Donor Impact 2015
Pam Parker
Pam Parker
Graduation year: 1981
Position: Professor of English, Whitworth University
Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
My story begins along the banks of the River Kwai, in Thailand, where I was the fourth child of missionaries. The story picked up again in Yakima, Wash., the year my family returned to the United States. When I came to Whitworth College, in 1977, I discovered that being a bicultural "MK" (missionary kid) actually expanded my story. As an English major, I put my story in the context of others and learned to embrace the beauty and complexity of language and culture.
I am a literature professor because I love how stories link us together and to the divine mystery. Stories teach us to see through the eyes of others and to hear voices that don't sound like our own. They can enlarge our minds and hearts, expand our visions, and temper our desires. Yes, stories do reveal us to ourselves, but at their best they lead us out of ourselves, away from isolation and despair and toward compassion and hope. We dwell in mystery, but stories unfold that mystery; they give form and meaning to random incidents, allowing us to pass our stories on to the next generation.
For me, teaching at Whitworth is a gift. Giving back to Whitworth is an opportunity to pass on that gift and to share my story as student, a professor, and now the proud parent of another alumnus. Thank you for your gifts to Whitworth and for encouraging other stories to begin.