{"id":6697,"date":"2019-03-21T13:23:11","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T20:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/reconnect\/?page_id=6697"},"modified":"2019-04-11T15:37:47","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T22:37:47","slug":"knowledge-for-all","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/reconnect\/reconnect-2019\/knowledge-for-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowledge for all"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Knowledge for all<\/h1>\n

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\n\t\t\tExtension leader Mary Kohli pays forward a lifetime of learning and action\t<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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

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Fresh out of college, <\/strong>on her own in a new state and in her first real job, Mary Kohli found herself learning fast about the humble arts of hearth and harvest.<\/p>\n

A home economics graduate back in Delaware, Ohio, Mary had been hired over the phone as a Cooperative Extension agent in Denver, Colorado.<\/p>\n

Newly arrived and tasked with helping Colorado families and homemakers solve urgent questions about food preservation, canning and baking, Mary had to admit that homemade preserves were outside her expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never canned in my life,\u201d recalled Mary. \u201cI absolutely never had and never will!\u201d<\/p>\n

But, raised in a family of strong, independent women who prized education, Mary wasn\u2019t afraid to work hard and ask questions. She drew her chair close to the seasoned senior agent, Jackie Anderson, and listened as Anderson shared the secrets to baking great cakes in Colorado\u2019s high mountain air, along with answers to many other home economics head-scratchers. In no time at all, Mary was on her way, helping families and 4-H leaders learn about everything from clothes-making and bread-baking to nutrition and health.<\/p>\n

Knowledge for all<\/h3>\n

For more than 100 years, Extension agents like Mary have been unsung heroes of rural and urban America. With the resources and expertise of land-grant universities like WSU at their fingertips, Extension agents bring knowledge to the people.<\/p>\n

In Mary\u2019s case, that could mean subjects she knew a lot about, or topics she didn\u2019t\u2014like home canning. A quick study and a grand generalist, Mary could turn to a network of fellow experts when she didn\u2019t know the answers.<\/p>\n

Inspired to learn about Extension, leadership and personal development, Mary advanced her own education, coming to Washington and serving in district leadership positions for more than 25 years. She helped Extension agents across Washington improve lives and communities.<\/p>\n

Today, she pays forward her success, and that of her late husband and fellow Extension leader Tom Quann, through scholarship donations and involvement in CAHNRS and other causes she cares deeply about.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI grew up in a family where education was highly valued. It was simply assumed that I would seek an education, too.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Prizing the gift of learning<\/h3>\n

Raised in Wheaton, Illinois, Mary\u2019s parents were both highly active in their communities. Mary\u2019s father, Orlin, was a professional, sought-after portrait photographer in the Chicago area, while her mother, Alice, was an elementary school teacher. Mary also connected with her four well-educated aunts, two with master\u2019s degrees\u2014one a music teacher, one a hospital administrator\u2014and two of whom served in the military.<\/p>\n

At first, Mary considered a career in clothing and retail. But her counselor at Ohio Wesleyan University knew she wasn\u2019t cut out for the cloth trade and urged her into Cooperative Extension.<\/p>\n

The Extension experience, she added, \u201creally matured me. I was constantly learning, and gained so much from my colleagues. We became better leaders together.\u201d<\/p>\n

First-generation opportunities<\/h3>\n

It was here in Washington that Mary met her husband, Tom. An alumnus of the then-Washington State College\u2019s College of Agriculture, Tom devoted his career to WSU Cooperative Extension, retiring in 1987.<\/p>\n

\u201cTom was very loyal to 4-H,\u201d says Mary. \u201cHe was a 4-H member who was inspired to go to college, and was the first in his family to graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom\u2019s family founded a WSU scholarship in his honor, benefiting 4-H students. After Tom\u2019s death, Mary founded a scholarship in both their names helping deserving students. Today, she is establishing a new scholarship supporting learning opportunities for Extension fac\u00adulty and staff.<\/p>\n

Over the years, she and Tom, who passed away in 2013, helped students and staff gain educational opportunities they might not have experienced otherwise. When Mary retired in 1994, she asked her col\u00adleagues to skip gifts, and instead pool their contributions in the form of a team award for faculty and staff in the college. She then matched all that was given.<\/p>\n

Last fall, Mary was honored as a Benefactor of the Washington State University Foundation for her and Tom\u2019s contributions to Exten\u00adsion and CAHNRS.<\/p>\n

\u201cEducation has always been very important for my family,\u201d Mary said. \u201cNo matter what the age, I feel strongly that any person can learn\u2014by reading, in classes, attending seminars, and belonging to organizations that provide education, such as the League of Women Voters, of which I\u2019m a member.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud to support opportunities for young people,\u201d she added. \u201cA formal education can give your work and personal life such a great boost.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Support for the Future<\/h2>\n

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

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Every dollar counts<\/h3>\n

Growing as a person while developing skills in both chemical engineering and life, former 4-H member Kaylee Logan <\/strong>is the current recipient of the Tom Quann 4-H Scholarship, benefiting from the generosity of Mary Kohli and her late husband, Tom.<\/p>\n

Scholarships help students like Logan balance the needs of school and finances with activities and involvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery dollar counts,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very satisfying to receive aid from organizations that I\u2019ve dedicated thousands of hours to throughout my childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the donors, I personally thank you for believing in me and supporting me in my endeavor of expanding my knowledge and impacting the world. Your contribution is being used in the best ways possible and is so appreciated: You are helping my dreams come true.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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

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Costumes and community connections<\/h3>\n

Pursuing studies in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, senior Maria Wanner <\/strong>has benefited from the Jim and Barb Quann Endowed Scholar\u00adship, exploring life-changing opportunities outside the classroom.<\/p>\n

Going from intern to costume manager for the Regional The\u00adatre of the Palouse, she has designed costumes for commu\u00adnity theater productions of Legally Blonde the Musical, The King and I, The 39 Steps, Newsies, and most recently, Cabaret. Wanner also supervises interns working in the costume shop, passing on the knowledge she\u2019s gained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live my life striving to be the best version of myself, and it is through the many experiences made possible by scholarships that I grow and learn in different ways,\u201d Wanner says. \u201cNew experiences have so much to offer, and there are still many more horizons to discover in this journey of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honored with a design award her junior year at the annual AMDT Mom\u2019s Weekend Fashion Show, and for her student writing, Wanner is a hard worker who has learned to find balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy senior year has been about learning to live in the moment, while balancing between the many activities and responsibilities I have,\u201d she said. \u201cThank you so much for your generous support of my education.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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CONNECT with CAHNRS<\/h2>\n

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