Walla Walla Community College (WWCC), often referred to as just “CC” locally, is a multi-campus
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
in southeastern
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
state.
History
Walla Walla Community College was founded in 1967 by Peter Dietrich when the region saw a need for a community college. It was first housed in the educational complex on Park St. previously occupied by Walla Walla High School before that school moved to its current facility south of town. When WWCC grew too big for this location, it purchased land to the east of town near the airport and built its current facilities there. Eventually a branch campus was established in Clarkston, WA, 100 miles to the east as well.
WWCC added one of its most important programs, the enological and viticulture program, in the late 1990s when the town of Walla Walla was facing economic uncertainty due to the decline of the agriculture industry locally. This program is responsible in part for the boom of the wine industry in Walla Walla in that it has graduated many of the winemakers of the over 175 wineries in the area today. From here WWCC has had several more non-traditional programs, in addition to more typical programs to meet the needs of the Walla Walla Valley such as the Commercial Truck Driver Program, John Deere Technology Program, and Water Technologies and Management Program.
Most recently, WWCC is in the process of completing the Southeast Area Tech Skills Center (SEA Tech Center) expansion. This includes a multimillion-dollar building at the main campus to house an array of new programs in cooperation with area high schools.
In 2013, Walla Walla Community College was awarded the
Aspen
Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus.
Species
These species are called aspens:
*'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...
Prize for Community College Excellence.
Campus
The college is spread over three campuses in southeastern
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. The WWCC also maintains a facility at the
Washington State Penitentiary.
Academics
The college has an average annual enrollment of about 9,000 students. It has numerous areas of study and certificates, as well as 45 different associate degree programs.
Athletics
WWCC fields teams (stylized as the Walla Walla Warriors) in eleven sports. In the Fall, Warrior Field plays host to men's and women's soccer, while volleyball takes center stage in the Dietrich Center – often referred to as 'The Dome'. The winter quarter sees The Dome taken over by the men's and women's basketball, while the spring months offer baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, and rodeo. The Warriors play in the
Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NIAA), also known informally as the Northwest Conference, was a collegiate athletic conference in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, established in 1902. The conference ended football comp ...
(NWAC)
Notable people
*
Mark Klicker, businessman and politician
*
Tommy Lloyd
Tommy Lloyd (born December 21, 1974) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arizona Wildcats men's team of the Pac-12 Conference.
Playing career
Lloyd was born in Kelso, Washington and attended Kelso High School, ...
, head men's basketball coach at University of Arizona, former assistant basketball coach at
Gonzaga
*
Chuck Martin, college basketball coach
*
Kimo von Oelhoffen
Kimo K. von Oelhoffen (; born January 30, 1971) is a former American football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played colle ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
*
Ricky Pierce
Richard Charles Pierce (born August 19, 1959) is an American retired National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Nicknamed "Deuces" and "Big Paper Daddy", he was selected as an NBA All-Star (1991) and was twice the NBA Sixth Man of the Year (19 ...
, professional basketball player
*
Bryan Pittman
Bryan S. Pittman (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football long snapper. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Washington.
Pittman played semi professionally for the Puget Sound ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
long snapper
*
Mike Sellers
Michael Sellers (born July 21, 1975) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was the youngest import player to sign a Canadian Football League (CFL) deal in the history of the football league when he pla ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
fullback for the
Washington Football Team
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1967
Community colleges in Washington (state)
Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Universities and colleges in Walla Walla, Washington