story and photos by Yohanes Goodell, design by Madilyn Larsen

OFFICER TANNER STEWARD

’Twas the night before school started, and all through the campus, not a creature was stirring, except for an officer…

At CWU’s Police Department, maintaining community safety extends past the typical school hours. During a routine 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift, Officer Tanner Steward patrols CWU’s campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Steward has a five-year history in law enforcement, serving as a Washington State Patrol officer for two years before joining the CWU Police team in May 2021. In the past three years in Ellensburg, Steward has been on routine shifts that change periodically; some shifts go from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., and others from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Steward says he enjoys his work the most during the nighttime hours, preferring to be working alongside the public and serving his community rather than being in the office filing paperwork.

In the fog of night, Steward watches over the campus. From responding to calls issued by Kittitas County Dispatch to checking interiors of buildings to ensure each area is secure, Steward remains vigilant yet approachable.

By the end of his shift at 5 a.m., Steward removes his uniform and returns his gear to his locker. Tired yet satisfied from a busy day, he walks home to greet his family for their morning routine; his shift may be over, but his time to see his family means his day is just beginning.

CHEFT DAYNA OYARZO

While 45 to 50 different students routinely rotate during a daily shift at CWU main kitchen in the Student Union Recreational Center (SURC), Executive Chef Dayna Oyarzo always remains present during her typical 10-hour shift starting from 5:30 in the morning.

Chef Dayna, as students call her, is a professional chef with kitchen experience of five years after her graduation from culinary school in Portland, Oregon. Subsequently, she moved to Alaska where she was a chef at the Alyeska Resort. While at Alyeska Resort, Dayna worked during the brunch hours at a high-class restaurant atop a mountain. She later returned to the northwest to work at several restaurants before moving to eastern Washington and eventually coming to CWU.

For Chef Dayna, cooking is synonymous with family. As a child, cooking was a time for bonding moments, for meticulously creating foods and eating the final products while surrounded by family members.

Chef Dayna’s passion for cooking is ultimately reflected in her caring outlook as an executive chef in CWU’s SURC kitchen, where she remains busily engaged with coworkers and her daily agenda. From checking schedules at the beginning of her shift, sending emails by 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and helping at different stations during peak lunch hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chef Dayna’s energy and commitment to her team allows her to remain attentive and engaged with coworkers each shift.

Next time you find yourself in Chef Dayna’s kitchen, just make sure to cheer her on from the sidelines as she’s racing by.