Published: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 in The Whitworthian.

Act Six is now recruiting applicants from the Spokane area and the first Spokane cadre in fall 2009 will be split between Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities.

“There are a lot of students in the Spokane community that could benefit,” said Tim Herron, Act Six national director.

Founded by Herron in 2002, the program is in its sixth year at Whitworth. The Act Six program draws its name and inspiration from the story of the early church as described in the Bible in Acts 6.

The program encompasses intensive leadership training, a full-ride scholarship and post-graduation community integration, according to the Act Six Web site.

Herron, a former Tacoma math teacher, envisioned the program after watching many of his most promising students drop out of college, according to the Web site.

Whitworth has seen many changes due to the direct influence of Act Six, including the introduction of the Gospel Choir, which was founded by Act Six scholar and 2008 alumna Sha’Nay McQuirter, according to the Spring 2007 issue of Whitworth Today.

The move to Gonzaga is being headed up by Rodney McAuley, Act Six Spokane director, who sees the program as an investment in the Spokane community, according to a July 28 Whitworth press release.

“Even in this supposedly remote corner of the world, the demographics are shifting,” McAuley said in the press release. “Twenty-five percent of the Spokane public schools’ population are students of color, compared with 8 percent in the overall population of the city.”

Raymond Reyes, vice president for intercultural relations at Gonzaga, said he is excited about becoming part of the program.

“It’s a win-win,” Reyes said. “When you have a diverse student body, everybody wins.”

Herron said he is excited about the expansion.

“The first step of the Spokane expansion was the opening of a Spokane branch of the [Northwest Leadership Foundation] downtown,” he said.

Sophomore Yong Kim, an Act Six scholar, is also in favor of the expansion.

“I’m glad that colleges are seeing the value of Act Six,” Kim said.

Eighteen Act Six scholars will enroll at Whitworth and Gonzaga next fall – nine from the Spokane area and nine from the Seattle/Tacoma area. Gonzaga’s first cadre will consist of eight scholars, while Whitworth’s seventh cadre will have 10 scholars.