Alumni Interview: Eva Wangen
Eva Wangen, class of 1944 and one of our oldest Northwest University alumni, recently came to NU to meet with our Alumni Board. We had the privilege of interviewing her and learning about her experience as an NU alumna.
Growing up, Eva’s church pastor was none other than Rev. Henry H. Ness, the founder of what was then called Northwest Bible Institute (NBI). This influenced her decision to attend NBI, along with hearing the testimony and experiences of an NBI alum, Bessie Guy (Guy Hall). Eva said that her “first best decision would be accepting Jesus as [her] Savior and, second, going to Northwest Bible Institute.”
During her time at NBI, Eva studied the only subjects taught at that time: the Bible, plus one class in music and another in hygiene. She also formed fond memories and lasting friendships during her college years. After graduating, Eva married a handsome young Coast Guardsman, CPO George Wangen, whom she had met at church during her senior year at NBI. They were married for 58 years before the Lord took him home.
Eva and George raised three beautiful children, who all attended NU, followed by one granddaughter and one niece. The couple taught Sunday school classes for many years, were youth camp cooks for over 10 years, and served as members then chairpersons of Calvary Temple Seattle’s missionary committee for 30 years.
Eva’s advice for current NU students is to remember that “these are the years in your life you’ll never get back, so put everything you have into it.” She added, “NU has come a long way. I am proud of what it has become and that I can still be a part of it. It has a bright future.”