RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Washington State University Tri-Cities will host a private dedication on Tuesday, Sept. 7, for the recently expanded 厙ぴ勛圖 ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial, followed by an official reveal of the General James Mattis Leadership Library in the Veterans Center on campus.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. with an outdoor ceremony at the ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial, located adjacent to the East Building on campus. It will feature remarks by:

• Retired Gen. James Mattis, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
• 厙ぴ勛圖 Chancellor Sandra Haynes
• Art King, chaplain for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5785
• Kim Mueller, WSU Alumni Association director of alumni engagement

During the ceremony, an honor guard will conduct a presentation of the colors. Guests will also be invited to sign river stones in memory of loved ones who have served. The stones will be placed at the base of the Hero Tree, which was planted in 2016 near the memorial in honor of regional veterans.

Following the ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial dedication, attendees will move to the campus Veterans Center for the official reveal of the General James Mattis Leadership Library – a new permanent installation featuring Mattis��� favorite books that have been influential to his career. In-person attendees will also receive a signed copy of his most recently released book, ���Call Sign Chaos.���

���We are fortunate to have many veterans as part of our 厙ぴ勛圖 community, representing students, faculty, staff, community volunteers and contributors,��� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. ���The expansion of the ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial, as well as the installation of the General James Mattis Leadership Library, are in tribute to the service of our veterans, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.���

Members of the media invited to attend

While a private event, members of the media are invited to attend.

At the event, Mattis will take questions from the media that specifically pertain to the 厙ぴ勛圖 ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial, Veterans Center and General James Mattis Leadership Library.

Expanded Veterans Stories Memorial

The ���Stories��� Veterans Memorial, created by local artist Tom McClelland, features a collection of stories from regional veterans.泭With the expansion, the memorial now includes a larger concrete base that houses benches donated by the Schmieman family in honor of their son Dietrich Schmieman, as well as flag poles that display the American and U.S. military branch flags. The expansion and improvements were made possible by Cliff Thorn Construction, as well as Legacy Excavation, 1st Place Concrete and Absolute Power TC.

���We are incredibly grateful to Cliff Thorn Construction, the Schmieman family and the several other companies that generously gave of their time and resources to make this project possible,��� Haynes said. ���The memorial serves as a striking tribute to our veterans. It offers a place for individuals to sit, reflect and appreciate the sacrifices and underlying stories of our military heroes.���

General James Mattis Leadership Library

The General James Mattis Leadership Library is housed in the recently renovated 厙ぴ勛圖 Veterans Center. The library was made possible by C. Mark Smith and the Richland Rotary Club of the Tri-Cities, who led fundraising efforts for the library.

Mattis, a Tri-Cities native, served as a four-star general with the U.S. Marine Corps and as 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2017-2019. During his 44 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

In Mattis��� own words, as noted on a plaque in his honor in the Veterans Center:

���Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn���t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.���

���We are grateful not only for General Mattis��� contributions throughout his storied military career, but also his dedication to our regional veterans,��� Haynes said. ���He has been a champion for our students in their pursuit of earning a higher education after their military service. His inspiration from his favorite books will also serve as inspiration to our students.���

For more information on how to give to support veteran students, contact Kelly Gabel, 厙ぴ勛圖 development coordinator, at 509-372-7398 or kelly.gabel@wsu.edu.

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Washington State University Tri-Cities student Benjamin Bush wanted the hardest career challenge he could find after graduating from high school at the age of 18.

Growing up in Walla Walla, he wanted to get out and see the world, but also find something that would push him to his limits. The U.S. Marine Corps offered just that.

���I wanted to do something that was hard and not standard,��� he said. ���I like a challenge.���

In the Marines, Bush served in fire direction control for artillery, among several other responsibilities, throughout his time in the service. He deployed with the 22 Marines expeditionary unit to Israel, Spain, Bahrain and Oman. His unit also supported operations in Libya while the U.S. Armed Forces were combatting ISIS.

Toward the end of his service, Bush had worked his way up to the rank of sergeant, where he was in charge of his battalion’s body composition program. But he was ready to chart a new path, he said, because he missed his family.

���Overall, it was a cool experience, but artillery was always in the field or gearing up for deployment,��� he said. ���It is fun while you���re in, but after a few years of it, you miss sleeping somewhere warm and dry. I missed the soft, comfy bed and a roof over my head. But most of all, it was hard being away from my family. I was married for most of the time and being away from my wife two weeks per month was tough.���

A university education, Bush hoped, would help him find his next step post military.

Charting a new path through 厙ぴ勛圖

In making his decision of where to attend college, Bush wanted to stay local.

