Last Wednesday, October 7th, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Pacific Northwest Campaign honored local leaders, and others, at their second annual awards dinner at Fremont Studios.
They honored the Honorable Charles A. Smith, retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice – who, due to recent surgery, couldn’t attend – with the Semper Fidelis Award.
They also honored Fremont’s own Victor Odermat, owner and founder of Brown Bear Car Wash, with the Service Above Self Award. A former Marine, Odermat credited the leadership skills and standards he learned in the service with the success of his business. He began Brown Bear when he purchased a car wash building scheduled for demolition in 1962. As it has grown into a regional business icon, Brown Bear has generously given to its community. The company is known for its gifts to Woodland Park Zoo, and in this case, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Brown Bear has also donated to the upcoming B.F. Day Elementary School Community Auction.
Also since 1962, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation has been educating the children of Marines. For the 2015-2016 academic year the Foundation awarded 2,300 scholarships totaling $7 million, including 64 students attending schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. At the awards banquet, attendees also hear about Roman Nachampassak, who is a scholarship student at the University of Washington. His father, Sergeant Krisna Nachampassak (or ‘Nacho’) enlisted in the Marines and died in service on July 10, 2004, in Iraq. The Awards Dinner specifically funded a Memorial Scholarship in the name of this decorated veteran.
Attendees also heard from Kathleen Hayes, another scholarship recipient and daughter of a Marine Sergeant, who is in her final year of her Bachelor Degree. In addition to doing her studies, Hayes has EMT certification and has worked as a firefighter, using her skills this past summer to fight wildfires in the Chelan area. This impressive young woman spoke on how this scholarship made it possible for her, and many other children of veterans, to not only consider but actually achieve the dream of higher education.
The mission of the Pacific Northwest Campaign is to raise awareness of the Scholarship Foundation, and to increase the resources available – while also increasing the number of scholarship recipients living and studying in the Pacific Northwest. Find out more by visiting the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation website.