CBC Foundation
NEWS
SPRING 2021
You’ve Been There From the Start Thank you for supporting CBC and our students in the early years and as we begin our next 65!
CBC FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CBC
CBC News
Matthew Petersen, Chair Petersen Hastings
Denise Sweeden, Vice Chair & Board Development Chair Wave Design Group Matt Backlund, Treasurer & Finance Chair Community First Bank Todd Beyers, Secretary Hanford Mission Integration Solutions Moses Jaraysi, Immediate Past Chair Marsha Halverson, Fund Development Chair - Educator, Retired David Billetdeaux, Gift Acceptance Chair Port of Benton
We’ve come a long way together
A SINGLE DONATION STA R T E D I T A L L
Lynn Tegeler, Scholarship Chair Central Plateau Cleanup Company Rebekah Woods Columbia Basin College President Nathan Baker Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Raj Bandaru Gesa Credit Union Douglas Christensen Kennewick School District Tina Clouston Local Union 598 Stephanie Green Washington River Protection Solutions Ann Harper Artist Heather McMurdo Bechtel Elaina Meiners CBC Faculty Representative Allyson Page Columbia Basin College Trustee Mitch Peterson CompuNet Yoselin Mendez Rodriguez ASCBC Representative Scott Sax Amentum Shirley Simmons CG Public House Brad Toner Basin Pacific Insurance Melda Velasquez Lourdes Health Bernie Walter Northwest CPA Group Tayler Welch Monte Nail, CPA
CBC FOUNDATION STAFF Erin Fishburn Executive Director Haylie De Vine Sarah Murphy Anneke Rachinski Cala Truitt
Some things are hard to remember. But retired Columbia Basin College employee, Bonnie Schmidt, can recall a single phone call from decades ago. That call was CBC’s first donation – $10,000 – to help students in need. Now 89, Bonnie still thinks about the family’s generosity. “There were so many students who were helped, and they were very grateful,” she said. With that money, the College started a fund for student scholarships. Soon after, others began giving. And that goodwill carries on to this day. In describing CBC’s future before opening day, Pasco School District Superintendent Herman Jaeger said, “I think the potential of this junior college is greater than any now in existence in the state. It is up to the community to provide a program and facilities to meet the need of the students of the area.” And the community has delivered that support. Support for students. Support for programs. Support for facilities.
Why I Give
Over the years, that backing has enabled CBC to grow. What started with 300 students is now more than 11,000 each year. Today, the College offers over 100 degree and certificate programs, including eight bachelor’s degrees, to meet evolving workforce needs. “We can only guess what these 300 students would have done if the local junior college hadn’t opened,” a September 1955 Tri-City Herald article exclaimed. The writer concluded that the vast majority “would have been unable to advance their education further, mostly because of finances.” The financial struggles that students face still endure. But donors have made college possible for thousands of Hawks seeking a better future. And as leaders plan for CBC’s next 65 years, donors will continue to be vital partners. “My heart is with Columbia Basin College,” Bonnie said warmly. “When we set up the Foundation, I wanted to be able to donate to it, and I have. There are students out there who still need help.”
“I give because I genuinely believe that higher education is fundamental to the growth of our community. I want to support students, especially those who are underrepresented, to succeed in their fields. For me, CBC is home. It’s a piece of you that never leaves.”
Joe Acosta
CLASS OF 2020
NEWS 2021 SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS
Columbia Basin College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award honorees for 2021 are Daishaundra Loving-Hearne and Bryan Hearne. Several people nominated the couple because of their abilities to use their gifts of spoken and written word to challenge “Tri-Citizens” to work toward a better, more equitable place for all people while speaking love for themselves, their family and their community. The College hosted its annual MLK, Jr. event virtually on January 18 to honor and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
DID YOU KNOW? CBC and WSU Tri-Cities now offer a seamless pathway for students to complete their first two years at CBC and transfer to WSU Tri-Cities, saving students costs.
Visit Our New
GIFT PLANNING WEBSITE Find out how to support future Hawks by including CBC in
Nursingschoolhub.com ranks CBC’s Nursing program among the top 15 in the country.
your financial and estate plans. Our new planned giving website has many resources and tools to help you plan your legacy. Learn about the ways you can make a difference for our students, request a free e-newsletter or estate planning guide, get bequest language and more. There are so many ways to support CBC students, find the one that’s right for you. Contact the CBC Foundation at 509.542.5527 or arachinski@columbiabasin.edu with questions or for more information.
cbcflegacy.org
Have you seen the construction of our new Student Recreation Center on the Pasco campus? The College anticipates a spring 2022 opening for the student-voted and funded, 80,000-square-foot facility.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
2600 N. 20th Ave. Pasco, WA 99301
PAID
F O U N DAT ION
PASCO, WA 99301 PERMIT 92
SCHOLARSHIP REVIEWERS NEEDED! To volunteer, email Haylie DeVine hdevine@columbiabasin.edu
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION BY CREDIT CARD, GIFTS OF STOCK OR THROUGH YOUR DONOR ADVISED FUND.
foundation@columbiabasin.edu
EMERGENCY FUND RECIPIENT
PHONE
509.542.4436
WEBSITE
columbiabasin.edu/foundation
SHOW YOUR HAWK PRIDE SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS WITH
“Not a day goes by that I am not taken aback by the generosity of strangers and their desire to help me, someone who they don’t even know. Thank you so much for everything you do to help students in need. I am forever grateful for your gift and will not ever take it for granted.”
Chelsea
every swipe!
Get a CBC Gesa Visa® Debit Card!
Gesa member: visit any Gesa branch to replace your current debit card at no cost with a CBC card. Non-member: visit a branch, open a checking account and instantly receive a CBC card.