February 1, 2024 

Media Contacts:  
Edith Gomez, campus life and diversity coordinator, 509-422-7814, egomez@wvc.edu 
Jennifer Korfiatis, interim public information officer, 509-682-6650, jkorfiatis@wvc.edu   

The Wenatchee Valley College at Omak MEChA Club will host poet Ricardo Ruiz on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 12 p.m. in Hazel Allen Burnett Hall, room 401-402, on the Omak campus. Ruiz will give a presentation about his story and a workshop in which students can learn about poetry and how to write a poem.  

This free event is open to the community.  

Ruiz is from Othello, Wash. and attended Big Bend Community College and the University of Washington. His debut collection of poetry, "We Had Our Reasons," was selected as a finalist for the Washington State Book Award in Poetry in 2023 and reached number one on the Hispanic American Poetry Chart on Amazon. "We Had Our Reasons" describes the multi-generational effects of migration from the perspectives of parents and children, and it has been printed in both Spanish and English to ensure accessibility. 

Light refreshments, including hot chocolate and conchas, will be served at the event.  

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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, Mish ee twie 1321A, (509) 682-6716, title9@wvc.edu. 

To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.