This year, senior civil engineering major Keira Johnston won the Sharon D. Banks Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship of $5,000. This is the second consecutive year that Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) has awarded this scholarship to a Walla Walla University civil engineering student. Last year, it was Jenna Fanselau who received the award, and Johnston says, “We're all proud to have back-to-back recognition for WWU!” 

Johnston accepted her award at the WTS gala in Spokane, Washington, an event attended by many professionals from the transportation field. Here, she met with the people she will soon be working with after graduating in the spring. This scholarship is given to women pursuing undergraduate studies in transportation or a related field, in order to encourage bright new professionals to undertake careers in areas of transportation. 

Johnston stood out from other candidates due to her past work as both a math tutor at the Student Development Center and as a teacher’s assistant for professor of engineering Louie Yaw. And, she said that her time interning with Bruce Pratt at Camp Ida-Haven over the summer was another great experience that helped bolster her application. 

WWU is always proud of our hard-working students for their well-deserved recognition from other reputable companies and organizations. In addition to outside aid, almost 90% of students will receive scholarships and grants from WWU—more than $100,000 is awarded to engineering students every year. 

For more information about the WWU Department of Engineering, go to wallawalla.edu/engineering.

Posted March 13, 2024