Centralia College Establishes Scholarship in Honor of ‘Beloved Dean’ Cristi Heitschmidt

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Centralia College announced Monday it would establish a scholarship through the Centralia College Foundation to honor Cristi Heitschmidt, a “beloved dean” who died Feb. 1 after a long battle with cancer.

“Cristi loved Centralia College and committed her career to training kind, caring, compassionate teachers,” said Centralia College President Dr. Bob Mohrbacher in a press release. “There’s no better way to honor her memory than by supporting the students she loved so much.”

According to the college, Heitschmidt served as dean of the Teacher Education and Family Development Department since 2010. She oversaw the college’s associate degree programs, as well as the preschools, parenting classes, and campus childcare center, according to the press release.

In 2017, the college added a bachelor’s degree in teacher education, a project Heitschmidt spearheaded and worked passionately to achieve for Lewis County students, according to the college.



Heitschmidt served 15 years as a teacher and basketball coach at Rainier High School before coming to the college in 2007. She earned her bachelor’s degree in family resources from St. Olaf College and her master’s degree in home economics/parent education from the University of Minnesota, according to Centralia College.

A memorial service to celebrate Heitschmidt’s life and legacy will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College. In lieu of flowers, Heitschmidt’s family has requested donations be made to the Centralia College Foundation for a memorial scholarship. The scholarship will be used for students earning bachelor’s degrees in teacher education.

Donations to the memorial scholarship can be made online via PayPal at foundation.centralia.edu/givingonline.html or checks can be mailed to the Centralia College Foundation, 600 Centralia College Blvd., Centralia, WA 98531. Please note on the memo line that the donation is to the Cristi Heitschmidt scholarship.