SPSCC students are determined to succeed and we’ve got their backs.
We are fortunate to have a generous community that shares a passion to enhance the quality and accessibility of our students' education. Our supporters come from many different backgrounds and each has a story to tell on why they have given to SPSCC.
With the help of our community of supporters we are making differences in the lives of students. Together, we are Making the Sound.
Richard & Karen Tonelli
Richard and Karen’s granddaughter Theresa studied at SPSCC, where she took English courses with professor Nancy Miller. Unknown to Nancy, Karen had a something in common with her. Both Karen and Nancy had daughters who had struggled with addiction and lost their lives at a young age.
Richard and Karen had been private supporters of the college for many years when, in 2017, they decided to surprise Nancy in person and go public with their support. Kindred spirits were born that day.
In 2018, Karen gracefully ended her ongoing battle with cancer and Richard lost the love of his life. Reeling from this loss, Richard reached out to Nancy for support. Nancy assisted in writing Karen’s beautiful obituary. To date, Nancy and her husband remain close friends with Richard.
Karen believed that people should never underestimate humanity’s ability to do good for one another. Richard is keeping Karen’s legacy alive and their scholarship continues to help pay for tuition for students who have struggled with addiction in their lives.
Bill Funk & Marilyn Zuckerman
Bill and Marilyn sold insurance for the better part of three decades. They were not only business partners, but intellectual partners, reading books together, discussing ideas, and pushing each other to grow and evolve.
Bill and Marilyn believe in equal access to higher learning for all classes of society. Education, in their view, belongs to everyone and is the great equalizer in a democracy because it provides people with both practical knowledge and the skills to apply it. Virtually the whole combined family of Funks and Zuckermans has attended SPSCC at one point or another, which stands as a testament to their collective belief in the community college mission.
Bron Lindgren
Bron believes that "SPSCC is critical in developing the skilled workforce" in the Puget Sound area.As owner of Bron's Automotive, he and half of his mechanics are graduates of the SPSCC Automotive Technology program, and many benefit through his generous donations to Foundation scholarships.
Bron opened his full-service auto repair shop in 2002. Bron's Automotive has become a widely trusted business based on their integrity and superb customer service. "Imagine it's your car or your mom's car on the lift," Bron tells his mechanics. That's the experience they want for every customer.
Dr. Nels Hanson
Through his children, former SPSCC President Nels Hanson left a substantial estate gift to his Foundation endowment.