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With a generous lead gift, Trustee Emeritus Bill Neff ’67 and Rita Neff ’69 are challenging trustees and other alumni and friends to join them in fully funding the Employer Engagement and Immersive Learning Opportunities Endowment. Following additional gifts to date, another $800,000 is needed to reach a total of $2 million to fund a new Seattle-based Director for Employer Engagement to strengthen partnerships with key employers and expand student internship and research opportunities. 

Building on the Community Engaged Teaching and Learning gift announced last fall, the new endowment further invests in the college’s plans to provide immersive learning opportunities for all students.

“We are deeply grateful to Bill and Rita Neff for leading our trustees and other alumni to establish this endowment,” says President Sarah Bolton. “It is a key step in realizing our vision for all Whitman students to put their excellent classroom learning into action in a way that is powerful for their futures.” 

The Neffs understand firsthand the important role that immersive learning opportunities such as internships play in preparing Whitman students to succeed after graduation. Their son, Mark Neff ’99, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in German Studies with a minor in Biology and now teaches environmental studies at Western Washington University. Mark was always interested in science, which led him to an internship at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle—an opportunity that transformed his career path. 

“This internship was a significant factor in his employment at Oregon Health & Sciences University following his graduation from Whitman and subsequent admission to graduate schools leading to his current career,” says Bill. “That was an amazing path for someone who did not have a science undergraduate degree and shows how an internship provides career employment opportunities following graduation from Whitman.”

A Cornerstone of Career Success

Internships are a cornerstone of Whitman’s career development program. The Employer Engagement and Immersive Learning Opportunity Endowment takes Whitman’s immersive learning initiative a step further by making it possible for the Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC) to hire a new staff member based in Seattle. 

The new will be dedicated to developing and cultivating relationships with employers in the Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. The director’s primary responsibility will be to generate internships, research opportunities, assistantships and employment opportunities across all majors. 

“This generous new endowment will significantly enhance our capacity to form and support new partnerships in our key markets,” says Kim Rolfe, Director of the CCEC. As a result, Whitman students will soon have access to a broader array of internship and research experiences.

Ensuring a Legacy of Immersive Learning

The Neffs’ philanthropy to Whitman has largely been inspired by the impact Whitman had on their lives. Both Bill and Rita were scholarship recipients and would not have been able to attend Whitman without the significant financial support provided to them. Immersive learning has become a top priority to them because they feel it is critical to ensuring Whitman’s long-term success. 

Their support for immersive learning will help Whitman remain the premier liberal arts institution in the Pacific Northwest, providing students with critical tools for post-graduation success: rigorous academics, experiential learning and professional pathways.