Randall Christopher McRae, a graduate of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and an Army veteran who helped make the 糖心vlog视频 a veteran-friendly campus, died in August in a car crash in South Carolina. He was 41.
McRae spent more than 10 years as a Ranger-qualified Army infantryman and served five deployments in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. After his military service, he attended UW Bothell and received a degree in Community Psychology in 2012. During his time on campus, he helped develop the and served as one of its first presidents. He raised funds for the Veterans Archway, which was dedicated in 2013 to honor student veterans.
鈥淭he one thing that always stood out to me was his deep sincerity to do the right thing for our vets. He was relentless in this pursuit,鈥� said Sean Alley, the first president of the Student Veterans Association, who graduated in 2011 with a degree in Global Studies.
Impressions and impact
鈥淐hris made the 糖心vlog视频 community stronger and kinder,鈥� said Ben Wiselogle, a Navy veteran and 2012 graduate in Global Studies. 鈥淲hether in the veterans鈥� community as president of the Student Veterans Association, where I was fortunate to learn from him and support his leadership, or as a thoughtful academic in his Community Psychology program, Chris added a light to the spaces he existed in.鈥�
Another friend said it was in McRae鈥檚 soul to serve others. 鈥淗e saw the potential in everyone and wanted to help you get there, whether you had a personal goal like earning a degree or were recovering from life鈥檚 hardship,鈥� said Erle Hunter, a Navy veteran in the Community Psychology program with McRae who also graduated in 2012.
Also making an impression on faculty, McRae received a Mary Gates Research Scholarship; the Edward E. Carlson Leadership Award, which recognizes student public service; and the UW Bothell Chancellor鈥檚 Medal.
IAS Associate Professor Eric Stewart, who nominated McRae for the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal, said he was a constant source of inspiration through his academic scholarship and support for other students and student organizations, even while struggling with his own PTSD from combat trauma.
鈥淐hris was an amazing person. The campus and everyone who knew him benefitted from his being,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淗is untimely death is a loss for all of us, especially when we could use so many more people like him.鈥�
Connections and community
In a about receiving the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal, McRae told a story about his last tour in Iraq. He had stopped a driver who seemed suspicious because he had a propane tank in his vehicle. The tension eased when he recognized McRae. The suspect was a doctor McRae had met five years earlier. While drinking tea and telling each other their stories, McRae said he realized, 鈥淚 really want to work the rest of my life hearing people鈥檚 stories, connecting with them and working, not against them, but cooperatively.鈥�
McRae wrote about his UW Bothell experience on the Veterans Services webpage. 鈥淚 found the rigors of academia at UW Bothell and my work in the community to be both enriching and transformative.
鈥淢y training as a community psychologist at UW Bothell provided me with the social relationships, academic ability and theoretical frameworks to not only understand these concepts but also to use these understandings to create a plan of action and transform my passions into avocation.鈥�
After receiving his bachelor鈥檚 at UW Bothell, McRae received a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the UW in Seattle. He later received a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University and was pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University at the time of his death.
He also had worked with community and veterans鈥� nonprofits in Greenville, South Carolina, and worked in sales and as a sales manager, according to his LinkedIn profile.
An example to remember
McRae had remained in contact with UW Bothell and participated as an alumnus in Veterans Appreciation Week activities, said Tiffany Kirk, interim director of alumni engagement.
鈥淐hris was an incredible alum beloved by so many here at UW Bothell, and he had such an enormous impact on the campus and veterans鈥� presence and services as they exist today,鈥� Kirk said.
Rosa Liu, who directs Veterans Services, had talked with McRae less than a month before his death. Liu said he was excited about the progress he was making toward becoming a licensed therapist to work with veterans. He made caring for other people a priority, she said.
鈥淗is heart was so about helping people,鈥� Liu said. 鈥淭he universe got this one wrong.鈥�
Read a message from UW President Ana Mari Cauce about
