Name: 38th Annual Bounty of the Valley Scholarship Dinner
Start: 2024-06-01T17:00:00-07:00
End: 2024-06-01T22:00:00-07:00
Location: Smith Family Hall

Washington State Supreme Court Justice to Speak at Heritage University Youth and Justice Forum

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		April 18, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington State Supreme Court Justice to Speak at
Heritage University Youth and Justice Forum

Toppenish, Wash. – Washington State Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez will deliver the keynote speech during the annual Yakima Valley Youth and Justice Forum at Heritage University. The forum for middle, high school and college students takes place Friday, April 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Local law enforcement agencies, including the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and several police chiefs from cities in the Valley as well as those from the state and federal level will participate in the forum.

The Youth and Justice Forum has three goals. The first is to educate students from under-represented communities about professions and employment opportunities in the legal system; second, to enhance students’ knowledge and education of law; and third, to help build trust between youth and those in the justice system.

New this year will be a panel of lawyers and law school students talking to college students about law school applications, attending law school, and providing information about law careers. The panel will be moderated by Federal Court Clerk, Francisco Carriedo.

Kimberly Bellamy-Thompson, Heritage University assistant professor of criminal justice says the forum is a unique opportunity to introduce young people to the personal and professional sides of justice system leaders. “These personal connections are meaningful. The Youth and Justice Forum will give students a better understanding of the justice system and the wide range of career opportunities the entire system has to offer.”

Steve González was appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court effective January 1, 2012, and subsequently won a contested race for a six-year term. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice González served for ten years as a trial judge on the King County Superior Court hearing criminal, civil, juvenile, and family law cases. In 2015, Justice González and the other Washington Supreme court judges heard oral arguments for three cases at Heritage University visited Heritage University as part of the “traveling court” program.

For more information, contact Kimberly Bellamy-Thompson at bellamy-thompson_k@heritage.edu or (509) 865-0748.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Heritage University Hosts Career Fair 2018

An upcoming event at Heritage University will connect Yakima Valley job seekers with more than 30 employers. Career Fair 2018 is free and open to the public and will also allow participants to network with other professionals.

Career Fair 2018, a collaboration between WorkSource Yakima and Heritage University, will also help employers learn more about opportunities to host interns and work with academic programs at Heritage. Attendees interested in graduate-level social work programs will have the opportunity to meet representatives from Eastern WA University, Seattle University, University of Washington and University of Washington Tacoma.

Career Fair 2018 will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Smith Family Hall located in the Arts and Science Center on Heritage University’s main campus in Toppenish. Employers interested in participating in the event should contact Melissa Hill, interim vice president for Student Affairs, at (509) 865-0411 or hill_m@heritage.edu.

Heritage University Hosts Career Fair 2018

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		April 11, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University Hosts Career Fair 2018

Toppenish, Wash. – An upcoming event at Heritage University will connect Yakima Valley job seekers with more than 30 employers. Career Fair 2018 is free and open to the public and will also allow participants to network with other professionals.

Career Fair 2018, a collaboration between WorkSource Yakima and Heritage University, will also help employers learn more about opportunities to host interns and work with academic programs at Heritage. Attendees interested in graduate-level social work programs will have the opportunity to meet representatives from Eastern WA University, Seattle University, University of Washington and University of Washington Tacoma.

Career Fair 2018 will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Smith Family Hall located in the Arts and Science Center on Heritage University’s main campus in Toppenish. Employers interested in participating in the event should contact Melissa Hill, interim vice president for Student Affairs, at (509) 865-0411 or hill_m@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Heritage University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program Expanding Enrollment to Meet Growing Need for Highly Skilled Nurses

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		April 4, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program Expanding
Enrollment to Meet Growing Need for Highly Skilled Nurses

Toppenish, Wash. – To meet the expanding need for nurses in hospitals, community health and primary care settings, and in schools, the Heritage University Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is expanding enrollment to 24 students for the fall 2018 semester.

