Press Releases

Seattle Mariners and Seattle Colleges 
Team Up to Help Students Stay in the Game
Mariners donate $500,000 to scholarship program that’s a
grand slam for students and the Seattle-area economy

FOR FURTHER INFO: Michael Beneke, Seattle Colleges Office of Advancement or Brooke Parker, Kiterocket. 

SEATTLE – AUG. 28, 2024 – Yogi Berra, baseball’s wisest sage, famously said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” This also applies to students struggling to finish their education at Seattle’s community colleges. To ensure students reach home plate, the Seattle Colleges and the Seattle Mariners have launched new Stay in the Game Scholarships to help students at North, Central and South Seattle Colleges complete their programs, take the next steps in their education or career, and ultimately make Seattle more prosperous, inclusive and equitable. Nearly half of Seattle Colleges students are the first in their families to attend college, and forty-six percent are people of color.

“The city of Seattle is world-class, and all our neighbors deserve access to meaningful careers and to take part in the prosperity and opportunity present in our region. Plus, we know there are real challenges in our community requiring tremendous talent, from addressing the housing crisis, ensuring supportive care for our kids and our elders, responding to the impacts of upheaval in our climate, and so much else,” says Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Chancellor of Seattle Colleges. “The work is urgent, it is meaningful, and everyone should have the opportunity to participate, which almost always means post-secondary education and training. We’re grateful to the Seattle Mariners for being the founding funder of new Stay in the Game Scholarships, which will make that possible for many more Seattleites.”

Students at the Seattle Colleges have a median age of 28, and in a city that’s now the sixth most expensive in the country, can struggle with rising costs for rent, groceries, utilities and childcare. Stay in the Game takes aim at those costs with funds for expenses beyond tuition — which is low at community colleges, and is often covered by financial aid. The Seattle Mariners donated the first $500K toward Seattle Colleges’ $10M goal for the scholarships.

“The Seattle Mariners are committed to doing our part to make our region healthy, vibrant, and a place where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Education remains a key component for building strong and sustainable communities, and we are delighted to team with the Seattle Colleges to support students choosing to better their lives and serve the community as nurses, carpenters, early childhood educators, small-business owners, ferryboat workers — and so much more,” says Fred Rivera, Executive Vice president & General Counsel for the Seattle Mariners. “We understand the importance of teamwork when it comes to great things, including helping students succeed.”

In a recent survey by the Washington Roundtable, 60% of young adults who haven’t gone to college say they want to but fear they can’t afford it. Stay in the Game Scholarships seek to change this equation and graduate the talent Washington needs for its future success. The Roundtable estimates the state will create a half-million new jobs by 2030. Nearly seventy-two percent of those positions — and virtually all those that pay a family wage — will require a post-secondary degree, professional certificate, or apprenticeship.

Overall enrollment in higher-ed declined sharply during the pandemic, but at the Seattle Colleges is now recovering strongly, with numbers for spring quarter 2023-24 up eight percent year-over-year. The challenge now is ensuring these students have the supports to thrive and complete their studies — the goal of Stay in the Game.

To thank the team and rally the community in support of these scholarships, the Colleges are staging the first ever “Seattle Colleges Night with the Mariners” on Tuesday, Sept. 17, cheering for the Mariners as they take on the New York Yankees. Tickets can be purchased here.

For more information on Stay in the Game Scholarships and how to donate, visit seattlecolleges.edu/stayinthegame or follow the Seattle Colleges Foundation on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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About the Seattle Colleges

The Seattle Colleges serve metropolitan Seattle and surrounding communities and comprise the largest community college district in the state. Included are North Seattle College near Northgate, Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill, and South Seattle College in West Seattle, as well as five specialty centers: the Wood Technology Center in the Central District, the Health Education Center at Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill, the Seattle Maritime Academy in Ballard, the Skilled-Trades Apprenticeship and Learning Center in Georgetown, and the New Holly Learning Center in Southeast Seattle. More info here.