Warrior Journeys returns with help of Wahluke Alumni Association

MATTAWA — Graduates of Wahluke High School are working to form an alumni association, and one of their first projects is the revival of a favorite high school program. Veronica Quintero, who’s one of the people working on the alumni association, said the group is looking for WHS graduates who want to participate in Warrior Journeys.

Wahluke High School principal Cody Marlow said Warrior Journeys was started by former WHS counselor Jan Phillips.

“(Phillips) had the idea of bringing Wahluke alumni to speak to current students,” Marlow wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “We had everything from college students to entrepreneurs to CEOs. After Mrs. Phillips retired, Warrior Journeys stopped happening.”

Marlow revived it in 2019, but it fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. One was held in 2023, and for 2025 it’s scheduled for Oct. 3.

Quintero is a 2009 WHS graduate and remembered Warrior Journeys.

“This is a program I actually got to participate in as a presenter and speaking in 2013, right after I graduated from the University of Washington,” Quintero said. “I also remember being a student myself, how impactful it was when alumni would come back and basically share their journeys with us.”

Quintero said the goal is to get about 40 Wahluke graduates to come back and talk about their experiences after high school.

“I believe it is unique to have alumni come back for an event (where) students get to choose what presenter they want to see,” Marlow said. “It is very awesome for current Wahluke students to hear from former students who used to walk in their shoes and in these same halls, and what they learned as they went through their personal and professional life.”

Any and all Wahluke graduates are invited, Quintero said.

“Honestly, the more diverse and different types of professions we can get, the better,” she said.

While a four-year college is one option, there are lots of others, she said, including community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeships.

“I think it’s really important for current students to know there are diverse options. Going on to a four-year university, that’s an amazing option, but that’s not for everybody. We’re really hoping to get diverse experiences, different perspectives,” she said.

Quintero started her career in television journalism, moving from Tri-Cities and Yakima to Las Vegas to Phoenix. From there she was hired by the Arizona Department of Tourism as bilingual public relations manager, she said.

In Arizona, she met up with another WHS graduate, Jessica Arellano-Cruz.

“We just bonded over how much we miss Mattawa; how much we miss Washington. I’m in Arizona, she’s in California,” she said, “and we started talking about how cool it would be, even though we’re not in Washington or Mattawa, (to) still stay in touch with the community and continue to make, hopefully, a positive impact with the students there by sharing our experiences.”

From that came two initiatives.

“We are officially forming what’s called the Wahluke Alumni Association,” she said. “And one of the first things we wanted to bring back is Warrior Journeys.”

Quintero said the move from Mattawa to UW meant a big change, and some of the people she met in college had trouble coping.

“Going from Mattawa to Seattle — it was intimidating. It was daunting,” she said. “You’re talking about a huge culture shift, and being in spaces where maybe you don’t see yourself, you don’t feel like you belong. That was an intense process. There were moments when I was doubting myself, (wondering), ‘Am I even ready for this?’”

She found friends and a support system at UW, but not everybody had the same experience.

“I saw a lot of peers that ended up dropping out because it was just too much for them,” she said. “We want to avoid that.”

One advantage she had coming from Mattawa, she said, was that she had learned how to find solutions to those challenges.

“You have been in those positions where you have to do a lot with a little sometimes,” she said. “Maybe you don’t have the same resources. Maybe you don’t have the same access to opportunities. But one thing about coming from Mattawa that it prepares you for is how to be resourceful.”

To Volunteer:

The Wahluke School District is looking for Wahluke High School graduates who are willing to talk with current students about their post-high school experiences and careers during the Warrior Journeys event Oct. 3. People who want to volunteer can contact WHS principal Cody Marlow at [email protected]. The last day to volunteer as a presenter is Sept. 29.

    Veronica Quintero