{"id":6685,"date":"2019-03-21T13:20:09","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T20:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/reconnect\/?page_id=6685"},"modified":"2019-04-11T15:36:57","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T22:36:57","slug":"forever-coug","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/reconnect\/reconnect-2019\/forever-coug\/","title":{"rendered":"Forever Coug"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Forever Coug<\/h1>\n

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\"Mel<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tSelf-starter Mel Hamre gives of himself to help others\t<\/h2>\n

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A<\/span> first-generation college graduate<\/strong> who has helped more than 70 Washington State University students take their own academic journey, and a history-sharing volunteer still going strong at age 86, Mel Hamre is the epitome of a \u201cForever Coug.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been a self-starter,\u201d says Hamre, a 1954 graduate of the then-Washington State College, and a man who has always aspired to leave the world a better place because he\u2019s lived in it.<\/p>\n

The kid behind the projector<\/h3>\n

Growing up in the Puyallup suburb of Edgewood, Mel grew up on the family farm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all were poor, but nobody told us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had a work ethic, and we lived well because we grew our own food.\u201d<\/p>\n

In schools, educational films were becoming popular, and \u201cthey changed my life,\u201d Mel said.<\/p>\n

Teachers rarely operated the projector\u2014that was the job of students like Mel, who learned to run the films, becoming a projectionist. From there, he advanced to scheduling showings, maintaining equipment, and train\u00ading other students. By his junior year, Mel became student audio-visual coordinator for the Fife school system.<\/p>\n

Thanks to his work ethic and good record, Mel received a scholarship from the Sears-Roebuck Foundation. When he arrived at Washington State College in 1950, Mel had a marketable skill, useful for paying the $200-per-semester room-and-board and $87.50 in tuition and fees.<\/p>\n

He landed a student job, rising to become chief projectionist and assistant chief technician, shipping films from the audio-visual center\u2019s film library, and scheduling movies for entertainment in Todd Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI advanced to a buck an hour,\u201d he said\u2014more than the typical student wage in the \u201950s.<\/p>\n

Supporting the student experience<\/h3>\n

After graduation, Mel took a job teach\u00ading 8th grade back home at Edgemont School, but \u201cmy number was up,\u201d and he was shortly drafted and sent to a U.S. Army combat engineer battalion in Ger\u00admany. Once out of the Army, however, Mel had a decision to make.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings were happening fast in the world of science,\u201d he said. \u201cI decided my calling was to get on with my education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earning advanced degrees at Purdue University, Mel went on to the University of Minnesota, spending his profession\u00adal career in Extension, teaching, and research in poultry science.<\/p>\n

Washington state, however, was always his true home. And, knowing firsthand the needs of students from working fam\u00adilies, Mel began funding scholarships in CAHNRS and the WSU College of Educa\u00adtion more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d been there and done that,\u201d Mel said. \u201cI talk to young people, and I know<\/p>\n

how hard it is: A $1,000 scholarship means 100 hours less they have to work. That lets them live the college experi\u00adence\u2014belong to clubs, work out at the Rec Center, go to the games. Not just pound the books!\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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\"Mel
Pointing out the state\u2019s varied fruit crops as they roll past, volunteer guide Mel Hamre helps young guests learn more from a trip to the Washington State History Museum. \u201cI like to give visitors something special to remember,\u201d he says.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p><\/div>\n

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Day at the museum<\/h3>\n

Working at a recent Friday morning opening of the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, as he\u2019s done nearly every week for 22 years, Mel was on hand as a guide, answering questions and add\u00ading a personal touch for visitors of all ages.<\/p>\n

Wearing a fleece vest marked \u201cVolun\u00adteer,\u201d Mel proudly pointed out an antique propeller\u2014\u201cKids like to see how fast they can make it go!\u201d and the origins of the shipbuilding exhibit\u2014\u201cThose are the tools of a master craftsman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Few who visit the agriculture exhibit ever notice the little, stuffed mouse in his shadowy corner, but once Mel pointed him out, two visiting girls were excited to spot it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a mouse in the museum. Can you see it?\u201d Mel asked. High atop stacked wheat sacks, the rodent crouched, lifelike as if intent on stealing Palouse grain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to give visitors something spe\u00adcial to remember,\u201d said Mel.<\/p>\n

Mel retired home to Washington in 1995, but, true to character, has kept busy in his volunteer job at the museum and helping at his retirement commu\u00adnity, while still supporting students in CAHNRS.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a lifelong educator,\u201d he said. \u201cI taught 8th grade, taught in college, and continuing education in Extension. Why quit now?\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

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Student Perspective<\/h2>\n

Helping big dreams come true<\/h3>\n

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\"Carmen<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Exploring wheat genes that could give us better varieties for pastries, cookies, and cakes, Crop and Soil Sciences graduate student Carmen Swannack benefits from fewer financial worries and more supplies in school thanks to Mel Hamre\u2019s scholarship.<\/p>\n

Funding from donors like Mel rewards hard-working students, giving them a boost of confidence that lets them achieve their goals, says Swannack.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank Mel for all the support he gives to CAHNRS students,\u201d says Swannack. \u201cHis gift helps students like me get a great education, turning dreams into reality.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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CONNECT with CAHNRS<\/h2>\n

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