Rainier Scholars Luncheon 2023 - Program

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

LEADING THE WAY

Rafael del Castillo | Executive Director, Rainier Scholars

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

CELEBRATION OF COLLEGE

ACCEPTANCES

Kevin Baker | Rainier Scholars Board Trustee

Danny Brambila-Diaz

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

Angela Ayala | University of Washington

Aniya Beck | Western Washington University

Isayas Bikila | Whitman College

Andres Lopez Castro | Gonzaga University

Daniela Hernandez Collazo | University of Washington

Ithay Cortes | Seattle University

Naz Dessie | University of Washington

Catrin Do | Smith College

Barkot Efuye | Harvey Mudd College

Melat Ermyas | Seattle University

Melat Feseha | Pomona College

Esrom Fessehaye | Seattle University

Maria Garcia | Bowdoin College

Gabriel Greening | The Ohio State University

Nipesh Gurung | University of Washington

Tamrat Hathaway | St. Olaf College

Falisha Hola | University of Rochester

Brian Huang | University of Washington

Mya Johnson | Pitzer College

Lidya Kassa | Seattle University

Wanda Kuang | University of Washington

Julie Le | University of Washington

Fathi Mahdi | Seattle University

Jackie Meza | Whitman College

Peter Nguyen | Washington State University

Khalid Omer | Pitzer College

Mark Phillips | Seattle University

Teofila SanJose | Smith College

Sabrin Sengal | University of Washington

Samira Sheikh-Ali | Pomona College

Hanan Sherka | Macalester College

Miguel Silva-Soria | University of Rochester

Garima Thapa | University of Washington

Helen Tran | University of Washington

Erick Trujillo | University of Washington

TyeJohn Ward | University of Miami

Zuberi Wilson | 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

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

Nayeli Santiago-Benitez

Gabby Serrano

Loobna Shego

Nathaniel Smith

Latti Tamiru

Bruk Tefera

Adina Tesfai

Ashutosh Thapa

Jaiden Thompson

Issa Tuffa

Jayda Williams

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

Joe Belfiore

Kristina Ota Belfiore

John Birrer

Jeanne Chowning

David Clarke

Rafael del Castillo

Zander Doroski

Eastside Preparatory School

Roy & Annie Fisher

Teri Franklin

Bethany Furubayashi

Thaddaeus Gregory

Matt Griffin & Evelyne Rozner

Patricia Handjaja

Pam Harrington

Sumiko Huff

Andy Jassy

Diankha Linear

Sarah & Nikhil Mathew

Lance Neely

Lisa Neshyba

Bernie Noe

Kaila Davis Nsimbi

Laura Orser

Rich & Laurie Padden

Sujal Patel

Mary Pugh

Rainier Scholars Alumni Council

Rainier Scholars Families in Action

Gail Ransom

Fred Rivera

Steph Salazar

Anne Sarewitz

Nicolette Sharp

Ashley Sirls

Sarah Smith

John & Mary Snyder

Lee Stephenson & Susan Hester

Donna Stringer

Bob Strong

Ruth Tressel

Bradaigh Wagner

Jennifer Ward

Tobin Weldele

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

Kristina Ota Belfiore*

David Clarke

Zander Doroski

Bisrat Gebre*

Thaddaeus Gregory

Patricia Handjaja

Rod Jones

Bernie Noe

Laura Orser

Sujal Patel

Gail Ransom

Fred Rivera

Sarah Smith

Robert Strong

Bradaigh Wagner

*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

Bargreen Ellingson

BDA

BizX

Cascade Asset Management Company

CBIZ Berntson Porter

Georgetown Brewing Company

GoDaddy

Hudson Pacific Properties

Landmark Event Co.

Meridian Capital

MJR Development

Seattle Children’s

Seattle University

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation

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!