Seattle Central Foundation’s Record-Breaking Gala Shortens Gap to Free Education

SEATTLE – On Thursday, May 7, 2015 the Seattle Central Foundation hosted their annual fundraising gala, Believe: The Power of Education, at the Westin in downtown Seattle. The event was emceed by Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Michael Wells, and brought together 350 of Seattle’s community leaders to support the Foundation’s goal of providing free education at Seattle Central College. This year, the event raised a record-breaking $330,000 making it the highest-grossing open-enrollment college fundraising dinner in Washington State.

The evening’s success was made possible thanks in part to the contributions of Margaret Meister and her wife Representative Joan McBride who generously contributed $25,000 in matching funds. Margaret Meister is an Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Symetra, the largest corporate sponsor of the event. Representative Joan McBride has been advocating for a budget that gives middle class and low income students a chance at a college education.

“Knowing the difference the Seattle Central Foundation makes in the lives of the students of Seattle Central College is motivation enough to support their work. We are pleased to be affiliated with an organization that has a proven track record of success and whose mission is close our hearts,” says Margaret Meister.

For the past 30 years, the Seattle Central Foundation has been raising funds to ensure that students have the financial and academic support to enroll, progress, and complete their academic programs. At the event in 2013, the Seattle Central Foundation launched the bold Seattle Promise scholarship program that ensures tuition is free for qualified students. The Foundation has distributed a record-setting $430,000 in scholarships to 222 students in the 2014-15 school year. The difference a scholarship makes in the life of a Seattle Central student can be the difference between passing a class to complete their program and returning to a dead-end job.

“Seattle Central’s open doors are a catalyst that students use to change the trajectory of their lives and the lives of their families. The Foundation wants to make Seattle Central a place where anyone can come to get an education, no matter their age or background. If you are willing to work hard to earn an education, financial need shouldn’t be the barrier that stops you from pursuing your dreams,” says Lydia Flora Barlow, President of the Seattle Central Foundation Board of Directors.

The majority of the Foundation’s scholarship recipients are students from historically disadvantaged populations, such as being a first generation college students or students of color, and have high financial need. However, they do significantly better when they receive financial support. For every $1,000 that a student at Seattle Central College receives in scholarships, they are 20% more likely to pass their classes. Scholarship recipients are 30% more likely to successfully transfer to a four-year university and are more than twice as likely to complete their degrees and be prepared to enter the workforce.

“Results like these are more than just statistics. They represent lives. They represent dreams fulfilled, not dreams deferred,” said Executive Director, Lauren Guzauskas, in her speech that evening at Believe.

To get involved with the Seattle Central Foundation, please contact the Foundation Executive Director Lauren Guzauskas at lauren.guzauskas@seattlecolleges.edu.