Making a Difference

The Woolerys are helping students who want to help others

Nick, ba ’08 (left), and Paige, bs ’07, Woolery. Photo submitted

From Bell Tower - 2023
By Angela Lutz

Growing up in western Kansas, Paige Woolery, bs ’07, loved the quiet streets and wide-open spaces – but she always wanted to make a broader impact beyond her hometown. While studying at Washburn University, she visited New York City for the first time and got to know a whole new way of life. She was there to volunteer at a homeless shelter as part of Washburn University’s Alternative Breaks Program, and she calls the experience “eye-opening.”

“People at the shelter would share their stories, and they were just like any of us,” she said. “One of them had a really bad health issue and couldn’t work, and some were escaping from abusive relationships. There’s such stigma around homelessness, and it was great to have the support from Washburn to get there and learn about how to support folks in those situations.”

Paige’s husband, Nick Woolery, ba ’08, also participated in Alternative Breaks while he was a student at Washburn. As a sophomore, he spearheaded trips to Mississippi and Louisiana to help with cleanup efforts after Hurricane Katrina, and he went to Greensburg, Kansas, after the devastating tornado in 2007. He also visited the New York City homeless shelters with Paige, who he met at Washburn and married in 2008. He says these opportunities made a lasting impression on him and imparted values that he and Paige hope to pass on to their two children.

“Going down after a disaster and seeing people’s lives torn apart was devastating – but then you see that the little impact you can make can actually make a big difference,” Nick said. “Even small things like being able to pick up debris from an elderly woman’s backyard and sitting around at lunchtime and eating oranges from her tree and hearing her life story – those are experiences that can stay with you for the rest of your life.”

For both Nick and Paige, their Alternative Breaks experience was nothing short of life changing. In addition to the help they were able to give others, they also felt they benefited from the skills and leadership training the program gave them, as people and professionals. Now living in Georgetown, Texas, Nick is an assistant city manager and Paige works at accounting firm KPMG as an internal auditor. Alternative Breaks, which is managed by Washburn’s Learning in the Community, or LinC, program, is an example of how Nick said Washburn provides students with formative experiences by focusing on service away from campus over winter and spring academic breaks.  

"I received a lot of incredible volunteer opportunities through LinC, and all of those experiences set me up for success,” Nick said. "The Washburn faculty made a personal investment in the students. They went above and beyond to help you grow as a person and a leader."

To ensure current and future students have access to these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, Washburn often utilizes gifts from alumni and other community members. Because of their success, the Woolerys recently decided to pledge financial support to the Alternative Breaks Program through the I Will for Washburn Greenwood/McPherson Legacy Challenge. This unique campaign encourages people to include Washburn in their will or estate plan and allows them to direct $10,000 to any area on campus, thereby making an immediate and tangible difference in the lives of students.

Paige said she was initially intimidated by the idea of estate planning, especially since she and Nick are still relatively young. But after learning more about I Will for Washburn, Paige realized that she and Nick were perfectly positioned to make an impactful donation that will contribute to growth on campus – and even better, they can it watch unfold right away.

“Even if a gift does start small, it can add up over time and make a big change – and I Will for Washburn is a good way to do that,” Paige said. “I would encourage people not to be intimidated to take the first step and find out what the options are. Don’t think that any amount is too small to get started.”

“We wanted to make the biggest difference and give back in the biggest way,” Nick added. “It will have an immediate impact helping students grow as people and leaders. When I was organizing those trips, we received donations from alums who wanted to support students in their efforts to go help people in need. It made a huge difference and also really inspired me personally.”

Going forward, Nick and Paige hope their donations can make a difference for current and future Washburn students – and inspire them to keep paying it forward to those in need.

“We have continued to be involved in the community in Texas and are always looking for ways to give back because we learned the value of that at Washburn,” Paige said. “We want to make sure other Washburn students get those same opportunities.”

Learning by Serving Others

Washburn students are often passionate about service, and Washburn’s Learning in the Community, or LinC, program offers them a variety of ways they can enhance their academic and college experience while improving the community with hands-on service opportunities, such as:

• Alternative Breaks Program, which engages Washburn students in focused service away from campus over winter and spring academic breaks, and has become a popular way for students to travel and have great experiences while having a positive impact.
• Washburn Peace Works, which promotes international service, support of international partners who address the needs of underserved communities around the world, and awareness of international social justice awareness.
• Oxfam America creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice, and Washburn’s LinC scholars often partner with them and direct an Oxfam Club on campus which organizes things like an annual Thanksgiving dinner for persons transitioning from homelessness.