Whitworth Student Makenna Falkenstein-Barker Receives Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award
Each year, the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good asks its member institutions to select two students to receive the President’s and Chancellor’s Student Civic Leadership Awards for their campus. Falkenstein-Barker and fellow student Esther Ng ’24 received the awards in that category. From those nearly 100 award winners, the governor’s office then selected several students, including Falkenstein-Barker, to also receive the Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award.
“I never thought that I could receive recognition for doing something that I just love to do,” Falkenstein-Barker says. “This goes to show that you can truly put your passion into action. In my three years of being a community engagement advocate at the Dornsife Center for Community Engagement, I have grown significantly. The Dornsife Center has taught me the pathways to engage with the Spokane community and the impact we can have when we listen to the needs of our neighbors. I have realized that I can apply my knowledge and skills as an elementary education major, my teamwork skills from the jazz ensemble and wind symphony, and the lifelong relationships I have formed with community partners to pursue my passion for loving others and discovering the strengths within every community. I am incredibly grateful to have received these two awards and to have had the opportunity to share with others how impactful relationships are within communities.”
Falkenstein-Barker has been a community engagement advocate with Whitworth’s Dornsife Center since her sophomore year and currently serves as a student manager. She was a Student Civic Leader Fellow with the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good focused on K-16 Education during her junior year and a member of the Dornsife Summer Service Cohort in 2023.
“In her three years as a student leader, Makenna was pivotal in coordinating many co-curricular service opportunities for students,” says Meredith Devey, director of the Dornsife Center for Community Engagement. “She worked with local officials to organize Whitworth students aiding in cleanup efforts after the Gray fire destroyed hundreds of homes in the Medical Lake area. Each January, she brought her fellow students to volunteer at Spokane’s annual Homeless Connect event downtown. Last year, she and Esther held a clothing drive that restocked the closet shelves at Gary Middle School.”
Devey continues, “But it is Makenna’s passion for youth that is her biggest asset. During the summer and throughout the school year, Makenna works with the youngest kids in the West Central Community Center’s summer youth program, helping them navigate stressful home lives as they learn social and emotional skills. Her dedication to seeing youth and families thrive is an incredible example of the impact one caring and committed citizen can have within their community.”
Gov. Jay Inslee presented Falkenstein-Barker with her award and a $1,000 scholarship on April 19 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. She is the second Whitworth student to receive this award.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
