Alumni Profile Archives - Give to 56勛圖厙 Bothell /give/news/category/alumni-profile Just another 56勛圖厙 Bothell site Sun, 15 Jun 2025 22:05:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 From 56勛圖厙 Bothell to 56勛圖厙 Medicine /give/news/2025/05/14/from-uw-bothell-to-uw-medicine Wed, 14 May 2025 23:37:48 +0000 /give/?p=20240 Scholarships and mentorship helped Claire Truongdang, Biochemistry 24, discover her passion for research and pursue a career focused on science and social impact.

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]]> Claire Truongdangs journey of purpose and persistence

When alumna Claire Truongdang, Biochemistry 24, started at 56勛圖厙 Bothell, she wasnt sure what to expect from college.

Having moved from Vietnam years earlier, she and her family were unfamiliar with the application process. With help from someone at her high school, she applied to 56勛圖厙 Bothell because it was close to home and easy for her family to access.

Once at 56勛圖厙 Bothell, she started in psychology but changed course after her mother faced serious health issues. I just wanted to understand what she was going through, