Saint Martin’s alum appointed to HEC Board
November 14, 2006
Lacey, Washington— Jonathan Sprouffske, a 2004 Saint Martin’s
University graduate now pursuing a law degree, was just named to the
Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB). He is the first
private college student to ever be appointed to the student position of
the ten-member citizen board. HECB members administer Washington State’s
student financial aid programs and provide planning, coordination,
monitoring and policy analysis for higher education.
Sprouffske is looking forward to his HECB tenure and “working with a
diverse group of people who all feel passionate about higher education
and want to see students succeed.” Board members are charged by state
law to represent the “broad public interest above the interests of the
individual colleges and universities.” He feels uniquely qualified to
address student financial aid issues since he personally relied on
three, state-sponsored financial aid programs to complete his Saint
Martin’s education.
“My father died when I was a high school freshman. Not long after
that, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. My financial options to
attend college were limited,” recalls Sprouffske. “I knew about Saint
Martin’s, in part because my two cousins had gone there, but I needed
financial assistance to attend and they made the necessary financial aid
possible.”
One of Sprouffske’s objectives following his HECB appointment is to
“make certain that all Washington students have access to college.”
While earning a double major in business administration and theater
arts, Sprouffske utilized three HECB administered financial aid
programs, the Washington Promise Scholarship, the Washington Award for
Vocational Excellence, and state-sponsored work study to finance his
education. Since graduation, he enrolled in Seattle University’s Law
School and is currently serving an internship with Smith Alling Lane,
P.S., a Tacoma general practice law firm.
While attending Saint Martin’s Sprouffske was active in student
government, eventually becoming student body president. He also competed
in track and served as a residential advisor. “Saint Martin’s students
can get as much out of their education as they are willing to put into
it,” he believes. “I chose to be very involved and I was rewarded in
spades for that energy.”
He notes that both faculty and staff made significant, positive
contributions to his education and his personal development. “Don Stout,
Business Professor and David Hlavsa, Associate Professor in Theater,
were “instrumental with their inspiration and encouragement. They really
pushed me to become the person I am today.”
On the staff side, Sprouffske credits his four-year work study job in
Saint Martin’s Campus Security, working with Pat Sturgill, Director,
Safety and Security, and Mary Law, University Registrar, with enhancing
his education, enjoyment of the campus and his academic success.
A native of the small town of Rainier, Sprouffske recalls how the
Saint Martin’s campus community enveloped him when his mother died
during his senior year. “I received overwhelming support from everyone.
It was truly inspirational how everyone rallied around me.” Sprouffske
now serves on the Saint Martin’s Alumni Association Board of Directors
as second vice president, in part to give back to the community that
always provided so much support.
Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives
through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal
arts, business, education and engineering. A Catholic, Benedictine
university, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,200 students from many ethnic and
religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main campus, and 600 more
to three extension campuses.
For additional information:
Anne Kirske
Interim communication director
360.486.8857
akirske@stmartin.edu