Over the past 14+ years, the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) has supported more than 12,500+ Scholars who have graduated! Opportunity Scholars come from every corner of Washington state and have gone on to become scientists, nurses, engineers, and more. Below are some of their testimonials.
Two-thirds of Opportunity Scholars are first-generation college students.
“My goal was a simple one. I wanted to be the first person in my family to graduate college. There were times when I wanted to quit. In fact, I did drop out for a year, two quarters after I went to college. I rejoined because two and a half years didn’t seem that long, and I had a dream to achieve. I found my drive again.
When I came back, I remembered that people believed in me. I can’t say any of it was easy. It was difficult and at times I wanted to give up. Toward the end, I even thought I wasn’t meant to finish. However, I persevered and graduated last year. [Receiving the scholarship] meant that someone believed in me so much that they were willing to financially invest in me. That, to me, is a risk, but the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship chose to bet on me. The hurdles I had to jump were high and sometimes, the thing that kept me going was that a board of people chose to invest in my future.”
— Ailed, Baccalaureate Scholar, UW Seattle, Business Administration, Management and Operations, King County
Some Opportunity Scholars enter our program directly from high school, while some Opportunity Scholars reskill later in life.
“I decided to go back to college after being in the insurance industry for over 5 years. I attempted to attend college after high school but it didn’t work out for me. Now, having more discipline and being goal-oriented, I have grown the confidence and courage to enroll for a cybersecurity degree.
[Receiving my education] will help me open new doors to a career I have dreamed of for a long time. Not only will it help me financially, but it will also help me feel more fulfilled in life with what I’m passionate about. It is a career path that will continue to grow, and there is always something new and a new goal to reach.
This scholarship has helped and supported me tremendously in a financial aspect. Due to this scholarship I had great peace of mind that nearly 100% was taken care of. As many students do, I also have bills, rent, and other bills to pay, so having this scholarship paved the way for my academic career.”
— Armando, Career & Technical Scholar, Peninsula College, Cybersecurity & Computer Forensics, Yakima County
Some Opportunity Scholars were born and raised in rural Washington, while others immigrated to the US and Washington state.
“My name is Mapenzi, and I was born in the war-torn country of Congo. When I was 15, I was resettled in the US. Since coming to this country, it has been my goal to study hard and use my education to eventually give back and improve the lives of refugees. Since I want to significantly impact the lives of people living in refugee camps, I have declared my major in global health at the University of Washington. This scholarship means a lot to me. As a foster care youth and refugee, I have limited resources. This scholarship allows me to pursue my goals and focus on education without the added financial stress I might face. This scholarship gives me hope and allows me to see myself as someone who can lead by example and bring hope to others in my community; if I can do it, they can also do it. As a black, first-generation college student, I have had great experiences with WSOS. One of the most important parts of the scholarship is mentoring. My mentor checks in with me every month, and I find it very helpful to have someone who can guide me on the right path by sharing ideas and resources. The other way this scholarship has been impactful in my life is by creating a community that I’m part of and that will support me when I’m having a hard time with either school or personal needs. It is a true privilege to receive the scholarship and, along with it, gain close friends and mentors and have them along with me on this challenging college journey.”
— Mapenzi, Baccalaureate Scholar, UW Seattle, Environmental Sciences, King County
More than 8,000 Scholars have achieved their bachelor’s degree with WSOS’s support.
“WSOS was a platform for me. As a low-income student, I have always worried about how I would achieve higher education. Getting admitted into university was the first step for me. To this day, my parents don’t fully comprehend what it is I do for my career or what my degree title means because the language barrier extends beyond academics — there are complete industries and working knowledge of how and why things work that have never existed in their lifetime. And for this reason, I knew that anything I wanted outside of my given circumstances would need to come from my own merit. The scholarship helped raise me above the financial barrier that clouded my view of what my future could be and provided me with a stepping stone into higher education.”
— Xitlalit, Baccalaureate Scholar, UW Seattle, Materials Engineering, Skagit County
More than 500 Career & Technical Scholars have successfully graduated with a degree or certification.
— JoAnna, Career & Technical Scholar, South Seattle College, Automotive Technology, King County
Our newest program, the Graduate Scholarship program, has supported almost 30 advanced nurse practitioner students who want to work in medically underserved areas.
“I believe in giving back to underserved communities, and it has become a part of my plan as a nurse. Mental health practitioners are in short supply, which means that even fewer people receive mental health treatment in an underserved population. The additional dollars have been very helpful. It’s allowed me to cut back my working hours and still have money to support my family and pay for my school expenses. As I step into my practitioner role, I will do my best to give back to this community. I am a firm believer in paying it forward. Working with the substance use disorder population, I have found that most patients are not getting the support they need to live a fulfilled life. I’m working to fulfill patients’ psychiatric needs and address their substance use when necessary.”
— Mosiah, Graduate Scholar, Gonzaga University, Nurse Practitioner, Skagit County
Some alum are already working in Washington state & achieving their dreams.
“I work in the logistics industry as a software engineer. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Seattle University, which prepared me for a career in software engineering. The scholarship was incredibly meaningful to me in two important ways. The first of which symbolized this important investment in my future. To provide me, a first-gen student and child of Polish immigrants, thousands of dollars to sponsor my education was one of the greatest blessings one can receive. It reduced the financial burden on my family and me and allowed me to pursue my education without finances being a big hurdle. The second aspect is that this scholarship enabled me to pursue a competitive degree. This provided me with opportunities to obtain a job that I enjoy and that compensates me well. This also put me in a position to support those around me, such as my family. I hope, with time, I can give back to the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship to provide more support to other students from a similar background to my own!”
— Jonathan, Baccalaureate Scholar, Seattle University, Computer Science, King County
