By Jason Wells
Where It All Started
In the course of a lifetime, people’s choices inevitably ignite chain reactions of influence in the lives of others. Small choices—such as the giving of an encouraging word, a shoulder to cry on, a prayer—strengthen the web of our delicate connections. In their own words, four alumni express gratitude for the choices, big and small, people made in their lives while at Walla Walla College and how the effects continue to spread.
It was 1995, the fall of my senior year, my last year at Walla Walla College. I was in the cafeteria at lunch when Heather first caught my eye, and soon I was catching glimpses of her everywhere—in the wwc choir, on the varsity volleyball team, and occasionally crossing campus from the Ad building to Foreman Hall. I was intrigued.
My roommate, Jim Christianson, was an assistant coach to the volleyball team and was able to fill in more of the missing details. Heather was a freshman from Milo Academy, she was a nursing major, taking scuba, and the best part, he thought she was single.
As fate would have it, the next day at work as a photographer for Westwind, editor Rosa Jimenez shared that the next cover and feature story of the Westwind was to be covering a new student at wwc. It was to be a “Day in the Life,” similar to the best-selling books of the time. Without hesitation, I suggested Heather Schmunk, knowing that following her around for the day with a camera had to be just about the dream job of the century. Rosa asked if I’d set up the shoot, but I sheepishly bailed on that as I’d never even met Heather! Fortunately, Rosa tracked down Heather and inquired about her willingness to be the subject of the feature, but the worst part was she told Heather that Jason Wells had recommended her! I’m grateful that I didn’t learn of that detail until well into our story, or I might have never made it to the shoot.
Our first conversation was over the telephone on an autumn afternoon. I casually called Heather’s room to set up a time to go over her schedule, thinking I’d be leaving a message. To my surprise, she answered, and I attempted to sound calm as the photographer assigned to cover the “Day in the Life” feature. Heather said she’d be available to meet right then, and I was caught off guard, totally unprepared for this first meeting. Within minutes I found myself sitting in the lobby of Foreman, waiting for those wooden double doors to open. My heart raced.
Our meeting went incredibly well. We examined Heather’s color-coded schedule and picked a day where she had several classes, there was choir performance at the all-school chapel service, she had scuba in the afternoon, and a volleyball game that evening. It was to be a day of many diverse activities and images. The days prior to the shoot crept at a glacial pace.
November 14, 1995. It was a blur of images, from Heather brushing her teeth, to religion class with Pedrito Maynard-Reid, to playfully hesitating to be photographed wearing the biology lab goggles, to singing with the choir, to swimming her required laps for scuba, hammering the volleyball in the intense game, to devotions with her hall mates that night in Foreman. Yes, it was an amazing day!
Our first “date” was at Merchants in downtown Walla Walla looking at the contact sheets just picked up from the photo lab. We laughed at the moments captured. The chemistry continued to develop that evening and this was to be the first of many dates. By January we were “official” and later that month I signed a contract to teach in the Portland area, laying the groundwork for the future, knowing that Heather would one day be on the Portland nursing campus. I just knew.
The next several years took us through many trips up and down the Gorge, an engagement in Venice (fireworks of the Redentore Festival and all) on a wwc Renaissance and Reformation study tour, and a wedding on June 21, 1998.
Five years into our marriage, I look back and cherish that beginning at wwc. I now realize how powerful an impact our time there had on our lives. The choice to attend wwc brought us together, that choice made each of us who we are today. In our five years of marriage, Heather has been so much a part of the success of my career that without her, I have no doubt that professionally I’d never have achieved so many of my dreams.
Performing in Symphony Hall this past Christmas season with the Boston Pops and experiencing thousands of people on their feet after Ring of Fire’s performance was a dream moment. But it wasn’t my favorite moment of the evening. That came when I was able to weave my way through the crowd and hug Heather, tears in our eyes. We had made it. It had been a long seven-year road with Ring of Fire.
From nursing homes, to Blazer games, to national handbell festivals, to the Presidential Inauguration, to national television—what a journey it had been. And Heather was there every step of the way, encouraging me, sharing advice, outfitting the kids, and most importantly, simply supporting me in chasing some of the wildest ambitions for a small group of handbell players from Hillsboro, Ore.! And it all started at wwc with that one special issue of Westwind.
Jason Wells, a 1996 English graduate, teaches English, history, religion, photography, and music at Tualatin Valley Junior Academy in Hillsboro, Ore. Seven years ago he founded Ring of Fire, a handbell choir that has since achieved national and international acclaim.