A University of Washington Homecoming tradition for the last 21 years, the UW Alumni Association Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) Bridging the Gap Breakfast once again recognized alumni and students for their commitment to diversity and contributions to the community, Oct. 17.
Two alumni, two community leaders and seven students were honored at the event attended by a few hundred supporters at the Husky Union Building.
Receiving the Dr. Samuel E. Kelly Award was Tomio Moriguchi, ’61, who has led Uwajimaya, Inc., for over four decades and held numerous roles as a civic leader. Dr. Margaret Burnley-Spearmon, ’99, received the Distinguished Alumna Award for her relentless efforts to recruit, mentor, train and support students. She is the associate dean of professional development and community partnerships in the UW School of Social Work.
The Distinguished Community Service Awards went to Estela Ortega and Washington state Senator John R. McCoy. Ortega is the executive director and co-founder of El Centro de la Raza, a civil rights, human services, educational, cultural and economic development organization based in Seattle. Sen. McCoy, a member of the Tulalip Tribe, represents the 38th legislative district. His current priorities are farm worker housing, expanding broadband to rural areas across the state, protecting the environment and increasing services to those with disabilities and mental illness.
Seven UW students were also presented scholarship awards and honored for their outstanding academic achievement, excellent community service and commitment to diversity: Karl Gapuz (Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation Scholarship Award), Jacqueline Johnson (Honorable Claudia Kauffman Scholarship Award), Kayleigh Kleiva (MAP Scholarship Award), Patrick Lozar (MAP Scholarship Award), Ann Nguyen (Drs. Louis Price-Spratlen and Thaddeus Spratlen Scholarship Award), Marial Vaca-Cruz (Alfredo Arreguin Scholarship Award) and Ashley Walls (Owen G. Lee Scholarship Award).
Photos by Anil Kapahi (click to enlarge).
Photos by Anil Kapahi