2024 Grant Champions & Their Causes
Listed alphabetically by nonprofit name:
Rainier Scholars is the only long-term comprehensive college preparatory program for students of color in the Greater Seattle region. The organization is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for students of color from middle and low-income households, many of whom are the first in their family to earn a college degree. The program offers a unique 12-year academic journey that begins in the fifth grade, supports students through middle and high school and into college. A critical aspect of the program is a rigorous academic on-ramp to prepare students for placement in college preparatory pathways by strengthening foundational academic abilities, cultural identity, social and emotional skills, and resilience. This phase includes 1,000+ hours of coursework and instruction above and beyond the regular school day, equating to an entire additional school year of education and skill-building. Throughout middle and high school, scholars engage in college prep schoolwork, academic counseling, and tutoring while receiving support through career and leadership development workshops that cultivate their professional trajectory and define their role in the community. Students and families also have access to mental health counseling and in-depth financial aid education as they navigate the college application process. Once at college, Rainier Scholars continues to support students with summer internships, career counseling, professional mentorship, and opportunities for career exploration. And Rainier Scholars outcomes are unmatched, with 89% of 2023 scholars graduating from four-year universities and 97% of 2023 college graduates employed full-time or enrolled in a graduate program.
PYP Grant Champions for Rainier Scholars: Christina Fitzpatrick
Christina Fitzpatrick is a Northwest native and attended the University of Puget Sound where she received a degree in Communication. After exploring public relations and marketing roles, she found her passion in college recruitment and worked for global professional services firm, PwC, for 24 years. There, she held various local and national titles overseeing the firms’ hiring efforts at colleges and universities throughout the West and helping develop and lead strategic early-identification and recruitment programs. In 2020, she moved her experience into the classroom as an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Washington where she currently teaches Business Communications within the Masters in Tax and Masters in Accountancy programs. Also a wife and mother of three teenage daughters, Christina strives to be active in their schools, and in the community. And every so often, when she has a free moment to herself, you might find her on a tennis court!
PYP Grant Champions for Rainier Scholars: Pam Hinnen
Pam Hinnen moved around a lot as a Navy pilots’ daughter but has strong roots in Portland, Maine. After a decade in restaurant management on both coasts, Pam received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the George Washington University. Following graduation, she practiced PT and taught Pilates in DC until she and her husband and their two young children moved to Mercer Island in 2012. Abundant volunteer opportunities in her chosen forever home have inspired her to PTA leadership roles and in the community where she served as President of the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Foundation Board. Raising two kids keeps Pam busy, but she loves spending time with her family and friends, travel, cooking and she is happiest when outdoors enjoying the great PNW.
PYP Grant Champions for Rainier Scholars: Mina Velamoor
Mina Velamoor spent 15 years with Microsoft leading global product management teams and building insightful technology solutions for big data needs across product lines. Her expertise with data driven decision management helped steer product development for some of Microsoft’s leading businesses through a combination of creativity and collaborative leadership. Through her time at Microsoft, she found her passion, working with youth, and left Microsoft, to build career pathways at a Rainier Scholars where she created pathways across STEM, medicine, law, humanities, business, and entrepreneurship. She has worked with students from middle school through college and in their careers to identify coursework, complete passion projects and internships, and create a strategy for a college application in a field they are passionate about. Mina is now an independent college counselor and career pathways consultant at Mindful Education Consulting, helping students discover their purpose through self-discovery, advocacy, and agency. Her holistic approach ensures students find the right fit for their academic and professional journeys. She has also launched a startup EdZAll, to democratize the college application process to reach students most in need of access through technology and AI. Mina was part of the founding team that established career pathways for health care in Washington State in partnership with UW, Seattle Children’s and Kaiser. Mina is also an active member of the community & serves on the board of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Foundation, Pitch Your Peers, Seattle & Columbia Hospitality. She has previously served on the foundation board of the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services and advisory board of Optio3, an IOT startup. She most recently served as director of BoardReady, an organization that catapults board diversity through data, experience and thought leadership and is a regular speaker at the Women Board Directors Development Program at the University of Washington. Foster School of Business. Mina is married to Gautam Velamoor who grew up on Mercer Island and is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Virginia Mason. They have two girls Zara and Anisa. Mina loves to travel, is a foodie and loves to plan places to see around foods to eat. Stop by anytime for a meal chez Velamoor!
The Seattle Universal Math Museum (“SUMM”) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2019 that aims to spark a love of mathematics in everyone through engaging exhibits, hands-on experiences, and programs. With a core focus on educational outreach, in the last fiscal year, SUMM reached nearly 12,000 participants at 268 events. 75% of these events, which were free to participants, were held in communities of opportunities, among neighborhoods and families furthest from equity. Through partnerships with Kent Schools and Library, Renton Family First Community Center, and South Seattle Schools, SUMM has supported students and families with Mathterschool and AweSUMM Math Space events; hosted an 8-week Family Math Fun series for families to play and learn math together; and held Math Nights and parent workshops at elementary and middle schools. SUMM is filling a critical need by augmenting traditional learning settings that highlight the creativity in math, its connections to other disciplines and its applications beyond the classroom. Many students become discouraged and lose confidence in their math abilities during elementary and middle school, when attitudes about math form and ideas for future careers take shape. SUMM transforms attitudes about math by building confidence and seeing the relevance of math in the everyday world.
PYP Grant Champions for SUMM: Melike Alpay
Melike Alpay was born in Berlin, Germany, and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. She has an undergraduate degree from Istanbul University School of Law, holds a J.D. from Seattle University Law School, and completed her Master’s for an LL.M. degree at the University of London. Melike has almost 20 years of professional experience across Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Her legal experience spanned project development, project finance, and international arbitration prior to focusing on energy and infrastructure through her wind adventure at Vestas, the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturer. Melike has been with the company for more than 10 years, most recently as Corporate Counsel for Vestas American Wind Technology, frequently explaining her job as a “wind lawyer” since then. Melike has two daughters and enjoys cooking, travelling, yoga, and skiing with her family. Since moving to Mercer Island in 2016, she has enjoyed being a part of the local community, previously serving on the parent board of the Sunnybeam School of Mercer Island and volunteering with the Girl Scouts.
PYP Grant Champions for SUMM: Robyn Hsu
Robyn Kimura Hsu has been a leading residential real estate broker for 21 years, bringing her deep expertise and market knowledge to clients throughout Seattle and beyond. A graduate of UCLA with a degree in History/Art History and a minor in Asian American Studies, Robyn’s unique background adds depth to her work, particularly in design and staging. Robyn’s commitment to community service is a key part of her life. She has served on the boards of several notable nonprofit organizations, including Summer Search, the Robert Chinn Foundation, the San Francisco Japanese American Citizens League, and the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club. Additionally, she has been President of the Evergreen NCL Chapter and serves as a board member for Mercer Island High School Girls Soccer. A passionate traveler and fitness enthusiast, Robyn enjoys skiing, SoulCycle, and Pilates in her free time. Originally from San Diego, she has lived in San Francisco, Durham, NC, and for the past 21 years, Seattle. Robyn is also a dedicated mother to two children—a son at NYU and a daughter who is a senior at Mercer Island High School.