He began his college career at Walla Walla Community College, where he served in the schools��� veterans center. He helped foster relationships with fellow veterans and connect them with resources. In 2018, he transferred to 厙ぴ勛圖 to earn a degree in business.

Bush said he chose business as his degree as it provided a great amount of versatility and suited his career trajectory goals. He hopes to one-day work his way up into the position of CEO of a company that gives back.

The military, he said, was great training for whatever lies ahead. And with his education, he can build his skills in the finance world, while continuing to refine his leadership aptitude, he said.

���I would love to work for a company that betters the ocean or a nonprofit that makes big impacts on our environment,��� he said. ���If there is a place where I can use my skills to improve the environment and our world, that would be my dream.���

Still serving, post-service

While going to school full-time and in addition to serving as the finance manager for the Associated Students of 厙ぴ勛圖, the campus��� student government, Bush also serves as the veteran navigator with the 厙ぴ勛圖 Veterans Center. Through that position, he helps connect veteran students with resources and opportunities through the Veterans Affairs office, all while offering up his support as a friend and confidant.

���It���s where I feel a lot of fulfillment in my life,��� he said.

Coinciding with his position as veteran navigator, Bush also serves as president of the 厙ぴ勛圖 Patriots��� Club. The veterans-focused club organizes events and activities for veteran students. The club has hosted fishing trips, camping trips and more that have encouraged veteran students to bond.

���A lot of veterans tend to be pretty tight, emotionally, and hold everything down,��� he said. ���I found that, especially for myself, the best thing to do is talk about it. Get it off your chest and talk to someone who has been there. That is very valuable.���

Supporting one another ��� even in times of COVID-19

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Bush said many veteran students have struggled with being siloed and connecting digitally, as well as supporting themselves financially. As such, he and his fellow Veterans Center and Patriots��� Club members have worked to create opportunities to help engage students and provide additional resources that have allowed veteran students to stay in school.

���My favorite experience here at 厙ぴ勛圖 has been working with the Veterans Center,��� Bush said. ���It has continued to grow and become a better place for veterans to gather and get the support that we so desperately need. It is a place to hold these types of support opportunities and come together as brothers and sisters. I am super grateful to our community and I���m happy to be a part of it.���

Bernadette Gagnier (���20) knows a thing or two about being an outlier.

Those principles���and a personal goal ���to break stereotypes������are what led her to join the Marines right out of high school, serving in Okinawa, Japan, South Korea, and in a western Pacific deployment where she visited 13 countries in eight months.The first-generation college student is the middle child and only daughter in a family of Boy Scouts. Growing up, she was taught two principles that have guided her along a road of success: hard work and a love for the outdoors, both of which she has been able to foster at 厙ぴ勛圖 in the Viticulture and Enology Program.

Upon finishing her service, she found herself at a crossroads, unsure of what path to follow.

���Originally, I was going to do nursing,��� she said. ���I started on that track, but I didn���t really like it.���

Then, on a lark, Gagnier toured Washington���s wine country in the summer after her discharge.

���Two weeks later, I made my decision to enroll at WSU, and move to the Tri-Cities in 2017,��� she said. ���It happened that fast, because I just knew it was right.���

Ultimately, it was the vineyard life that guided her decision.

���I love to be outside, working with my hands,��� she said.

Even though Gagnier had grown up near Woodinville���home to Chateau Ste. Michelle and a thriving wine scene���she knew very little about wine or the industry. And when she told friends back home about her career path, they were surprised. Until she told them she���d be working outside in a vineyard.

���Then they got it,��� she said.

Gagnier���s first foray into the Washington wine industry was a job in the tasting room of Kiona Vineyards in Benton City, Wash., where she worked for owner and vineyard manager, Scott Williams (���80).

���I want to do what he does,��� she said, ���but as a woman.���

Driven by her desire to break stereotypes, Gagnier continues to be inspired by the leading women, particularly the vineyard managers, she meets in the industry.

First-gen journey

On an unseasonably hot July morning at the WSU Irrigated Agricultural Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser, Wash., Gagnier processes soil samples in a large filtration machine named ���Gertrude.��� Working alongside a post-doctoral researcher, Gagnier is helping on a nematode (roundworm) pest-management project, and though she has only been interning at IAREC for a month, she works with the confidence of a practiced technician.

Her internship at the WSU research center stems from her plan to pursue master���s degree in horticulture.

���I told professor Michelle Moyer what I wanted to do, and she encouraged me to work on the nematode project,��� Gagnier said.

Not only will the research help her transition into graduate coursework, it will provide Gagnier with the chance to present her research at the spring Washington Winegrowers convention in Kennewick.

