More than 100 guests gathered for the Cascadia Community College Foundation’s Building for the Future event on Nov. 19. The event helped raise more than $15,000 to fund an endowment for the Founders and Trustees Scholarship, the foundation’s newest scholarship that will help make quality higher education accessible to Cascadia students in need.

“We are thrilled with the support we received from the community. The foundation plays a vital role in helping students achieve their educational goals and the new scholarship will provide opportunities to more students,” says Linda Hendrickson, executive director of the foundation.

At the event alumna speaker Deborah Oaks talked about how Cascadia changed her life. She explained that Cascadia helped her discover her role and responsibility in our global community and that her own untapped potential was greater than she ever knew. She also expressed gratitude for the critical scholarship assistance she received from the foundation, which enabled her to complete her education.

Guests at the event were treated to tours of Cascadia’s new Global Learning and the Arts building, which will open for classes in January. The new building will accommodate 800 additional students and includes nine classrooms, the Mobius Hall performance space, an art gallery and faculty offices. Designed and built to achieve at least LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the building has many innovative features to support sustainability and may achieve Platinum certification.

A total of $25,000 must be raised to fully endow the Founders and Trustees Scholarship. To make a gift to this fund, visit the Make a Gift page at www.cascadia.edu or call (425) 352-8248.