Seattle Central Community College Foundation’s 30th anniversary scholarship awards ceremony
Event honors more than 150 scholarship recipients from 30 areas of study
“I’m already indebted to Seattle Central because without the Central Supply Tech program, I wouldn’t have had the chance to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to jumpstart my career in the medical field. Now, I have multiple opportunities before me and I fully see and believe in my direction… I have a path and I will accomplish these goals.”
–Sharim Johnson, Mizuki Takahashi Memorial Scholarship
SEATTLE — Sharim Johnson is already well on the way to realizing his dream of becoming a surgical technician. Nancie Fantin, a recent high school graduate, has her sights set on a career as an American Sign Language interpreter. Ali Ahmed, from Somalia, hopes to someday design computer programs to help new immigrants. And, Kristine Carlton is returning to college to launch a unique career in apparel design for children with special needs.
They and many of their classmates will now have the opportunity to achieve their dreams with the help of scholarships provided through the Seattle Central Community College Foundation.
This year scholarships totaling nearly $400,000 will be awarded to 154 new and returning students representing 30 areas of study. A total of 178 awards will be granted from 51 different scholarships.
“Our scholarship recipients inspire us,” said Darlene Suyematsu, executive director of the Seattle Central Community College Foundation. “Many are the first in their families to seek higher education, are recent immigrants, exhibit extraordinary leadership or have overcome incredible personal obstacles. The scholarships the Foundation provides truly makes student dreams come alive with possibility and promise.”
The Foundation will honor all of its 2008-2009 scholarship recipients at the Seattle Central Community College Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Award Ceremony on Wednesday, October 8 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. at Seattle Central’s Charles H. Mitchell Activity Center on the college campus. Attendees will include scholarship recipients and their families, members of the Seattle Central Community College Foundation, and the campus community. The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served. For further information, please call (206) 934-5491 or visit www.seattlecentral.edu/foundation.
About Seattle Central Community College
Seattle central overlooks downtown Seattle from Capitol Hill, one of the liveliest neighborhoods in the city. Since it was established as the city’s first community college in 1966, Seattle Central has served the higher education and training needs of more than 500,000 students. Nearly 18,000 students each year are enrolled in unique educational opportunities including college transfer, professional-technical training, adult basic education and continuing education. Seattle Central is one of the Seattle Community Colleges.
About Seattle Central Community College Foundation
The Foundation, led by a 25 member Board of Directors, is dedicated to bridging the gap between student need and available resources. Each year the Foundation, a private, 501 (c) (3), non profit organization, provides more than $400,000 for student scholarships. It also provides grants of more than $60,000 to two vital services which directly support Seattle Central students’ educational success: on-site tutoring and childcare assistance.