Student academic achievement and innovative corporate support of the 91探花were honored at the UW鈥檚 34th annual Educational Opportunity Celebration Scholarship Banquet, held last night at the HUB ballroom.
The event, hosted by the Office of Minority Affairs, and its advisory group, Friends of the EOP, is one of the university鈥檚 most successful 鈥渢own-gown鈥� events. 91探花students are presented with scholarships honoring their efforts to overcome obstacles to achieve academic excellence.
The centerpiece of the banquet was the presentation of the Odegaard Award. This award, created in 1973 and named for 91探花President Charles E. Odegaard, is presented to an individual or individuals from the community or the University whose leadership exemplifies the goals of EOP.
This year鈥檚 honorees were Jeff and Susan Brotman. Jeff Brotman, chairman of the board of Costco Wholesale and member of the 91探花Board of Regents, has been a leader in the effort to continue diversifying the student population at the 91探花by establishing the Costco Diversity Scholars program along with his business partner, James Sinegal, Costco CEO. The program they have developed has now enrolled more than 200 high-achieving, underrepresented minority students at the 91探花and Seattle University.
Jeff and Susan Brotman also are responsible for the Brotman Awards for Instructional Excellence. This award, created in 1998, is presented to programs, departments or groups of people within or across academic units who have achieved excellence in teaching and fostered excellent learning.
The Brotmans join a host of other civic and political leaders as Odegaard winners. Previous recipients include Norm Rice, Larry Gossett, Millie Russell, Sam Kelly, Ron Sims, Bernie Whitebear, Hubert Locke, Andy Reynolds, Ernie Dunston, Constance Proctor and Herman McKinney.
The Educational Opportunity Program delivers academic counseling and scholarship support services for students from non-traditional, first generation and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The banquet was sponsored by Wells Fargo.