By Candice Stilwell

Building Unity and Cultivating Success (BUCS) Bridge is a program for Whitworth University’s first-generation students, operating as a “pre-orientation program designed to serve first-year students from first-generation and/or underrepresented racial and ethnic population backgrounds,” according to the Whitworth student diversity, equity and inclusion webpage.

Recently, the BUCS Bridge coordinator, Lulu Gonzalez, left the position for another opportunity and has not been replaced as of yet. Ayaka Dohi, director of student diversity, equity and inclusion, has been working in her position for five years and has now temporarily filled the BUCS Bridge coordinator position as of this past fall semester. 

Dohi initially took up her position at Whitworth because she wanted “to support the individual and collective student experience,” said Dohi. “Without a coordinator, I’ve had the opportunity to directly coordinate the program and supervise student leaders.”  

However, she does feel “stretched” by the new responsibility and is “grateful that we will soon have a coordinator dedicated to supporting this amazing program,” said Dohi. Dohi is involved in leading the hiring process for the new BUCS Bridge coordinator, as she says the position is “approved to be filled.”