The big reunions of June 2023 brought many Cougs back to Pullman and Spokane to visit their alma mater.
Washington State Magazine writers met with some of them at CougStoryCorps—a forum to hear their stories and share them with other Washington State University alumni recollections.
Here are some of their stories:
Nancy and Jim Lemery
Washington State University is her “happy place.”
As an undergraduate student in Pullman, she found the campus to be “a safe, encouraging, supportive environment with a lot of positives going on.”
Nancy (Mitchell) Lemery (’63 Ed.) is “forever grateful” for that. Her dad studied here, too. “So some of … » More …
Fancy Dancer and the Seven Drums, John Roskelley’s first novel, traces its origins to the 1967 Omak Stampede, when a similar but more streamlined story first came into his mind. Here, Roskelley (’71 Geol.) discusses the roots of the narrative, his writing process, other works, and more.
Where did the idea for the book come from? Is it rooted in or inspired by any true events in your real life?
The idea for Fancy Dancer and the Seven Drumsmorphed from an early personal interest in central Washington’s unique place in American history to a more realistic focus on the diversity and lives … » More …
Kellie Zimmerman (’01 Busi.) is no stranger to the Seattle tech scene. And she’s on a new adventure in the industry.
She spent over 15 years building and leading teams in companies such as Concur and Avalara.
Zimmerman is now CEO of Bellevue-based startup Brightloom, which leverages AI and data to help restaurants such as El Pollo Loco, Ruby Tuesday, and Jamba Juice accelerate their marketing and customer engagement.
In this episode of Viewscapes, she talks about the twists and … » More …
James Donaldson had a great college and professional basketball career, a physical therapy business, and many aspirations, even in retirement from sports.
But over the course of several years, illness, bankruptcy, divorce, and circumstances in life sent Donaldson into a dark mental spiral. He found his way back, writing a book about his struggles and starting a foundation to help others.
In this episode, Donaldson talks with magazine associate editor Adriana Janovich about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, his recovery and memoir, and his desire to help other men, especially men of color, who face the same darkness.
It takes scores of volunteers of help the Washington State University Alumni Association connect with Cougs across the country. Meet three of the alumni who help make it happen.
‘All about giving back’
It was her first Cougar football game. WSU was playing Stanford at Stanford, and the Cougs had just scored.
“I remember being in the stands,” says Katey Koehn, who attended the October 23, 2010, game with her husband. “There was a group of three or four Cougs behind us, and they started singing the Fight Song. I realized I didn’t know it. That moment made me think, ‘If I really … » More …
