The Winner of Our 2017 First Place Grant in the amount of $25,000 is…

Summer Search is a youth development organization which creates greater equity by increasing the number of students from low-income backgrounds who successfully complete college. Their mission is to transform what young people believe is possible for themselves by supporting them to earn a bachelor’s degree and to become socially responsible leaders. Summer Search invests in students over a minimum of seven years: from their sophomore year in high school through bachelor’s degree completion. Since opening in 2003, Summer Search Seattle has provided over 400 students with its transformative program model, including long-term, individualized mentoring, scholarships to summer experiential programs, college and financial aid counseling and in-college support for college students.

PYP Grant Champions for Summer Search

Robyn Hsu

Originally from San Diego, CA, Robyn grew up going to the beach, playing softball, tennis and golf and still enjoys those hobbies today.  Even though Robyn was raised in California, she really associates home as Hawaii, where both her parents are from.  After graduating college from UCLA with a degree in Art History/History and a minor in Asian American Studies, Robyn moved to San Francisco and started a career in Advertising and Marketing that led to jobs with the San Francisco Business Times, Sports Channel, and CBS.  Robyn moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2003 by way of Durham, North Carolina where Robyn worked for the Triple A Baseball team, Durham Bulls, in Sponsorship Sales.  Today, Robyn lives on Mercer Island with her husband and two children and is a Residential Real Estate Broker with Windermere.  Real Estate has allowed Robyn to combine her background in sales with her love of architecture, interior design and helping people.  Robyn is passionate about giving back to the community and she currently serves on the board of local non-profit Summer Search.  Robyn has also served as a board member of the Robert Chinn Foundation and the National Japanese American Citizens League.

The Runner-Up, Receiving a Grant in the amount of $6,000 is…

Page Ahead is the leading provider of children’s books and literary services in Washington State, serving more that 850,000 children with over 2.8 million new books since 1990.  They serve children, families and communities with new books for children, literacy support for families, and reading resources for communities.

PYP Grant Champion for Page Ahead

Megan Wells

Megan Wells is a true Seattleite, growing up in a community north of Seattle, attending the University of Washington and settling in the Wedgwood neighborhood with her husband and three middle-school aged kids.  She is currently employed by Navigant Consulting, Inc. as a Director in the Global Construction Practice. She has more than 25 years of experience assisting legal counsel, businesses, government entities, and individuals with a wide variety of economic, financial, and consulting assignments.  She was previously a Vice President at Tucker Alan Inc., a national litigation and business consulting firm acquired by Navigant Consulting.  She has BA in Business Administration from the University of Washington and holds a Certified Management Accountant certificate.  After years on the Wedgwood Elementary PTA board and King County Bar Association Board, she now serves as a board member of the Wedgwood Swim Club and a board member of CCYJ, the Center for Child and Youth Justice.  She enjoys running, barre class, entertaining and spending time with her family and new puppy.

And Pitched to our Peers with So Much Passion…

About Make-A-Wish (Washington/Alaska Chapter):
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.  Founded in 1986, the chapter has granted more than 6,200 wishes. This year the chapter will grant 332 wishes.

PYP Grant Champion for Make A Wish

Dawn Dunn

Dawn Dunn grew up in Northern Virginia and moved to Seattle in 2004. She currently lives on Mercer Island with her husband and two children and devotes her time to family and volunteering in the community. After earning a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Spanish from the University of Virginia in 2001, Dawn returned to school to earn her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Duke University in 2004. Following graduation, she practiced physical therapy specializing in women’s health and outpatient orthopedics in the Seattle area with Proliance Surgeons and Physiotherapy Associates. Dawn is currently a board member of the Mercer Island Schools Foundation, a local non-profit organization that serves as the catalyst to connect the resources of the community to the identified academic needs of Mercer Island public schools. She is also Vice President of Fundraising for the PTA of the local elementary school and participates in several volunteer opportunities with the Seahawks Women’s Association. In her free time, Dawn enjoys running and playing in a weekly coed soccer league. She is a 2016 NYC Marathon Finisher in support of Camp Korey, a non-profit that operates free camps for children with serious illnesses.