A L ELGAASCTYI N G L E G A C Y
a mother’s mission lives on brothers honor the legacy of their mother through a memorial scholarship endowment
(l-r) John Hooper, ’81, and brother Steve Hooper, ’75
Rita G. Hooper was a single mother of six who prioritized education and tirelessly strived to provide better opportunities for her children. An ambitious woman ahead of her time, Rita was instrumental in opening doors for future generations of Hoopers by being the first in her family to graduate college, earning a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Seattle University in 1950.
To honor their mother and her pioneering ways, brothers John Hooper, ’81, Steve Hooper, ’75 and Thom Hooper established the Rita G. Hooper Endowed Scholarship following her passing in 2018. The brothers see the scholarship as a way to keep their mother’s “name alive … through perpetuity. That to me is what this is all about—the opportunity to take her views about education and
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help students that are...in a similar situation [as she was] back in her day,” says Steve. The scholarship supports students pursuing health sciences such as pre-med, biology, chemistry or nursing. “Donors to these funds have deep gratitude for the family member or mentor who impacted their life in a profound way,” says Senior Director of Gift Planning Sarah Finney, ’08. "A named-tribute scholarship extends the legacy of the person who is honored in support of students who pursue their Jesuit education at Seattle U. Student recipients are often curious to learn about the history behind the name of their scholarship and donors enjoy sharing the biographical tribute created for the scholarship with their children and grandchildren.” Steve Hooper, a venture capitalist and co-founder of Ignition Partners, recalls his mother sharing stories about how her parents didn’t understand why she wanted to go to college. “It was just part of her DNA. We are so blessed that she actually did that, because when she found herself in a situation as a single
