taking home a national Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists! Reporter Charlotte Zombro’s feature story, “Saving Chimps,” won top honors in the Science and Environmental Reporting category.

National milestones like this are a direct reflection of the hands-on, high-impact learning experiences made possible through philanthropic support. By providing the resources to take education beyond the classroom, our donors help CWU students achieve incredible heights.

Click https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/06/pulse-magazine-story-earns-national-mark-of-excellence-award.php to read more.

06/29/2026

The 2026 Wildcat Gala and Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony brought together 152 supporters on May 2 to honor five distinguished inductees and raise critical funds for CWU student-athletes.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the evening raised over $155,000, directly funding scholarships, team resources, and program needs. A special thank you to Jean and Joe Adams, whose sweepstakes donation of $5,000 went directly to Wildcat Women's Basketball.

Events like these are only possible because of people who believe in the student-athlete experience. Thank you for investing in the future of CWU Athletics.

Click https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/05/athletic-hall-of-fame-ceremony-celebrates-excellence-generosity.php to read more.

06/22/2026

The CWU Paramedicine program is back and stronger than ever.

The program is seeing a 113% increase in applicants compared to recent years, a 95% retention rate, and a 100% job placement rate. New offerings like the state's only critical care program and cutting-edge ultrasound and VR training are setting a new standard for paramedicine education in Washington.

The comeback has even caught national attention. Program Director Emily Gonzalez recently presented CWU as a case study in program rehabilitation at the National EMS Accreditation Conference.

CWU Paramedicine is back on top, and they're just getting started.

Click https://www.cwu.edu/about/media-resources/news/2026/06/revamped-cwu-paramedicine-program-re-establishing-itself-as-a-leader.php to read more about the CWU Paramedicine program.

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Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

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