The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, Stanley Ann Dunham’s daughter and President Barack Obama’s sister.

There was also a surprise speaker. That morning the office of Governor Jay Inslee contacted us, and asked whether he could join the speakers. The answer was easy: YES! Before the ceremony Governor Inslee and Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng sat down with many of the applicants, giving them advice as to their college years and beyond.

Governor Inslee opened the ceremony by proudly congratulating Mercer Island for its high school’s distinguished alumna, Stanley Ann Dunham. “Because of her life” he said, “700,000 people in our state have health care today.” He was referring to the number of people who have been able to acquire health care under President Obama’s new health care laws.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Maya Soeteoro-Ng, shares her brother’s dedication to public service and their mother’s passion for global citizenship and social justice. A professor of peace education and conflict resolution at the University of Hawaii, Dr. Soetoro-Ng speaks worldwide about her peace initiatives.

Dr. Soetoro-Ng feels a strong connection with Mercer Island. She spoke about how her mother’s years growing up on Mercer Island influenced her: “It gave her enough of a sense of community, spirituality and grounded-ness that she was brave enough to go off to Indonesia,” she said.

Dr. Soetoro-Ng candidly shared her own experiences as a mother of two young girls. She especially moved the audience when she spoke about her adopted daughter. Her speech was followed by a Q and A, where we learned more about her teaching and childhood in Indonesia. Although Dr. Soetoro-Ng’s speech was geared towards the teen applicants to the Scholarship, she inspired everyone in the room.

Finally the big moment arrived: it was time to announce the winners of the Scholarship. Board members Susie Rosenstein and Maxine Box recognized the accomplishments of each of the five finalists, who have volunteered to improve living conditions and opportunities in the areas of education, gender equality, homelessness and public health. The five finalists were the finalists were Eliana Grosoff, Megan Lee, Piper Casey, and this year’s scholars, Holly Waggoner and Rose Guttman.

For the second consecutive year, the Fund presented an award to the winner of an essay contest held by the University of Washington Anthropology Department. The winner, senior Sumaya Mohamed, plans to pursue work with vulnerable populations in global public health. 

It was a spectacular, inspiring afternoon.

 

On May 21st, the President’s sister, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng presented our scholarships to Mercer Island High School Seniors Holly Waggoner and Rose Guttman.

“I am driven to explore opportunities to further girls’ education and to create a world where this is not a privilege, but a right.” -Holly Waggoner

“Going to bed at night and knowing I’ve tried to do my best to make a difference in my community, helping the less fortunate, volunteering to help local businesses prosper…”-Rose Guttman

We are honored to welcome President Obama’s sister, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, as special guest speaker at our 7th Annual Scholarship Award Ceremony to honor the finalists and winners of our 2016 scholarship, as well as the winner of the Dunham/UW Anthropology Essay Contest.

Dr. Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of Stanley Ann Dunham, shares her mother’s passion for education and peacebuilding. She holds a Ph.D in Comparative Education and works at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaii. She teaches Peace Education and Leadership for Social Change and launched a national curriculum called “Ceeds of Peace” in schools around the country. and has also founded numerous inner city programs for youth to promote community service and community engagement.

• Saturday May 21 from 2-4pm
• The Congregational Church on Mercer Island at 4545 Island Crest Way
• Meet Dr. Soetoro-Ng at a Reception and Fundraiser following the award ceremony from 5-7pm at a private home on Mercer Island.
• Email us for more information and to RSVP to the Reception at dunhamscholarship@gmail.com
• Suggested minimum donation of $150 (click on paypal button on this page to donate by credit card)

Both Dr. Soetoro-Ng and her brother, President Obama, were shaped by their mother’s powerful vision of what a worthy life looks like.  “My mother was very determined to be remembered for a life of service and thought that service was really the true measure of a life,” says Soetoro-Ng. The title of her talk at the Ceremony will be “The Courage To Serve.”