The BSN program enrolled the first cohort of nine students in fall 2015, which will graduate this year. These graduates will serve communities in which they have resided all of their lives and for which they express a caring passion. With a firm commitment to meeting the needs of the local community, the Heritage Nursing program is preparing a permanent workforce of highly skilled nurses who will contribute to the transformation of the health care system in the Yakima Valley. “In order to meet the huge demand for qualified registered professional nurses in the Yakima Valley, Heritage University is expanding the number of students admitted into the BSN program,” says Dr. Christina Nyirati, director of Nursing at Heritage.

Heritage University was granted permission in 2014 from the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) to develop the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Interviews with local and state health care leaders revealed the significant demand for this program in the Yakima Valley.

Aligned with the Heritage University Mission, the BSN program mission is to advance the health of multicultural families and communities in rural environments through excellence in nursing education, service, practice and community-based research. Heritage University, located on the Yakama Nation Reservation in the heart of the Yakima Valley, prepares nurse leaders to provide culturally competent, community-focused care.

Upon successful completion of the BSN curriculum, graduates will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX examination for licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). The BSN program incorporates professional nursing standards and guidelines as the framework for the development of the baccalaureate nurse. “Our students are succeeding in a rigorous but nurturing BSN program. We are focused on making sure our students are well-prepared. They are reaching, and often exceeding national standardized testing benchmarks. We are looking forward to high rates of completion, and licensure exam pass rates. We know employers will welcome our grads,” said Dr. Nyirati.

Interested candidates can contact Melissa Sanchez, Administrative Coordinator for Nursing at Heritage by emailing Sanchez_M1@heritage.edu

To set up an interview with Dr. Christina Nyirati, contact David Mance at (509) 969-6084 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Two Accomplished Scientists to Speak at Heritage University Event Showcasing Student Achievements

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		March 29, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two Accomplished Scientists to Speak at Heritage University
Event Showcasing Student Achievements

Toppenish, Wash. – Two dynamic and accomplished scientists, Dr. Michael Landry, with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave (LIGO) Hanford Observatory and Dr. Rodney Cooper, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture office in Wapato, Wash., will serve as keynote speakers during the Heritage University Gathering of Scholars Symposium on April 3, 2018 at Heritage. The event will showcase scientific research projects by Heritage University undergraduate students and graduate students in the Master of Arts in Medical Sciences (MAMS).

Dr. Landry is a detection lead scientist at LIGO and a physicist with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba in strange quark physics, and his research into gravitational waves began in 2000 when he joined LIGO as a postdoctoral scholar with Caltech. He has worked on many aspects of the LIGO experiment, interferometer commissioning, leading the installation of advanced detectors and data analyses.

Dr. Cooper is an Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientist with the USDA. The ARS is the USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, and Dr. Cooper has mentored many Heritage University students who have earned internships with the USDA office in Wapato.

Twenty-two Heritage students will deliver oral and poster presentations on their research, which cover a wide range of subjects including biology, nursing, computer science and environmental sciences. Also featured will be displays of artwork by Heritage University art students. The Heritage University Gathering of Scholars Symposium will take place April 3, 2018 in the Patricia Wade Temple and Barnhill Fireside Rooms from 8:30 am to 2:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Pedro Chavarria at (509) 865-0412 or Chavarria_P@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Free Easter Egg Hunt at Heritage University

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		March 22, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free Easter Egg Hunt at Heritage University

Toppenish, Wash. – An Easter egg hunt with more than 30,000 Easter eggs is just one of the many family-friendly events to be featured at the family fun day “Easter Eggstravaganza” on March 31, 2018 on the Heritage University campus in Toppenish.

