Media Contact:
Libby Siebens, community relations executive director, 509-682-6436
Dr. Chio Flores, vice president of student services and enrollment management, 509-682-6805 

Wenatchee Valley College administrators were notified today that a WVC student was killed in a car accident last night.

Rachel Odima, a sophomore, was an Associate Students of WVC Student Senate member and Knight Women’s Basketball player. She was on track to graduate from WVC this spring. Odima was originally from Arkansas, and moved to Wenatchee from Layton, Utah. Her parents have been notified.

“This is a painful day for the WVC community. Our students are the heart of our campus, and to lose one of them is incredibly difficult,” said WVC President Jim Richardson. “Rachel’s family and her friends here on campus are in our thoughts today. Words cannot express our sympathy for this loss.”

The WVC community’s health and wellbeing is the college’s number one priority right now. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Center on campus will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. WVC counselors and staff will be there during that time for anyone who would like to talk. WVC counselors may be reached at counseling@wvc.edu or (509) 682-6850. A local crisis hotline is also available for those who need it at 509-662-7105 or 1-800-852-2923.

Plans for a memorial service have not been announced.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Student Access Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.