October 13, 2006
Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast raises $2.6 million for underrepresented students
Justice Alan C. Page inspired a crowd of more than 900 at the seventh-annual Costco Scholarship Breakfast, Sept. 28, at Seattle University.
The breakfast, which supports the Costco Scholarship Fund, raised more than $2.6 million for underrepresented minority students to attend Seattle University and the University of Washington. Among the attendees were several political leaders, including Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire, former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice who was Master of Ceremonies, and former governors Gary Locke, Daniel Evans and Mike Lowry.
Justice Page is Minnesota’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Costco is an organization that believes as I do that education and the education of all our children is extremely and vitally important,” he said.
Two scholarship recipients also spoke. Seattle University student Lloryn Hubbard, a senior biology and cultural anthropology major, said, “Encouraging diversity is not just the right thing to do and it’s not just the noble thing to do. If we’re going to tackle the tough issues facing our world today we need diversity.”
Chalia Stallings-Ala’llima, a first-year University of Washington law student and a member of the first class of Costco scholars, also spoke. “The Costco scholarship afforded me the opportunity to freely explore and grow as a student, as a community activist and as a leader,” she said.
Since its inception in 2000, the Costco Scholarship Fund has raised more than $12.6 million and provided hundreds of scholarships. The Costco Scholarship Fund was created by Costco President and CEO Jim Sinegal and Costco Chairman of the Board Jeff Brotman to make it possible academically, financially and personally for underrepresented minority students to attend and graduate from Seattle University and the University of Washington.
“It’s a very successful program, not just in terms of getting more diversity onto the campus. Once these kids are given the opportunity, they excel both at school and after they graduate,” Brotman said.
Details about the Costco Scholarship Fund may be found at www.costcoscholarshipfund.org.
