WSOS supporter & mentor and Principal Research Scientist at Battelle

What inspires you to give to Washington State Opportunity Scholarship?

My dad grew up in a time and place when equity and inclusion were not widespread values. He was the first person in his family to attend college which was possible only through an ROTC scholarship. His graduation was followed by military service that included active duty in a war zone alongside fellow service members who did not look like him but shared many of his challenges and dreams.

As a result of these experiences, he became deeply invested in the principle of equal opportunity for everyone, an ideal my mom shared. They knew that education was a key building block toward that goal.

In supporting WSOS, I feel I am supporting their vision for the future which has become my own.

You have attended OpportunityTalks, WSOS’ annual event, a few times now; what is your favorite memory?

I have attended since 2016, and it’s always a pleasure to sit next to a Scholar and get to know them as a person. On at least two occasions, I have bumped into Scholars that I’ve mentored, and they were eager to catch me up on their lives. I’m happy to report that we still keep in touch, and I get to see how their careers, and lives, are progressing!

What feels good about giving to WSOS?

I feel great about supporting WSOS because our contributions have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of the students receiving scholarships, and as a social scientist, I understand intimately the many downstream effects of a college degree on career opportunities, financial security, health and social function.

What would you tell others who are considering supporting WSOS?

It’s dead easy—make a contribution and then envision the good it does. If, like me, you had to pay your own way through college, remember how much a few extra dollars meant when you had an unforeseen expense or your relief each time you figured out how you would cover tuition for the quarter.

A unique aspect to supporting WSOS is actually non-monetary, in that you also have the opportunity to mentor one or more of these Scholars and see for yourself how they are making the most of the Opportunity Scholarship.

Now for the hard questions: What has been your pandemic hobby? Does pineapple belong on pizza?

During the pandemic, I did two out of three of the cliches. I adopted a rescue puppy and a sourdough starter—I’m still training them both. And yes! Pineapple goes great with Spam!

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