Student Life and Ministry Center
A student center has been needed for decades, and Walla Walla University is about to make this a reality. Help us transform our 67-year-old Kellogg Hall into a full-service Student Life and Ministry Center.
Fast Facts:
- Complete renovation of existing Kellogg Hall space.
- Renovations and an addition that will result in more than 22,000 square feet devoted to gathering, ministry and student life.
- Featuring Campus Ministries, Student Life, “living room” space, the Atlas, dining hall, game areas, band practice room and more!
- Strategically planned collaborative spaces will strengthen spiritual and leadership programming, and offer a campus “living room” for social learning, worship and celebrations.
- Expected completion: 2027
A word from our current and past ASWWU Presidents...
One of my favorite things about Walla Walla University is its deep commitment to community, connection, and togetherness. During my time as a student, I have been surrounded by peers who constantly look for ways and places to connect with each other. Connection happens in a wide variety of ways, from studying together, going to social events, and worshiping at vespers. WWU students thrive when they are together, but our campus lacks a dedicated space designed to foster that connection.
In my time serving as ASWWU Senator and now as ASWWU President, I’ve repeatedly heard from students about the need for a central space where they can gather. The smaller, popular spots on campus fill quickly leaving many students searching for another place to go. Our university needs a larger space that can bring together the many different entities of our campus family. The Student Life and Ministry Center is exactly what we need. I’m excited about its potential to fill that gap on campus, bring us together and strengthen our community.
Lorelei Harbour
2024–2025 ASWWU President
Community, that collective belonging we all crave, is something that God created us for. Our togetherness matters to Him. And students need a place to be together.
If you walk into the Atlas, our study house, you’ll find students hosting meetings or study groups, and people lingering by the counter to chat. The Atlas draws students because it has a warmth that reminds us of home. But it fills up quickly.
ASWWU events are a key part of campus life, yet we struggle to find venues that are large enough because our current Student Association Center and the Atlas are too small to hold our events. This was acutely felt on Friday nights, when students, especially those who live in the dorms, didn’t have a place to go after vespers. In response, our spiritual team created “Sabbath Sigh,” a gathering in Bowers Hall for friends to spend time together after vespers. But this space is not ideal, and it is temporary.
One of the most fun parts of being ASWWU president is simply working side-by-side with my team in the office, a small space that’s set aside for us. But the space is too small, and physically separate from other student leaders.
We at WWU feel a strong pull towards being together. Yet none of the current settings are sufficient to meet the need for a communal space on our campus. The solution, a Student Life and Ministry Center, would create a central place where work and life could mix for all students. Today’s students are still recovering from the loneliness of the pandemic, and our underclassman are more enthusiastic than ever to be engaged on campus. The SLMC would harness this enthusiasm and help rebuild a thriving campus life.
I’ve experienced the joy of collective belonging at Walla Walla University, and it’s up to us to ensure every student that steps on this campus can experience that, too.
Annaliese Grellmann
2022–2024 ASWWU President
Walla Walla University is a home away from home. Students spend most of their year on campus, which means making the university feel like home very important. One similarity between homes is they all have a living room that is used to socialize and relax.
Currently WWU does not have a living room, and the Student Life and Ministry Center (SLMC) is an amazing opportunity to provide that space. This will allow students to socialize, de-stress, and provide a central place for our WWU family. This project will liven WWU’s campus and facilitate an even larger feeling of togetherness on campus. I fully support this project and believe that it will have a huge positive impact on campus.
Trevor Haugen
2021-2022 ASWWU President
Campus life at Walla Walla University is centered around a vibrant and active student body, made up of individuals who crave meaningful connection and conversations. As a student leader, I experienced firsthand the powerful impact of bringing people together. Friendships are formed, ideas are born, and the school is drawn closer together
when time and space is facilitated and protected for students to interact. The SLMC will make a tremendous impact on campus as it will provide a space—outside of classes, work, and residence halls—where students can gather and mingle in a convenient and organic way. It will centralize services that are currently distributed in varying areas of campus; this will benefit students by focusing student life activities on one vibrant heart. The focus on service and ministry provides the essential underlying why of our institution, and the space provides an area for this purpose to grow.
During my time as ASWWU President, a common request among students was to create more spaces for informal interactions, both for studying and socializing. The SLMC addresses this need well and promises to further facilitate a Walla Walla University culture where strong friendships and connections not only complement but fuel a rich learning environment.
Eric Welch
2020-2021 ASWWU President
I always longed for a space dedicated to cultivating friendships and social growth at Walla Walla University. As a first year student, my friends and I watched movies in classrooms, played board games in dorm lobbies, and had afterglows hosted at students’ houses. Creativity was almost a requirement when it came to finding physical spaces to support our need for socialization. This is not a new theme. Notes taken from ASWWU Presidents from the last 10 years highlight the need for providing a space for students to interact and get involved within our campus community. I believe the SLMC will resolve this need. Encompassing many student-oriented opportunities on campus such as ASWWU, academic clubs, and Campus Ministries, the SLMC will provide a conveniently placed space for students to spend time together and be presented with opportunities to further get involved.
My experience at Walla Walla University has shown me the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can understand you, challenge you, yet comfort you. The idea of finding a community that allows you to be yourself opens doors for lifelong friendships, spiritual growth, and mental replenishment. This community that WWU provides is one of our alma mater’s greatest strengths, and the SLMC would only complement that ideology by providing a space for this kind of growth to happen.
Lucas Marcondes
2019-2020 ASWWU President
Ways to Give
- Online – Donate to the SLMC Fund
- Check – Please designate it to SLMC and mail it to:
Walla Walla University
Advancement Office
204 S College Ave
College Place, WA 99324
- Required Minimum Distribution/Qualified Charitable Distribution (have your RMD/QCD sent directly to WWU designated for the SLMC project).
- Make gifts of property, stocks, or other appreciated assets.
For more information about the transformation plan and how to support it, contact us at:
Troy Patzer - Associate VP for Alumni & Advancement Services
(509) 527-2586
troy.patzer@wallawalla.edu
Dorita Tessier - Director of Gift Planning
(509) 527-2646
dorita.tessier@wallawalla.edu