A gathering space for students that’s all theirs

A new ultramodern student success center that looks to address a critical need for study space for hundreds of Washington State University veterinary students has officially opened its doors.

The recently renovated nearly 5,000-square-foot study - dubbed the VetMed Den for Student Success by a student vote - is located inside Wegner Hall's former Animal Health Library and will offer all new furniture; a wellness room for nursing and prayer; six private conference rooms, each with sound-absorbing acoustic panels; and a small kitchenette.

The center wouldn't be possible without a generous gift from Kandy and Rick Holley, proud Coug parents of two WSU alumni and whose granddaughter is a first-year veterinary student at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

"We wanted to do something that would last, and so when we talked with the dean about the student success center, we said, 'if this is focused on student health, general mental health, and helping students have a place to go, we're all in,'" Rick said.

From the colors to the carpet to the couches and chairs, the entire space was designed nearly entirely by students.

"There's going to be some high-top tables, standing desks, and enough outlets - that was a big one - and it is really catered toward noise reduction, so a lot of noise-absorbing furniture. It's a good mix of larger study space and individual study space," said Hanna Sihler, a second-year veterinary student.

A myriad of plants and small shrubs - one of the very few requests from the Holleys - will help set the mood.

"It's all about life and enriching your life and to me plants bring a lot of that," Kandy said.

In addition to entire walls that are whiteboards and LED therapy lights that mimic natural sunlight, the center will also offer some cultural flair. The space features an authentic Navajo rug wove and dyed by Frances Bahe, the mother of WSU College of Veterinary Medicine alumnus Dr. Joseph Bahe ('87 DVM), both members of the Navajo (Dine) Nation.

The rug was gifted to the college by Bahe - one of the first ever Native American graduates of WSU's veterinary program - in appreciation for his WSU education that led to his nearly 40-year career in veterinary medicine.

"I've always wanted to commemorate my mom for what she's done for me. She's always encouraged me to go to school. So, when I graduated, this (rug) was the culmination of her dreams - 'Thank you for doing this, son.' And I thought maybe I should give it to Washington State, because when they accepted me here, they put me on a journey that is far from what I thought I would attain. Sometimes I tell my friends that I feel like I'm Forrest Gump because I've been able to help a lot of people," Bahe said.

Joseph Bahe and Alberta Arviso pose next to a traditional Navajo rug woven and dyed by Bahe's mother Frances Bahe, during the grand opening of the VetMed Den for Student Success in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, on Friday, April 11, 2025, in Pullman (photo by College of Veterinary Medicine/Ted S. Warren).

Bahe and his wife Dr. Alberta Arviso ('93 Clinical Psychology), also a member of the Navajo Nation and senior engagement officer at the University of Arizona's College of Veterinary Medicine, said they are happy knowing the Navajo rug, which represents Bahe's path to veterinary medicine, will be enjoyed by generations of WSU veterinary students.

"I have great joy and gratitude that Dr. Bahe was able to donate something very personal and meaningful to him that he wants to leave in a location that really served him well," Arviso said. "It really brings back the circle of life, that we begin as early professionals and then we're late professionals, and that giving is a reminder when you're out of vet school, take time to donate back. That's what Dr Bahe has done. He's given back to his community in numerous ways."

Sihler is thankful for the generosity of Bahe and the Holleys, as the space is just what the program needs.

"I think it'll be a really safe and inclusive space for everybody to come in and study and to give us that centralized space we're missing," Sihler said. "I'm deeply grateful - I think we all are."

Caitlin Estalilla, director of professional student affairs at the College of Veterinary Medicine, said there are preliminary plans to organize a peer-to-peer mentoring program and, well in the future, bring on a career development and financial planning advisor to staff the center.

"They can take breaks, socialize, hold club meetings - it's really a gathering space for students that's all theirs," Estalilla said.