March 6, 2003

Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail loweryr@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Five individuals, credited as those who have “helped women with their life journey,” were honored last night (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5) during the fifth annual Women’s Achievement Celebration at Central Washington University.

The event celebrates and publicly acknowledges selected individuals who have assisted women in personal and professional ways to excel, take risks and become the best that they can be, according to Katrina Whitney, CWU center for student empowerment director.

“It’s important for our community to take a moment to acknowledge those individuals who have created and supported opportunities for women’s advancements in our society,” Whitney adds.

The honorees were:

• Gwen Chaplin, Central Washington Planned Parenthood executive director and CWU board of trustees chair;
• Toni Menig, Central academic advisor;
• Dr. M. Meghan Miller, university geological sciences professor and dean of the CWU College of the Sciences; and,
• Helen Wise, a CWU distinguished civil servant and senior science instruction technologist emeritus in the biological sciences department.

“We devised this award as a way to honor a student who embodies all aspects of empowerment,” Whitney says. “Crystal is a young women who took risks, challenged her own thoughts and belief system to become a leader on campus and now reaches out to others.”

Ester Huey, retired director of the Yakima Valley Substance Abuse Coalition, made the keynote address on why “We are our Sisters Keepers.” The event, co-sponsored by the CWU diversity center, was attended by more than 100 people in Tunstall Commons on the Ellensburg campus, including CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre, who called it an inspiring evening.

“I thought it went very well, and the honorees were very impressive, as was Esther Huey’s keynote address,” McIntyre says.

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