Rainier Scholars Luncheon 2023 - Program

RAINIER SCHOLARS LUNCHEON

BOLD MOVES

BRIGHT FUTURE

Welcome. It’s great to be together again!

Thank you for joining us as we celebrate our scholars’ perseverance, resilience, and determination!

Saying “yes” to Rainier Scholars is a bold move for our scholars and families. It means trusting us as we shine a light on the pathway to a bright future—which at times can feel far away. It means staying the course, even when you can’t see the whole landscape. It means refusing to give up when things don’t go your way and instead kicking into a higher gear.

Our scholars and families embrace this. As an organization, we do, too. In a time of great uncertainty, we’ve chosen to expand our reach into Tacoma, serving more students and families than ever before.

But we don’t do it alone. You give us the confidence to dream big, take risks, and continually push forward. With your support, we seize opportunities that move us closer to that bright future – one that is just and inclusive, where we all benefit and thrive.

As a longtime board member, I’m awestruck by the audacity of this powerful Rainier Scholars community and deeply appreciative of the shared commitment and generous spirit that lifts us all.

Laura Orser

Board Trustee | Event Committee Chair

Luncheon Program WELCOME Rafael del Castillo | Executive Director, Rainier Scholars LEADING THE WAY Danny Brambila-Diaz | Eastside Prep, Class of 2023 Sydney Goitia-Doran | University Prep, Class of 2023 THIS IS RAINIER SCHOLARS Mission Video THE EVOLUTION OF BEING BOLD

Jennifer Ward | Chief Operating Officer, Rainier Scholars - Tacoma

BOLD MOVES - BRIGHT FUTURE Video interviews by Rafael del Castillo with Tacoma Cohort 1 students and parents

WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN Charlotte Penor | Tacoma Cohort 1, Larchmont Elementary DaMario Leslie | Tacoma Cohort 1, McCarver Elementary COMING FULL CIRCLE Lenda Nguyen | Rainier Scholars Seattle Alum, Cohort 1 Middle School Principal at Uncommon Schools OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT Kevin Baker | Rainier Scholars Board Trustee CELEBRATION OF COLLEGE Danny Brambila-Diaz ACCEPTANCES Sydney Goitia-Doran Class of 2023 Representatives CLOSING Rafael del Castillo

“Afiniti celebrates the Rainier Scholars mission to create a more equitable world where each student is afforded equal opportunity. We are a majority-minority company and diversity is the key to our business success.

Afiniti is proud to sponsor this event, as access to education creates a just and equitable society where everyone’s full potential is achieved.”

Afiniti 2023 LUNCHEON SPONSOR

“As my friends know, I was adopted. I was quite fortunate to be adopted by a great set of parents who made sacrifices so that my brother and I could have a great education.

What Evelyne and I care about is helping kids and families who have the ability to ‘get up and go’ but haven’t been quite so fortunate. Rainier Scholars does a great job of finding these kids and families, helping them boldly ‘get up and go!’”

Matt & Evelyne Matt Griffin & Evelyne Rozner 2023 LUNCHEON SPONSORS

2023 Graduating Scholars COLLEGE GRADUATES Nejat Ali | Pitzer College

Wanda Kuang | University of Washington

Angela Ayala | University of Washington

Julie Le | University of Washington

Aniya Beck | Western Washington University

Fathi Mahdi | Seattle University

Isayas Bikila | Whitman College

Jackie Meza | Whitman College

Andres Lopez Castro | Gonzaga University

Peter Nguyen | Washington State University

Daniela Hernandez Collazo | University of Washington

Khalid Omer | Pitzer College

Ithay Cortes | Seattle University

Mark Phillips | Seattle University

Naz Dessie | University of Washington

Teofila SanJose | Smith College

Catrin Do | Smith College

Sabrin Sengal | University of Washington

Barkot Efuye | Harvey Mudd College

Samira Sheikh-Ali | Pomona College

Melat Ermyas | Seattle University

Hanan Sherka | Macalester College

Melat Feseha | Pomona College

Miguel Silva-Soria | University of Rochester

Esrom Fessehaye | Seattle University

Garima Thapa | University of Washington

Maria Garcia | Bowdoin College

Helen Tran | University of Washington

Gabriel Greening | The Ohio State University

Erick Trujillo | University of Washington

Nipesh Gurung | University of Washington

TyeJohn Ward | University of Miami

Tamrat Hathaway | St. Olaf College

Zuberi Wilson | Seattle University

Falisha Hola | University of Rochester Brian Huang | University of Washington Mya Johnson | Pitzer College Lidya Kassa | Seattle University

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES Ibrahim Ahmed Daniel Alemayehu Gianna Am Alexis Berridge-Green Daniel Brambila-Diaz Uriel Lopez Castro Joshua De Los Santos Leslie Diaz de Leon Andrew Dinh Hebaq Farah Cherlyn Ferguson Josselyne Fregoso Lumi Gidey

