State representative visits CWU-Des Moines amid positive developments

Central Washington University’s University Centers, run in partnership with community colleges across the state, offer students an easy transfer route into a variety of four-year degree programs at CWU.

People in the seven communities where the University Centers are housed have long appreciated the value they bring to local residents, but not everyone is aware of the positive impact the centers have on underrepresented and place-bound learners statewide.

This includes many state lawmakers, such as 33^rd District Representative Edwin Obras, who scheduled a visit to CWU-Des Moines last month so he could learn more about what the center has to offer.

CWU-Des Moines Regional Director Mishel Corea helped with the June 25 visit, giving Obras a tour of the facility and providing him with insight into the many exciting programs offered at the center, co-located at Highline College. Corea saw the visit as an opportunity to strengthen the center’s already robust connections with the local community.

“We strive to meet workforce demands and needs in our community, and to communicate that goal to our community partners and stakeholders,” she said. “To that end, it’s helpful for us to connect with local leaders like Representative Obras and let them know about the important work we are  doing here.”

During his time on campus, Obras was introduced to CWU-Des Moines’ flourishing computer science program. The program, first introduced in 2021, offers students a flexible inroad to the Pacific Northwest’s rapidly expanding tech industry.

It was also recently awarded a grant, which will fund $2,000 quarterly scholarships for all Des Moines center-based computer science students in good academic standing, reducing the financial barrier for people who might not otherwise be able to afford the degree.

Obras came away from his visit feeling enthusiastic about what CWU-Des Moines brings to his district.

"CWU at Highline College is perfectly poised to meet the needs of students coming from many parts of the state and is distinctly tuned into the academic aspirations and needs of the surrounding community in South King County,” he said. “They have developed key partnerships resulting in affordability, innovation, and academic rigor along with student support to ensure student success. I am proud to have such a valuable resource and asset in the 33rd Legislative District!"

Corea reported that Obras commended CWU-Des Moines on the work it is doing to reduce barriers for prospective students.

“He was very impressed by our program and pleased to hear about the scholarships, too,” she said. “While we only had some staff available to meet Representative Obras, I feel he was impressed by our partnership with Highline College and the transfer pathways it makes available to students.”

In addition to the success of the computer science program, CWU-Des Moines will begin offering three graduate programs this fall. The decision to add master’s degree in business administration, information technology management, and curriculum design came as a result of the newly formed CWU-Des Moines Executive Leadership Team, comprised of a selection of CWU leaders and Highline College’s Executive Cabinet.

Following the team’s assembly in the spring, the team has focused on ways to better serve the community surrounding the center.

“There was honest conversation about what the needs were, for both Highline and the region it serves,” Corea said. “It allowed our team to build a direct connection with Highline leadership so in the future, we can have those conversations in a more organic way.”

As part of his tour, Obras got to chat with several CWU-Des Moines students and found an encouraging throughline of belonging in the conversations, according to Corea.

“Almost every student he met mentioned that they felt like the Des Moines center was a place they could call home,” she said. “When he was leaving, he said he really appreciated that such a diverse student population could all feel like they belonged in the same space.”

With the addition of new degree programs, deepened conversations with community leaders, and a new light-rail station set to open next to the Highline campus in 2026, CWU-Des Moines looks forward to a year of taking their stewardship of place to another level.

“The population of students we serve here are non-traditional, marginalized, and underrepresented,” Corea said. “This is right at the intersection of Central’s vision of access and opportunity, and is supported by our community college’s mission to provide educational opportunities to every individual who is seeking to obtain one.”