Power of philanthropy stories

For Yakima-born Yesenia Velasquez, the Young Executives of Color program at the Foster School of Business has opened the door to a promising future she never knew existed.

A handful of UW students are selected as Bonderman Fellows every year. For eight months, they get to travel the world for an experience that’s eye-opening, unstructured and transformative.

Jennifer Smith, ’16, had been a high school dropout. Now, with the help of scholarships, the mother of three is combining her interests in history and horses with a passion for research.

With a scholarship-supported internship, Victoria Chambers broadened her understanding of how trauma affects children — and how she could help.

Thanks to a grant from the Department of Energy and strong community partnerships, Ph.D. student Garrett Allawatt is helping engineer a cleaner cookstove for developing countries.

In a city where coffee and technology are king, iSchool graduate Stephen Ramirez, ’15, has found his niche as a developer at Starbucks — with help from the Husky Promise.

A third-generation Husky, Michael Kneip is living his childhood dream to be a Husky football player, while working hard to establish a legacy of giving.

Temo Ojeda came to the University of Washington with a passion for startups, and thanks to the Lavin Entrepreneurship Program, the most valuable lessons he’s learned have been outside the classroom.

Thanks to scholarship support, Dashni Amin was able to draw inspiration from her parents’ sacrifices — and prepare herself for a future of helping others.

The gifts that Greta Sedlock, ’77, and her late husband Tom, ’70, ’74, made to the University of Washington support innovators, including one who saved Greta’s son’s life.

With support from a family whose Husky roots go back 100 years, Julia Chamberlain is forging brave new worlds in glass and light.

As a student in the UW School of Dentistry’s RIDE program, Renelle Conner is working to bring a world of good to the Yakama Nation community, one smile at a time.