Sydney Goitia-Doran Edhil Haid Thomas Haile Wendy Hernandez-Martinez Maliyah Holifield Anhar Idris Zora Jackson Ulysses Jasso-Roman Muz-Nabatanzi Katende Isabella Le Destinee Lee Joseph Loi Jose Lopez-Bernal

Raymond Luong Diana Maciel Jimari Marks Daniella Meza Harlen Mitchell Ri’Chara Mitchell Ilham Mohamed Brandon Moreno-Hernandez Malachi Muzzey Linda Nguyen Tony Nguyen Armando Romero-Perez Leila SanJose

Nayeli Santiago-Benitez Gabby Serrano Loobna Shego Nathaniel Smith Latti Tamiru Bruk Tefera Adina Tesfai Ashutosh Thapa Jaiden Thompson Issa Tuffa Jayda Williams

Class of 2023 College Acceptances Boston University Brown University Bryn Mawr College Carnegie Mellon University Central Washington University Columbia University Cornell University Dickinson College Drexel University Eastern Washington University Elon University George Washington University Gonzaga University Harvard College Harvey Mudd College Howard University Ithica College Johnson & Wales University Kalamazoo College Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Loyola Marymount University

Loyola University - Chicago Macalester College Michigan State University Mount Holyoke College Northeastern University - Seattle Occidental College Ohio Wesleyan University Oregon State University Pitzer College Reed College Santa Clara University Scripps College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Smith College St. Olaf College Swarthmore College Tulane University University of Arizona University of British Columbia University of Colorado - Boulder University of Maryland

University of Miami University of Missouri University of Oregon University of Portland University of Redlands University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Virginia University of Washington - Bothell University of Washington - Seattle University of Washington - Tacoma Washington State University Western Carolina University Western Washington University Westfield State University Whitman College Whittier College Whitworth University Williamette University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

Luncheon Table Captains Kevin Baker

Kaila Davis Nsimbi

Joe Belfiore

Laura Orser

Kristina Ota Belfiore

Rich & Laurie Padden

John Birrer

Sujal Patel

Jeanne Chowning

Mary Pugh

David Clarke

Rainier Scholars Alumni Council

Rafael del Castillo

Rainier Scholars Families in Action

Zander Doroski

Gail Ransom

Eastside Preparatory School

Fred Rivera

Roy & Annie Fisher

Steph Salazar

Teri Franklin

Anne Sarewitz

Bethany Furubayashi

Nicolette Sharp

Thaddaeus Gregory

Ashley Sirls

Matt Griffin & Evelyne Rozner

Sarah Smith

Patricia Handjaja

John & Mary Snyder

Pam Harrington

Lee Stephenson & Susan Hester

Sumiko Huff

Donna Stringer

Andy Jassy

Bob Strong

Diankha Linear

Ruth Tressel

Sarah & Nikhil Mathew

Bradaigh Wagner

Lance Neely

Jennifer Ward

Lisa Neshyba

Tobin Weldele

Bernie Noe

Gary & Lark Young

Rainier Scholars Board of Trustees CHAIR

Pam Harrington TREASURER

Nicolette Sharp SECRETARY

John Birrer EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Joe Belfiore Andy Jassy

Diankha Linear

Kevin Baker

Laura Orser

Kristina Ota Belfiore*

Sujal Patel

David Clarke

Gail Ransom

Zander Doroski

Fred Rivera

Bisrat Gebre*

Sarah Smith

Thaddaeus Gregory

Robert Strong

Patricia Handjaja

Bradaigh Wagner

Rod Jones Bernie Noe

*Honorary Board Trustee

Thanks to our 2023 Luncheon Sponsors PHD SPONSORS

VALEDICTORIAN SPONSORS

SUMMA CUM LAUDE SPONSORS

MAGNA CUM LAUDE SPONSORS

CUM LAUDE SPONSORS Baird Private Wealth Management

Hudson Pacific Properties

Bargreen Ellingson

Landmark Event Co.

BDA

Meridian Capital

BizX

MJR Development

Cascade Asset Management Company

Seattle Children’s

CBIZ Berntson Porter

Seattle University

Georgetown Brewing Company

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation

GoDaddy Special thanks to our sweatshirt sponsor, Roscoe’s Ranch – your dog’s home away from home!

Thanks for stepping into a bright future with us!

You are supporting our scholars as they step boldly into a bright future as community leaders, changemakers and college graduates. We envision a bright future where together we all thrive. We are tremendously grateful for your bold support of the Rainier Scholars Luncheon.

Experience Rainier Scholars firsthand! Join us for a tour by visiting: https://www.rainierscholars.org/program-tours/

For other ways to be involved, please contact us at info@rainierscholars.org.

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