OMA&D’s 54th Annual Celebration raises over $475,000 for student success!
The University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (FEOP) Board of Trustees hosted the 54th Annual Celebration on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at UW Husky Union Building. Thanks to our generous Partners and supporters, we celebrated community, leadership, and academic excellence, raising over $475,000 for the Educational Opportunity Program and student success! We are grateful to all of our supporters, community leaders, and our remarkable students for being with us and making this year’s event an evening to remember!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars! OMA&D’s 55th Annual Celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, UW Husky Union Building.
To view the full gallery of Celebration photos, please enter your email at Tara Brown Photography.
2025 Recognition Awards
As the UW’s signature event to support diversity, equity and inclusion, Celebration showcases inspiring community leadership, academic excellence and our remarkable students. Here we create connections within our community of corporate partners, individuals, philanthropists, sovereign nations and with our students. By recognizing the Charles E. Odegaard Award and OMA&D Spark Award recipients, we honor inspirational community members who are examples to us all.
2025 Charles E. Odegaard Award
The Charles E. Odegaard Award recognizes this year’s recipient Angela King ’94, for her leadership advancing the former UW President Odegaard’s distinguished work on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion at the UW and in community.
2025 OMA&D Spark Award
The Spark Award recognizes this year’s recipient Diana Betancourt Macias ’17 ’20 for her contributions in diversity, equity and inclusion during their time as a UW student and post-graduation.
2025 Recognition Scholars
Meet our 2025 Recognition Scholars to learn more about their academic journey and aspirations!
Thank you to our 2025 Celebration Partners!
View a complete list of our 2025 Celebration Partners.
About Celebration
Each year, the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (FEOP) Board of Trustees host the Annual Celebration, in honor of leadership, community and academic excellence! Corporate leaders, philanthropists, Tribal Nations, students, and community members come together to honor the Charles E. Odegaard Award, the OMA&D Spark Award, and recognize scholars for their leadership, resilience and achievement.
The evening features a social reception featuring live music, followed by a seated dinner and an inspirational awards program. Attendees support student success through a live auction and “Raise the Paddle” program, to ensure that first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students have the support and resources they need to achieve their academic goals.
OMA&D’s Annual Celebration Gala is supported by the Friends of Educational Opportunity Program (FEOP) Board of Trustees. For more information about the FEOP Board, please reach Crissi Mora at morac@uw.edu.
Funds raised at OMA&D’s Annual Celebration support the Educational Opportunity Program expands access and opportunity for academic excellence. Learn more about OMA&D’s Educational Opportunity Program.
For more information, please reach us at celebration@uw.edu or (206) 543.0994. To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 (voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY), 206-685-7264 (fax), or dso@uw.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible.