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| The 9th
Annual Costco Scholarship Breakfast |
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The Annual Costco Scholarship Breakfast is hosted by Costco President and CEO, Jim Sinegal and Costco Chairman, Jeff Brotman to raise money
for the Costco Scholarship Fund. The event is attended by Corporate, Foundation, Government leaders, as well as many local Philanthropists
who support higher education. The Eighth Annual breakfast was held on Tuesday, September 27th, 2007 at The University of Washington. Almost one
thousand supporters attended contributing $2.8 million for underrepresented minority students. Since it's inception in 2000, the Costco Scholarship
fund has raised and distributed more than $15 million to the University of Washington and Seattle University resulting in over 1000 scholarships to
deserving students.
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On September 27th, 2007 the Eighth Annual Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast was held on the campus of The University of Washington. The
breakfast was attended by Corporate, Foundation and Government leaders along with almost one thousand other individuals that helped raise
more than $2,800,000 for the Costco Scholarship Fund. Former Seattle Mayor, Norn Rice was again the Master of Ceremonies and welcomed
the attendees and introduced speakers Governor Christine Gregoire, Father Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J. President of Seattle University, and
The University of Washington Provost Phyllis Wise, who filled in for The University of Washington President Mark Emmert as he recuperated
from recent surgery. Additionally, these speakers were joined by Costco Chairman Jeff Brotman along with Costco President Jim Sinegal in
stressing the need to improve the opportunities available for bright and talented underrepresented minorities to attend college.
Representing the Costco Scholars in explaining the importance of receiving financial assistance, University of Washington Freshman,
Natalie Hart and Senior from Seattle University, Justine Kondrat spoke to the group and told of their hopes of receiving a quality
college education and their concerns of how they could afford it. They each went on to tell how they have personally set their goals
to give back to the community to assist others in receiving the same opportunity. They thanked all the attendees for their support and
belief in their future.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, the first African-American woman to be appointed dean of a U.S. medical school. Dr.
Ross-Lee told the audience how she grew up in Detroit's inner city and face discrimination and discouragement as a minority woman
dreaming of becoming a doctor. Her story of the importance of education in pursuing her dream in the face of diversity emphasized
the need for programs like the Costco Scholarship Fund.
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Justice Alan C. Page
We were privileged to have Justice Alan C. Page as the keynote speaker for out 2006 breakfast.
The honorable Justice Page was Minnesota's first African-American Supreme Court
Justice and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Justice Page played professional
football for 15 years, becoming the first defensive player in NFL history to receive
the Most Valuable Player Award. While playing professional football he earned
his law degree from the University of Minnesota. He was a compelling speaker
on creating education opportunities.
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Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch
We were honored to have Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch as the keynote speaker for the
2005 breakfast. Born and raised along the border in a small barrio in Laredo,
Texas, Castillo Kickbusch is all too familiar with poverty, discrimination and
illiteracy. It was to the credit of her immigrant parents that she understood
that although she sometimes had to do without material possessions her family
was rich in culture, tradition, values and faith. The values she learned as a
child were reinforced throughout her career in the U.S. military. Castillo Kickbusch
became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S.
Army. In 1996, Castillo Kickbusch retired from the military and dedicated her
time to Education Achievement Services, Inc. (EAS) to realize her personal dream
and mission of preparing tomorrow's leaders today.
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The Three Doctors
We were fortunate to have Sampson Davis,
M.D., George Jenkins, D.D.S. and Rameck Hunt, M.D. as the keynote speakers for
the 2004 Costco Breakfast. The Three Doctors attended high school in Newark, New
Jersey, one of the country's most economically depressed and crime-ridden urban
areas. Skipping class on one fateful day in 1990, they happened on a seminar in
the school library about careers in health fields and the special financial aid
offered to attend the premedical/pre-dental program at Seton Hall University.
At that time, they all made a promise to one another to become doctors. In 1999,
the trio fulfilled that promise when Dr. Davis and Dr. Hunt graduated from medical
school and Dr. Jenkins graduated from dental school. The doctors speak frequently
to schools and youth groups in an effort to encourage youth to resist drugs and
crime and reach for their dreams - no matter how distant they may seem. They established
The Three Doctors Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps inner-city youth
through scholarships, after-school programs, mentoring and health awareness.
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Dr. M. Jocelyn Elders
We were delighted to have Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders as our keynote speaker for the 2003
breakfast. Dr. Elders was the first African-American woman to hold the post of
Surgeon General of the United States. At the age of 15, Dr. Elders received a
scholarship from the United Methodist Church to attend Philander-Smith College
in Little Rock, Ark. Upon graduation at age 18, she entered the U.S. Army as a
First Lieutenant, where she received training as a physical therapist. She then
went on to the University of Arkansas Medical School on the G.I. Bill and graduated
in 1960. She was the only woman in her class. She has been listed in "Distinguished
Women in America" and has been honored with numerous awards, including the
National Governor's Association Distinguished Service Award.
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Edward James Olmos
We were pleased to have actor Edward
James Olmos as our keynote speaker for the 2002 breakfast. Olmos has gained acclaim
on stage, on television and on the big screen. In addition, he is a director,
screenwriter and noted activist. A former ambassador for UNICEF, Olmos gives more
than 100 speeches a year, stressing the importance of education, citing the inspiration
of his parents, who left school without completing their high school education,
but returned later to get their diplomas as adults.
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Sidney Poitier
We were thrilled to welcome Hollywood pioneer Sidney Poitier as our
2001 keynote speaker. The first African-American to receive the Academy Award
for Best Actor, Mr. Poitier broke through the industry's long-standing color barrier
to become one of the country's most respected performers. In addition to his Oscar,
Mr. Poitier has won two Golden Globes, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an NAACP Image
Award and the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award, among others. Mr.
Poitier also has directed several films, and in 1997 was appointed the Bahamas'
Ambassador to Japan.
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Earvin "Magic" Johnson
We were honored to have Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the
keynote speaker for the inaugural Costco Breakfast in 2000. Magic Johnson is best
known for his legendary basketball career, but today he directs his efforts towards
another lasting legacy - philanthropy. In 1991, he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation,
a nonprofit organization which directs its efforts toward the health, educational,
and social needs of inner-city youth.
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