The free activities begin at 12 p.m. and go until 3:00 p.m. and will feature food, games and activities for all ages. Free hotdogs and Coca-Cola products will be served along with food and drink vendors. Free games include jumpers, duck pond, sack races, and a bean bag toss, to name a few. The event also features live music, Yakima SunKing ticket raffle and an iPad raffle. The Easter egg hunt, for children ages one to 12, will take place at locations across campus beginning at 2:30 p.m. Prizes will be announced at 3:00 p.m. People are encouraged to bring their own baskets for this event, but there will be 250 baskets given out.

This is the fourth year for the “Easter Eggstravaganza” at Heritage University, which is presented by the Omega Delta Phi fraternity in collaboration with Gamma Alpha Omega Interest Group and co-sponsored by Heritage University.

For more information, contact Jesus Mendez at (509) 853-6673 or MendezJ1@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Education consultant and public speaker to deliver keynote address at Heritage University’s International Women’s Day Event

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		March 2, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Education consultant and public speaker to deliver keynote address at
Heritage University’s International Women’s Day Event

Toppenish, Wash. – Education consultant, public speaker and former candidate for Washington State Superintendent, Erin Jones, will be the keynote speaker at “Women2Women,” Heritage University’s celebration of International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 17, 2018.

Ms. Jones has been involved in and around schools for the past 26 years. She has taught in black, white and diverse communities. Jones has received many awards during her career, including “Most Innovate Foreign Language Teacher” in 2007; “Milken Educator of the Year” for Washington state in 2008; and in 2013, she was recognized as a “Champion of Change” at the White House. She’s worked for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and in 2016 she ran for State Superintendent, a race she lost by a mere 1%. At the time of her candidacy she was the first Black woman to run for any state office.

“Women 2 Women” celebrates the women of the Yakima Valley and supports early childhood education. It is organized by Heritage University’s Women 2 Women collaborative and is sponsored by the university’s Center for a New Washington. Funds generated by the event go to child care scholarships for students whose children attend the Early Learning Center.

“Education is a key factor to improving the lives of women and children,” said Dr. Natalie Martinkus, director for the center. “The stress of taking care of children can take its toll and become a barrier to women trying to earn their college degree. We want to break down these barriers while providing their children the crucial cognitive and physical start they need for later success.”

Doors open for the event at 9:00 a.m., the program begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at noon. The event features artwork displays which celebrate the accomplishments of local women in both art and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Refreshments will be served. Registration is $50, and can be completed online at http://www.heritage.edu/2018Women2Women. For more information, call (509) 865-0450, or email newwashington@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Heritage University announces events to celebrate the inauguration of its third president

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		February 22, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University announces events to celebrate the
inauguration of its third president

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University is hosting a series of events over the course of three days that celebrate the inauguration of Andrew Sund, Ph.D. as its third president. Dr. Sund will be formally installed as president on Friday, March 16, 2018. The Installation Ceremony at Heritage will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Smith Family Hall, and will be followed by a reception at 12:00 p.m.

Inaugurations are as much a celebration of the universities and the communities they serve, as they are of the incoming president. The inauguration celebration honors the Heritage mission, history, community and the people we serve. Pre-installation ceremony events include the President’s Inauguration Prelude on Wednesday, March 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Heritage University. We will honor our relationship with the Yakama Nation and the founding of Heritage University by two Yakama women, Violet Lumley Rau and Martha Yallup, along with Sister Kathleen Ross, with the dedication of the permanent installation of the Heritage tepee. The tepee will be a learning center and significant part of the Heritage campus. Brunch will be served following the ceremony.

Also on Wednesday, March 14, Heritage University and Columbia Basin College will celebrate their shared commitment to providing access to higher education to all, with a reception in the CBC Courtyard from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the universities are invited to the reception to welcome Dr. Sund.

