highlight1 Archives - 91��ý

No Place for Hunger

northern — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:43:35 +0000

Across Oregon, nearly 600,000 people face hunger. On college campuses, that need often hides in plain sight: behind backpacks, in late-night study sessions, in students quietly stretching groceries to make it through the week. At 91��ý, where many students are first-generation, rural, working part-time, or raising families, meeting basic needs isn’t occasional. It is a daily challenge.

That is why 91��ý is committed to ensuring no Mountaineer has to choose between their education and their next meal.

The 91��ý Food Pantry has become a steady source of comfort and dignity for students who need a bit of extra support. Stocked with food staples, hygiene items, and staffed by people who know students by name, it is more than shelves and supplies—it is a place where students feel seen.

Local partners have embraced that mission too. Community Connection of Northeast Oregon regularly provides fresh produce, essentials, and food staples, helping students cook nutritious meals on tight budgets. Their generosity reflects the heart of eastern Oregon: neighbors lifting neighbors.

Student-led programs like Swipe Out Hunger extend this spirit, allowing students with meal plans to donate unused “swipes” to peers. Added directly to a student’s ID card, these meals offer easy, barrier-free support.

Behind much of this work is 91��ý Benefits Navigator Pamela Frederick Williams ’20, who walks alongside students as they navigate resource assistance.

“Basic needs aren’t extras,” Williams says. “When students are hungry or unsure where they’re going to sleep, it affects everything: health, grades, mental well-being. When we meet those needs, students can finally breathe.”

For Pamela, this mission is personal. As a student, she skipped meals and stretched every dollar. She returned to 91��ý determined to make sure others wouldn’t face the same struggles alone.

That care was met recently with unexpected generosity. Spokane Teachers Credit Union provided 91��ý with a $7,500 gift to support campus food pantries—a lifeline at exactly the right moment.

“It was such a blessing,” Pamela said. “This gift will make a tremendous difference for our students.”

Faculty advocates, including Bill Grigsby, professor of sociology, and Jennifer Puentes, associate professor of sociology, help guide understanding of student hunger through teaching and research on inequality and food insecurity. Their work reinforces a simple truth: hunger is not a personal failure; it is a barrier we can remove.

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Celebrating Possibilities – $1.3 Million in Foundation Scholarships

northern — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:31:37 +0000

Scholarship Dinner (91��ý photograph / Michael K. Dakota)

The 91��ý Foundation’s annual Celebration of Scholarships was a highlight of Blue and Gold Weekend, bringing students and donors together in a show of gratitude, community, and academic achievement. The event also featured a major announcement: the Foundation would be offering more than $1.3 million in scholarships to 91��ý students in the 2025-26 academic year, a new record in support of student success.

When announcing the record number, James Gorham, ’95, Chair of the 91��ý Foundation Board of Directors, was all smiles. “This event is about more than numbers,” he said. “It’s about building bridges between generations, between dreams and opportunities, and between the students who show up with grit and determination and the donors who believe in their potential.”

The event allowed guests to hear directly from scholarship recipients and see the lasting impact of their support . Tyler Dubsky, ’03, Director of Development, shared: “Scholarships do far more than lessen financial pressure, they help students feel seen and supported. When a student meets the person who invested in their potential, it builds a real connection. It reminds us that education is not something we pursue alone, but something we’re uplifted into by the people who believe in us.”

The celebration also included the announcement of this year’s Teacher Excellence Award recipient: Doug Briney, associate professor of business. Briney was honored for his outstanding dedication to teaching and mentoring students in the College of Business.

The award was presented by Elaina Robison, 2025 President of the Associated Students of 91��ý (AS91��ý), who offered heartfelt remarks. “Professor Briney is the kind of educator who makes you feel seen and capable. He takes time with students and shows that learning is a journey, not just a grade. He pushes students to think critically, communicate clearly, and lead with purpose.”

Robison emphasized the importance of celebrating the impact of faculty alongside the support of donors. “As students, we are shaped by those who teach us and those who believe in us. Today, we celebrate both.”

91��ý President Kelly Ryan reflected on the day’s significance. “At 91��ý, we believe in access, affordability, and excellence. Scholarships and the faculty who guide our students are essential to that mission. The generosity and dedication we celebrate here today ensure that our students have the resources and mentorship to thrive, to persist, and to graduate ready to lead.”

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Stepping Up to the Plate

northern — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:28:37 +0000

March arrives with the rhythm of spring training—a season of sharpening skills, finding your footing, and stepping back onto the field. For former Mountaineer Steve Carter ’08, that spirit mirrors the way 91��ý shaped his life, defined his friendships, and inspired his desire to give back.

Carter first arrived in La Grande on July 4, 1969, in an old Ford station wagon, carrying little more than a baseball glove and a hope for direction. He was simply a young man searching for a place to learn, to belong, and to swing at his future. “It was a perfect fit,” Carter said. “A small town, good people, good players. It was where I needed to be.”

His early years at Eastern were marked by baseball achievements and deep friendships. Carter played for the Mountaineers in 1970, helping lead the team to an undefeated league season. The bonds he formed, both on and off the field, would endure across decades. “Average teams, I don’t remember much about,” he said. “But the great ones? You make friends for life.”

That promising start was interrupted when Carter was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Although frustration lingered at leaving the sport behind, he carried confidence in the work he performed while serving. “At the time, I was angry about being there, about missing the game,” he said. “But once I was in, I took pride in what I did. I did it well.”

Returning to Eastern in 1972, he refused to let the war take baseball

from him. The game once again offered him purpose and belonging. And the teammates who supported him on the field would later support him in a more significant way.

Carter left Eastern after the 1972–73 season, short of graduation.

He felt older than his peers after returning from military service, and stepping away felt like the right decision. A successful career in real estate followed, yet his degree remained unfinished.

That changed in 2006, when he returned to campus as an 91��ý Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee. He learned he was only three credits short of completing his degree.

His teammates escorted him to the Registrar’s Office, standing behind him so he could not leave, where he learned he could complete his degree by writing a paper about his life experiences and how his 91��ý education supported his success. He wrote the paper, and when he returned home from the induction ceremony, his diploma was waiting

in his mailbox. The moment became deeply personal.

Those same friendships and the sense of belonging that defined his time at Eastern shape Carter’s generosity today. “Every good player I ever played with has an ego, positively,” he said. “Part of the motivation for me doing this is that I don’t want to be forgotten; when I’m gone, I’d like to have given something back. And it’s perpetual. It never goes away.”

Carter hopes the university will someday have a new baseball field, a place where future Mountaineers can gather and where the spirit of the game can be felt across generations. “Imagine it’s a nice day in May,” he said. “You just say, ‘Hey, let’s go over and watch the game.’ That matters.”

“If they know who came before them, maybe they’ll feel part of something bigger,” he said. Carter hopes future players will feel the same sense of connection that shaped his life, that they will embrace the friendships the game brings. “If you’re good and you work together, you’ll make friendships that last your whole life,” he said. “That’s what this is really about.”

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