Whitworth Welcomes First Cohort of Multicultural Leadership Program Scholars

Whitworth University is pleased to welcome the first cohort of Multicultural Leadership Program (MLP) scholars this fall. The 13 students were part of a rigorous selection process and were chosen from a group of 40 semifinalists from the Spokane, Tri-Cities and Tacoma areas.

Whitworth’s new Multicultural Leadership Program seeks emerging student leaders with a passion to live, learn, love and lead across all dimensions of human difference.

Multicultural Leadership Program Coordinator Kendra Guttridge says this cohort is already exemplifying the program's values. “Our scholars engaged in pre-college Jump Start training over the summer and just finished BUCS Bridge pre-orientation," Guttridge says. "They have already been dreaming about how to be involved at Whitworth and how to go back and serve their communities when they've graduated.”

 The following values were considered when selecting the cohort: 

• Identity Development – Understands and appreciates the perspectives and worldviews of others; demonstrates a curiosity about the perspectives of others that might be different from their own; a commitment to understanding own social and personal identities and commitment to examine own biases and beliefs. 

• Active Leadership – Ability to engage others in an authentic way and an awareness of how their actions, words and presence impact others; acts for collective well-being and supports positive change.

• Community Orientation – Sense of collective aptitude to learn about their social environment.

• Academic Excellence – Ability to meet and attend to the rigor of college curriculum through their own skill set and utilization of resources; demonstrated drive to learn and deepen understanding of field of study.

• Equity and Justice – Commitment to equity, justice and the full participation of all community members; ability to identify and address inequities and employ appropriate interventions to create environments, policies and practices that are just.

The 13 scholars are:

Spokane region:

• Mustafa Alwattar, Mt. Spokane High School

• Montana Elder, North Central High School

• Frances Fakasiieiki, Lewis and Clark High School

• Dieuveut Mukunzi, John R. Rogers High School

• Isabella Palmer, North Central High School

• Jerrichalynn Stripedwolf, Lewis and Clark High School

• Shayley Taylor, Medical Lake High School

Tri-Cities region:

• Sharenley Diaz, Tri-Cities Preparatory

• Celeste Escobedo-Barragan, AC Davis Senior High School

• Erika Hernandez, Prosser Falls High School

• Karla Silva-Guizar, Othello High School

Tacoma region:

• Mia Reyes, Auburn High School

• Denise Rosas Jimenez, Franklin Pierce High School

The MLP scholars are required to be full-time students and to maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average. They will participate in U.S. cultural studies coursework and attend MLP-related courses and leadership development training throughout their time at Whitworth. 

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university has an enrollment of about 2,500 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu