Boeing’s blueprint for opportunity
When people think about Boeing’s impact, they often picture airplanes. But we picture people: Opportunity Scholars who are building careers in the trades and applied STEM, thanks in part to Boeing’s strong partnership with WSOS.
As a founding Cornerstone Partner, Boeing helped make WSOS possible with an initial $25 million commitment in 2011 — an extraordinary investment in a first-of-its-kind public-private scholarship program with a dollar-for-dollar state match. That “big bet” set the stage for everything that followed.
“Boeing made one of the two initial $25M cornerstone gifts that made WSOS possible. This was especially remarkable since they were investing a great amount in a program that was nothing more than a dream with no results yet to show.”
– Kimber Connors, Executive Director, WSOSF
That early bet didn’t end with just a signature; it grew into sustained advocacy for Washington’s workforce pathways. Boeing’s leadership was pivotal in the growth of our Career & Technical Scholarship (CTS), which supports students pursuing certificates, apprenticeships, and associate degrees across Washington’s community and technical colleges. Boeing was a strong advocate for including community college pathways in our statute, which led to the inception of our CTS program to great effect. When it was time to launch the first CTS cohort, Boeing released $12.5 million from its original endowment to fund students right away, thanks to the support of Boeing leaders like Gina Breukelman.
Boeing’s support also shows up in the relationships that help Scholars turn an education into a career. The company helped spark WSOS’s mentorship program, Skills that Shine (StS).
“Boeing’s former President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, is essentially the creator of the WSOS mentorship program: Skills that Shine. He personally sponsored a pilot of about 15 students to be mentored by Boeing employees — and he was one of our very first mentors himself!”
– Kimber Connors, Executive Director, WSOSF
That spirit of hands‑on support continues today through Boeing‑hosted Scholar events that demystify aviation careers and introduce internships and early‑career roles — key steps to career readiness and opening doors to the possibilities beyond their education. Boeing’s employee resource groups — most notably Boeing Women Inspiring Leadership (BWIL) — have championed WSOS, helping more employees plug in as mentors, essay reviewers, and panelists.
That same commitment is also visible at the leadership level, with Boeing leaders helping guide WSOS’s work statewide. Their history of student advocates began with the late Joelle Denney, former Board Member and VP of Human Resources, and continues today with Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain, who serves on the WSOS Board, and Gina Breukelman, Senior Manager of Boeing Global Engagement, who serves on the WSOSF Board.
The best evidence of a lasting partnership is what happens over time, and at Boeing, we’re seeing that impact come full circle. Scholars are coming back as colleagues and volunteers. As of November 24, 2025, 15% of Boeing volunteers were WSOS alum — a powerful signal that this partnership is creating a virtuous cycle of opportunity and service.
If you or someone you know is interested in pursuing postsecondary credentials in the trades, health care, or STEM, now is the moment. The Career & Technical Scholarship application takes about 60 minutes to complete. Apply or share with a future Scholar today!