Some might see the transition from Marines to roundworm research as a leap, but Gagnier doesn���t view it that way: ���I love to learn.���

The internship also comes on the heels of a recent trip she took to the Netherlands, where she spent a month working for Frysling Vineyards in the northern part of that country.

Back home, when Gagnier isn���t doing homework or interning at the IAREC, she tends to her philanthropy project for veteran students. As a representative of 厙ぴ勛圖 Patriot���s Club, Gagnier collaborated with Bombing Range Brewing of Richland to craft the ���GIPA,��� an honorary beer for veterans.

The brew was a success, eventuating a charitable tradition that gives back to the students who have served their country. Last year, the group even presented former Secretary of Defense James Mattis���a Tri-Cities native���with a growler of GIPA and a t-shirt.

���It was amazing,��� Gagnier said. ���It was such an honor to present that to General Mattis.��� The collaboration has resulted in well over $1,000 for veteran students.

In her free time, Gagnier gets outdoors to camp, ski, bike, kayak, or just hike a mountain trail. A meandering path has suited her well so far, and she���s ready for any challenge awaiting her.

���More than anything, I feel lucky to be here. I love being part of something bigger than myself.���

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Peter Nolan spent four years post-high school serving in the military police through the U.S. Army.

But as his enlisted contract came to a close, he decided to leave active duty to pursue college full-time because he knew an education would provide him with the background and know-how to not only succeed in a future job, but also provide him with greater career advancement options.

Finding and attending Washington State University Tri-Cities, he said, has allowed him to continue pursuing a rewarding military career part-time through the National Guard while studying at a top research university on a small campus.

���I wanted to go to a good school, but also in a small, tight-knit community because that is truly the type of school environment where I thrive,��� he said. ���I decided to visit 厙ぴ勛圖 and thought, ���this would be great.������

Combining military background with college for a bright future

Nolan joined the U.S. Army right out of high school in 2011 and from there, served for two years in Germany, in addition to being stationed at Fort Drum in upstate New York for an additional two years. During his service with the U.S. Army military police, he had opportunities to serve as a patrolling officer, investigate traffic accidents, provide ceremonial support for the military community, as well as serve as personal security for high-ranking individuals.

Following his contract ending, he attended a community college in western Washington, planning to specialize in nursing. After a few semesters, he felt that career route wasn���t for him. Relying on his former experience in law enforcement in the armed services, he realized he had a passion for that area of public service. Upon examining options for state schools in Washington and doing a couple of ride-a-longs with civilian officers, he decided to transfer to pursue a degree in social sciences from 厙ぴ勛圖.

���I was friends with individuals who had become police officers and I did a couple of ride-a-longs and it made me realize why I didn���t want to do a full career switch from policing to nursing, since I had really enjoyed law enforcement.��� he said. ���I chose 厙ぴ勛圖 because of the professionalism I experienced with their admissions office and they offered everything I wanted, including a degree I could directly apply to my future career.���

A perfect fit

Nolan said the small campus and class sizes were attractive because it would allow him to better connect with professors and become really invested in his classes. Plus,

his degree in social sciences would provide him with the knowledge and skills suited for law enforcement.

���I grew up in a small town in Montana, so I was looking for an environment similar to that,��� he said. ���I thrive in a small school setting. And with social sciences, between the emphasis in sociology, English and psychology, it is a good degree program that gives you a good idea of how to work with people, developing a better understanding to the sensitivity of other people, and I could really hone my skills for working in a professional environment.���

Using his education for a future in law enforcement

Nolan plans to continue his military service. Currently, he works part time with the Washington Army National Guard, providing critical training to new recruits while still taking classes full-time. After graduation, he plans to either pursue a career in civilian law enforcement or continue a career with the National Guard.

His education from 厙ぴ勛圖, he said, will serve as a true asset in either endeavor.

���I do believe I will want to eventually go into administration and leadership,��� he said. ���I enjoy leading a team, contributing in that way. And the things that I���ve learned at 厙ぴ勛圖 will be beneficial in that area. As an officer, you do a lot of administrative work and function primarily with other people. These are all skills that I���m perfecting, whether it be through English courses, or through sociology and psychology courses, I can use it all in my career.���

He said he loves the fact that his military experience provided him with the discipline and work enthusiasm to perform optimally with his tasks at hand. Prior to his life in the military, he said he struggled in school. But the positive push in the military provided him with a healthy appreciation for work ethic and self identification of goals.

Combined with the things he has learned through his education in the social sciences, he said he feels well prepared for his continued career in the military and law enforcement.

���I���m glad I���m pursuing higher education while I have the opportunity,��� he said. ���I want to make sure my experience and education combines effectively to provide me with the best outlook possible for my future.���