Homecoming 2026 Recap

Alumni who returned to campus for Homecoming 2026 were greeted with sunshine, gorgeous blue skies, and a joyful reception from students, faculty, and staff who were delighted to welcome them back. The theme of the weekend was “The Ties That Bind Us,” and highlighted the strength of the connections forged by WWU students, many of which endure for a lifetime.

 

Alumni of the Year
The four alumni of the year who were celebrated at Homecoming 2026 were: Betty (Fritz) Duncan ’66, David Bullock ’76, Randy Croft ’91, and Ryan Mowat ’91. Their biographies and short videos are posted here.

ICantori Reunion
Nearly 100 former members of ICantori, WWU’s select choir, returned for a reunion concert held at the University Church on Sabbath afternoon of Homecoming. Participants were all members from 2009 to present, who had performed under the direction of Professor Kraig Scott.  At the end of the concert, President Alex Bryan and members of the reunion choir surprised Scott with a tribute celebrating his 40 years of teaching at Walla Walla University.

 

Celebrating 65 Years of Drama
This year’s Alumni Showcase celebrated 65 years of drama at WWU—and the longest running theater program in the Adventist system.

WWU drama director Jerry Entze ’00, with support from Eden Kietponglert ’12, rallied a mix of alumni and current students to perform snippets from past WWU plays and musicals, along with a few fresh performances and cold reads. 

Cast members from the 2016 musical Little Women reprised their roles to perform the crowd-pleasing number “Five Forever.”  David Crawford ’05, fired up the audience with his performance of “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General” from the Pirates of Penzance. Katie Guldhammer ’08, wrote and performed her monologue “Letters,” highlighting the controversies drama has historically posed, juxtaposed against the many learning outcomes it offers and the personal role it plays in her current career as an attorney. And Mari Cheney ’03 performed the intense monologue “Paean to the People” from Homeland.

Current students and staff reprised scenes from this year’s Happily Never After and Jane Austen’s Emma, and last year’s clever one-act, “The Annual Potluck,” featuring the various Adventist universities, which was written by students Alyssa Brown and Timothy Kerbs.

 

Sports Reunion
Alumni and current student athletes participated in a woman’s volleyball game and a mixed male/female basketball game on Saturday evening. Legendary WWU Coach Tim Windemuth returned to campus to lend his coaching expertise to the teams and was joined by Don Hepker, Gerry Larson, and Lance Irvine.

A highlight of the volleyball game was seeing two generations compete together—a mom and her two daughters.

A memorable moment in the basketball game occurred when the younger players shared the ball with the alumni veterans, offering them the opportunity to make some shots, igniting the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Plans are currently underway to make athletics reunions a recurring feature of future Homecoming weekends.

Church Service
President Alex Bryan offered the sermon Sabbath morning at the University Church: The TIE That Binds Us. The ICantori Reunion Choir performed several pieces at the service and the first Alumni Volunteers of the Year were honored at the service, as well. Professor Emeritus of Biology Joe Galusha was recognized for his ongoing service to WWU’s Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Current Mentor and former Professor of Physics Gordon Johnson and his wife Pat Johnson, a retired nurse, were recognized for their 12 years of service managing the three Havstad Alumni Center guest rooms.

Photos from Homecoming Weekend
Candid images from the April 24-26 events are available on the WWU Flicker Account. Honor class photos should be available mid-summer and we will post a link here when we have them.

Past Weekend photos 

(Click on image to view album.)

Alumni of the Year 2026

Meet the Alumni of the Year 2026, honored for service and achievement that embody the spirit of Walla Walla University.