Leah Silvieus, '07
When Breean Beggs, '85, graduated from Whitworth with a degree in international studies and a Spanish minor, he had a long list of achievements to show for his years as an undergraduate student. His accomplishments included a strong academic record, the creation of student organizations, involvement with student government and membership on the cross-country team. Beggs says now, however, that the specifics of these activities "seem fuzzy and unimportant."
"Looking back, I am most proud of my commitment to full participation," Beggs says. "I tried just about everything once and did it with gusto. I engaged with lots of people, grappled with big ideas and tried to make a difference."
Beggs combines the duties of executive director and lead attorney in his position as chief catalyst at Spokane's Center for Justice. The center is a nonprofit law firm that works for social change in the Inland Northwest by seeking to restore relationships between the community's citizens and their government, between environmental and economic health, and among citizens themselves.
Beggs works in a variety of professional capacities and with an array of people. His main job is to design strategies aimed at solving individual and community problems, using the center's resources. Some days, he meets with government officials or journalists; other days, he is in court. He also coaches the lawyers, staff members and students who work at the center to frame social-justice issues and to communicate and resolve conflicts effectively. Beggs considers critical thinking the most important job skill he learned at Whitworth.
"My professors did an excellent job of modeling and teaching the skill of breaking down an argument into its components, observing both the inherent biases and consequences of the argument, without linking it to any preconceived notions of where such a discussion should lead," Beggs says.
Beggs earned a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1991 and spent several years as a litigation attorney in private practice at the Brett & Daugert law firm in Bellingham, Wash. He also spent three years before law school working as a job coach at Career Path Services, in Spokane.
"My most important experiences at Whitworth were watching students, staff and faculty working hard to alleviate suffering in the world," Beggs says. "I left knowing that the differences we make in people's lives are far more important than the money or status we obtain."
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