Media Contact:
Libby Siebens, community relations executive director, 509-682-6436
Dr. Chio Flores, vice president of student services and enrollment management, 509-682-6805

A celebration of life honoring WVC student Rachel Odima, will take place around the fountain on the Wenatchee campus at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 28. WVC students, employees and members of the community are welcome to attend. Odima’s family will also be in attendance.

Odima was killed in a car accident over the weekend. She was an Associated Students of WVC (ASWVC) Student Senate member and Knight Women’s Basketball player on the Northwest Athletic Conference championship team this year. She was on track to graduate from WVC this spring.

The celebration of life will be hosted by ASWVC and WVC Athletics. WVC Athletic Director Kyle Vierck will emcee. The event will include a balloon signing, coordinated by the women’s basketball team and student senate. Attendees may write messages or share memories on yellow balloons (Odima’s favorite color) and release them at the end of the event.

After the balloon release, attendees are welcome to gather around the fountain to share stories and memories.

Counseling services are available to the WVC community. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Center on campus will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. WVC counselors and staff will be there during that time for anyone who would like to talk. WVC counselors may be reached at counseling@wvc.edu or (509) 682-6850. A local crisis hotline is also available for those who need it at 509-662-7105 or 1-800-852-2923.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Student Access Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.