#ICYMI, over the last few weeks, we’ve been spreading some holiday cheer by sharing the faces and stories of Summer Searchers whose lives have been forever changed by their hard work in our program.
We kicked off our end-of-year giving campaign on #GivingTuesday with this inspiring photo and quote from first-generation college graduate and Summer Search Seattle alumna extraordinaire, Bao-Tram Do.
“Summer Search gave me the gift of seeing my life, even my hardships, as a beautiful narrative.” — Bao-Tram Do.
This moment came during Summer Search’s 25th Anniversary Welcome Home Celebration last year, where Bao-Tram shared a few details about her incredible story. As she puts it, her journey took her from being “a low-income refugee child from Vietnam, to a Gates Millennium Scholar, to a Whitman College graduate, to now working as a grant-maker at a community foundation with nearly a billion dollars in assets.”
Watch her full remarks here:
Not only is she well-accomplished in her life and career, she has also been a steadfast leader in the Summer Search community. She currently serves on the Summer Search Seattle Board of Directors and the Seattle Alumni Board, as well as various other national and local task-forces and committees.
But she’s not stopping there! Bao-Tram now has her eyes set on graduate school. Last week she visited our National office in San Francisco to talk with Summer Search CEO Amy Saxton about Stanford’s MBA program (Amy’s alma mater).
Bao-Tram Do with Summer Search CEO Amy Saxton
By the way, this photo was taken right before our Bay Area Ugly Sweater Holiday Party, so shout out to Amy for rocking this epic gingerbread vest!
Bao-Tram closed her Welcome Home speech, saying “At each part of my life, Summer Search has grown with me, giving me the ability to test my resiliency, develop a heart of gratitude, and own my story.”
To reciprocate that sentiment to Bao-Tram, and to all of our Summer Search students and alumni, we are so grateful to grow with you and witness you take control of your story — making it your own beautiful narrative.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see more stories from our Summer Search community, as we continue our #SeasonOfGiving through the end of December.
If you haven’t made your year-end gift to Summer Search yet, you can do so here.
Watch Bao-Tram Do’s emotional speech from the Summer Search Seattle Luncheon in 2014:
“ICYMI” is the hip, social-media-shortened way to say “in case you missed it.”