Giving Tuesday – Giving /give Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:36:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 Hardworking Single Dad Receives 51¸ŁŔűÉçRA Scholarship /give/news/hardworking-single-dad-receives-ewura-scholarship/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:29:04 +0000 /give/?post_type=stories&p=86138 Father and son portraitKevin Uyekawa, 41, will enter his senior year at Eastern this coming fall. The single father of a 5-year-old son is majoring in mechanical engineering while holding down a paid internship and logging a lot of miles in his car. Uyekawa can continue his education and pursue his goals – with a little more breathing...]]> Father and son portrait

Kevin Uyekawa, 41, will enter his senior year at Eastern this coming fall.

The single father of a 5-year-old son is majoring in mechanical engineering while holding down a paid internship and logging a lot of miles in his car.

Uyekawa can continue his education and pursue his goals – with a little more breathing room – thanks to an 51¸ŁŔűÉçRA scholarship that is providing $3,105 to help with expenses for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year.

“The scholarship definitely helps me to not be so stressed out financially,”
he says, adding that it will allow him to better prioritize school, spend more time studying and tackle added childcare expenses as his son, Kaleb, starts kindergarten.

Graduating with minimal debt will also help Uyekawa realize a goal of moving from their apartment into a home with a yard so that Kaleb can have more space as he grows up and the family can get a dog.

To make ends meet, and gain vital work experience, Uyekawa works at Keytronics, in Spokane Valley. As an intern in the Automation and Design Department, he designs test fixtures for final-stage products as well as automation fixtures to facilitate different processes in an assembly line.

“It’s the exact type of engineering I want to do,” he says. “I got really lucky.”

Uyekawa works 25 hours a week but that doesn’t account for the time spent driving back and forth from his home in Spokane to classes, to his son’s daycare in Cheney, and to his job in Spokane Valley.

Uyekawa juggles a lot but says it’s worth it to be a role model for Kaleb. When his son is older, he looks forward to guiding him through the college process. Originally from Temecula, California, Uyekawa was working as a tire technician at The Tire Store in Spokane when Kaleb was born and recalls thinking, “I want to be able to support my kid and be able to get out of an apartment and into a house, what am I going to do?”

51¸ŁŔűÉç was the answer. Uyekawa, who is determined to make the most of his education and set himself up for a successful career, is an example of a hard- working student seeking to balance the demands of school, work and life.

Although he experiences stress from his multiple responsibilities, Uyekawa is able to stay positive because of opportunities at Eastern – like the 51¸ŁŔűÉçRA scholarship.

Eyekawa is grateful to the retirees: “I just want to say thank you. It really helps boost my confidence in that I’m doing the right thing and that’s a huge thing, getting support from people who believe in me.”

]]> Giving Thanks for a Scholarship /give/news/giving-thanks-for-a-scholarship/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:17:52 +0000 /give/?post_type=stories&p=86120 Smiling BellaEastern Washington women’s basketball power forward Bella Hays is preparing to get on the court for the 2023-24 season. Since she was a kid, Hays wanted to play basketball and it was a driving factor in her effort, both athletically and academically, to go to college. “My ultimate goal was to play basketball in college,...]]> Smiling Bella

Eastern Washington women’s basketball power forward Bella Hays is preparing to get on the court for the 2023-24 season.

Since she was a kid, Hays wanted to play basketball and it was a driving factor in her effort, both athletically and academically, to go to college.

“My ultimate goal was to play basketball in college, but also getting my education paid for too. I didn’t want to have to worry about paying for it while playing.”

Majoring in Exercise Science, Hays’ scholarship gives her the opportunity to pursue her goals after college.

“It’s amazing to have my scholarship. It will get me through my undergrad degree. I’ll have grad school to go through after that so not having to worry about debt in my undergrad years is huge.”

Hays arrived in Cheney for the 2022-23 season, after Eastern offered her a scholarship late in the recruiting period. The Eagles were the only program to offer the Wasilla, Alaska native a full ride.

“Eastern was my only option, partially because I started my process really late,” Hays explained. “Being from Alaska, I wasn’t able to travel during COVID. I didn’t commit until January of my senior year [2022]. It was really important to get the offer to come here.”

Hays grew up in Wasilla, Alaska, playing at Wasilla High School. She is the oldest of four siblings, including a twin brother who is also starting his college journey.

With one sibling in college and two others in the wing, Hays says her scholarship is a valuable benefit.Ěý

“The scholarship is a great opportunity for me because I have three other siblings, two of which are in college right now and one is going to be in college soon. My parents, not having to worry about my college tuition, allows them to focus on my siblings’ situations. It also helps me focus on basketball and my academics.”

Hays uses her scholarship as motivation, both academically and athletically, to ease the financial burden on her family. As the oldest, she sees the value in maintaining this as she goes through college.

“My twin brother’s process was a little different. He started later and also plays sports, but his situation, of earning a scholarship, was more half-and half-with sports and academics. My younger sister doesn’t play sports so she will have to pay for school on her own. It’s been eye opening for me to see how lucky I am, playing basketball and not having to worry about paying for school.”

At Wasilla High, Hays averaged 13.4 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. She was a three-time first-team All-State selection, while earning All-Conference honors all four years at Wasilla. Hays also earned letters in basketball, volleyball and track and field.

The redshirt-freshman will look to make her debut for Eastern this season after being sidelined with an injury last season.

On the coaching staffs influence

“Our staff pushes academics at home and when we’re on the road. We always have scheduled study times. They make sure tutors are available to us. They push us to stay up-to-date on academics so we can stay up-to-date on the court.”

]]> The Impact of Gifts /give/news/the-impact-of-gifts/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 23:22:48 +0000 /give/?post_type=stories&p=86087 Two friends smilingYour gift on Giving Tuesday to the College of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) can support one of 53 different scholarship and student activities funds. Your generosity will provide assistance with tuition, books, and educational expenses, or you can support conferences, internships and travel to provide students with professional experiences that are essential to...]]> Two friends smiling

Your gift on Giving Tuesday to the College of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) can support one of 53 different scholarship and student activities funds. Your generosity will provide assistance with tuition, books, and educational expenses, or you can support conferences, internships and travel to provide students with professional experiences that are essential to their success in the workforce upon graduation.

Nicole Smith and Megan Beine, senior Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies (GWSS) students at 51¸ŁŔűÉç, were among a select group who participated in a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with the FUTURES Without Violence cohort and program organizers. FUTURES works to end violence against women and children around the world.

Both students are passionate about their career paths.

“I believe that education and accessibility to resources is vital when thinking about these issues, particularly when addressing how best to prevent sexual assault and dating violence,” Beine says.

You can read their story here.

Your gifts to CAHSS on Giving Tuesday will help prepare today’s Eagles to become problem solvers, advocates, artists, global thinkers and communicators of tomorrow.

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