For her outstanding academic performance and lifelong leadership in community service, University of Washington Bothell MBA student Jen Landry becomes the first recipient of the Don Whitney Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded through the university’s School of Business.

Whitney was a longtime manager of the School of Business graduate services. He died in September, 2012 of pancreatic cancer. School of Business Dean Sandeep Krisnhamurthy says it is a privilege to have a scholarship named in honor of a departed staff member.

“Don Whitney’s legacy lives on in our community,” said Krishnamurthy. “He always encouraged students to give back to society and to take the ethical path when faced with a dilemma. Don was a relentless advocate for students and our programs. This spirit of caring, generosity and responsibility continues in our hearts and minds as we go about our jobs of educating students.”

Landry, a self-described former “punk rock Girl Scout”, says she finds she’s at her ‘best most authentic self’ when she’s in service to others. In that, she feels a connection to the late Whitney.

“While I never met Don, I have felt the lasting impact of his work- in the program itself as well as the care provided by faculty,” she says. “It is also palpable when those that knew him talk about him, I can see that he changed people’s lives through a genuine presence. I really wish that I had met him, but am tremendously honored to be receiving this scholarship in his name.”

Landry and the community she serves are now beneficiaries of the graduate program that Whitney poured his life into.

“I think UW Bothell is providing me with tools to expand the impact of my service,” she said. “I think there can be a disconnect in understanding between the non-profit and business communities, even though the work they do is intrinsically linked. Being asked difficult questions in class regarding ethics, oppression, etc. as it affects managers in a wide array of industries has stretched me in surprising ways.”

When Whitney’s family and friends from throughout the UW Bothell community meet Landry at the Nov. 15 reception in her honor, they will easily understand how she is keeping Don Whitney’s legacy alive. In her application, Landry wrote, “Through service to others, we learn what it means to be human and we develop lasting positive change in the world.”

The Don Whitney Memorial Scholarship is made possible through generous donations from UW Bothell alumni, faculty and staff, as well as Don’s family and friends.