Alumni of the Year

Meet four Walla Walla University alumni who were honored during homecoming weekend 2025 for service and achievement that embody the spirit of their alma mater.

David Wagner '00

Few players have left as indelible a mark on the sport of wheelchair tennis as David Wagner. Born in Fullerton, California, and raised in Walla Walla, Wagner enjoyed athletics from early on, play ing tennis and basketball. An accident at the age of 21 left him paralyzed from the waist down, with 30 percent mobili ty in his hands. As part of his rehabilitation, Wagner took up table tennis, later enrolling in a wheelchair tennis camp. Graduating from WWU in 2000 with a degree in elemen tary education, Wagner faced a difficult decision: become a teacher or pursue a career as a professional wheelchair tennis player. He chose the latter and quickly made a name for himself, ranking No. 1 in quad doubles in 2002 and No. 1 in quad singles in 2003. He made his Paralympic debut in 2004, and in 2007, at Wagner’s urging, the U.S. Open added a quadriplegic division to competition. He took first place in doubles and second place in singles that year. Today, he is not only a 29-time Grand Slam winner and six-time Paralym pian but also remains a vocal advocate and ambassador for the game. Wagner puts his education background to good use leading wheelchair tennis clinics for kids—helping to grow the sport he loves.

Anthony Stahl '90

“My education at Walla Walla University gave me far more than academic knowledge,” says Anthony Stahl, healthcare executive. “It prepared me for leadership and service.”

Upon graduating in 1990 with a degree in business administration, Stahl utilized those lessons right away while working in international development at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). Over the course of his 14 years at the organization, Stahl oversaw large-scale humanitarian proj ects, secured multimillion-dollar grants, and built vital global partnerships. As a result, Stahl, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, has lived or worked in 70 countries. It was during his time with ADRA that he also met his wife, Karina, with whom he shares two grown sons.

In 2006, Stahl pivoted from international development to healthcare, taking on various hospital HR and leadership roles over the next nine years. He continued his education too, earning a Master of Business Administration degree and a Ph.D. in leadership, both from Andrews University.

Today, Stahl is president of Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he has led initiatives that improved patient safety and physician well-being. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Stahl received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Biden in 2024.

Ginger Ketting-Weller '85

Ginger Ketting-Weller credits both her international upbringing as the daughter of student missionaries and her experience at WWU with preparing her for her current role: president of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines.

The post is a capstone to a 40-year career in education that took root when Ketting-Weller moved stateside in 1981 to attend WWU. While here, she served as the first student missionary to Finland and graduated in 1985 with a degree in elementary education. She also earned a master’s degree in administration and leadership from Loma Linda University and a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University.

During the intervening years, Ketting-Weller held teaching positions at both the elementary and academy levels, before joining the faculty of the education department at Pacific Union College in 1994. She married Jim Weller ’80 in 2001 and relocated to College Place, accepting the position of vice president for academic administration at WWU. “It was working at Walla Walla where I learned most of the lessons that shape my daily life and decision-making in higher education administration today,” she says.

Ketting-Weller went on to serve as dean of the School of Education at La Sierra University before accepting her current role at AIIAS. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, writing, and quilting.

Elmar Sakala '65 and '68

It was at WWU that Elmar Sakala discovered his two great loves: his wife, Darilee Allen ’69, to whom he has been married for 57 years; and teaching.

Born in London, England, and raised in Canada, Sakala dreamed of becoming, not a teacher, but rather a doctor. His journey to a white coat began at WWU, where he earned a degree in business administration in 1965 and a master’s in education in 1968. He was then accepted to Loma Linda University Medical School, where he earned his M.D. as well as a Master of Public Health in maternal nutrition. Sakala completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and was asked back to LLU, this time as a faculty member, melding his training in medicine with his love of teaching.

Over the course of his nearly 50-year career—which also included clinical work—Sakala published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and two widely used obgyn review books, won multiple teaching honors, and introduced gynecological teaching associates, women who are specially trained to receive exams by medical students and provide feedback, to the program.

Now retired, Sakala holds the title of Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at LLU and enjoys playing the saxophone and coordinating Sabbath school classes.