On Thursday, March 15, K-12 educators from throughout the ESD 105 and ESD 123 region are invited to the Yakima Valley Educators Luncheon. At this luncheon, we will celebrate the men and women who dedicate their lives to educating our young people. This event will take place in Smith Family Hall at Heritage University from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The President’s Inauguration Jubilee will be held Thursday evening, March 15 at the Seasons Performance Hall in Yakima from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This event will feature an evening of art and culture that celebrates the richness of the Yakima Valley and the people who call this area home. This multicultural repertoire of music, poetry, and dance features some of our community’s most talented artists. A pre-show reception will feature a gallery filled with works by local artists and Heritage University students. Tickets for the Jubilee are $50 each and can be purchased at heritage.edu/inauguration.

Dr. Sund joined Heritage University as its third president on July 1, 2017. He succeeded Dr. John Bassett, who retired after serving as president for seven years. President Sund came to Heritage University from St. Augustine College in Chicago, where he served as president from 2008 to 2017. Before St. Augustine, Dr. Sund was Dean of Workforce and Community Education at Olive Harvey College, one of the city colleges of Chicago, from 2004 to 2008.

Dr. Sund received a Bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s degree in History from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Sund is married and has three children. His wife Norma and his school-aged son moved to Yakima with him. His two adult children remain in Chicago.

The public is invited to attend all of the inauguration events, and are encouraged to RSVP at heritage.edu/inauguration. For more information, contact David Mance at (509) 969-6084 or mance_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Administrative Changes Announced at Heritage University

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		February 12, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Administrative Changes Announced at Heritage University

Toppenish, Wash. – Today President Andrew Sund, Ph.D. announced several changes within the administrative ranks at Heritage University. Leaving the University will be Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Fathe, Ph.D. and Vice President, Student Affairs & Enrollment, Celestino Limas, Ph.D.

In a memo to campus, Dr. Sund explained that in any new administration, the President aligns his leadership team with his strategic goals for the University. He praised the accomplishments of both Fathe and Limas and thanked them for their service to the university. Further, he explained that this is the time of year when campuses across the nation make changes to their organizations such that new personnel can be in place by the start of the next academic year. By announcing his changes now, both Dr. Limas and Dr. Fathe will be able to take advantage of opportunities open to them at other academic institutions for the coming academic year.

Dr. Sund, who began at Heritage July 1, 2017 as the third president of Heritage took the first six months of his presidency to ensure he understood campus needs going forward, making no significant changes until he fully developed his strategy for the future. His first new appointment to his leadership team was Taylor Hall, CFO who began February 1. He will begin a national search for both positions immediately.

For more information, contact David Wise at (509) 865-0717 or wise_d@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Local Author, Heritage University Faculty Member to Celebrate Release of Earth Angels Book on Valentine’s Day

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		February 8, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Author, Heritage University Faculty Member to Celebrate Release of
Earth Angels Book on Valentine’s Day

Toppenish, Wash. – Richland, Wash. author Karen Nicksich and Heritage University Assistant Professor Miguel Juarez are celebrating the publication of their co-authored book, Earth Angels, a pictorial documentary chronicling the lives of “specially-abled” children. Earth Angels will be released at a book signing event at Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Avenue in Pasco, Wash., in the Library Building, room 102 on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Earth Angels features the personal stories of ten families who have children with special needs. It chronicles the joys and challenges the parents of these children face on a daily basis. Heritage University social work students Ana Tapia and Delaney Helmerson provided research assistance for Nicksich. The pair assisted with interviews and photo sessions with the families, and helped sort through 1,500 images to select the ones featured in the book.

Nicksich praised Tapia and Helmerson for their work with Earth Angels. “Seeing Ana and Delaney connect with great people will help them realize that they are part of something big and beautiful. I will be forever thankful for the truly limitless potential that these young women have,” Nicksich said. “Earth Angels is a book about community, empowerment, self-expression, self-esteem and love. It is a book about abilities, not disability. I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with Miguel Juarez and Heritage University on this book.”

For more information, contact Miguel Juarez at (509) 840-3095 or Juarez_M@heritage.edu.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu