Cindy Wright Doyle Business Scholarship

A scholarship created to honor an EWU alumna who spent her life making a difference will start providing awards for students who have a declared major in the schools of business or professional accounting, in the fall of 2022.

The Cindy Wright Doyle Business Scholarship will provide an annual award of $1,000 to assist a student from the Tri-Cities’ area. The scholarship application is open to juniors and seniors, with recipients chosen based upon academic merit and demonstrated community engagement.

Duanning Zhou, PhD, professor and associate dean for the College of Professional Programs giving leadership to the schools of business and professional accounting, said the awards are coming at a time when students need support and inspiration.

“This story will encourage our students and the scholarship award will make a significant difference,” Zhou said.

Tim Doyle started the fund back in 2018 to honor his wife, Cindy, a lifelong Tri-Cities resident who graduated from Eastern with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, specializing in accounting, back in 1989. Since starting the fund, family and friends have pitched in to make the dream of creating an endowed fund in Cindy’s honor a reality.

The scholarship is a fitting tribute to Cindy, who valued education. After graduating from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, she attended Columbia Basin College for two years before transferring to Eastern Washington University. She embraced collegiate life and excelled in her classes, while serving on the EWU cheerleading squad and forging lifelong friendships with other Eagles while completing her bachelor’s degree. She continued on to earn a master of business administration from Washington State University.

Cindy moved back home and built a successful 27-year career working for Battelle at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. Her can-do attitude, in-depth knowledge of the lab, and personal credibility enabled Cindy to lead diverse teams, solve difficult problems in practical ways, and manage high-visibility initiatives, all the while respecting and empowering the members of her team.

As accomplished as Cindy was in a professional capacity, it was her family and friends who truly inspired her. She was a devoted wife to Tim and a loving mother to their two sons, Derek and Blake. The ultimate baseball mom, Cindy attended double-headers in the cold and rain and went the extra distance to help with concession stand fundraisers. She somehow found the time to volunteer for other good causes in the community.

As a parent, she encouraged her sons to realize their dreams through education, sports, and community service. Those cherished values will continue on through the Cindy Wright Doyle Scholarship fund – inspiring students to realize their potential and make a difference.

If you would like additional information, please contact Ken Tucker, director of philanthropy, at ktucker10@ewu.edu or 509.359.7030.

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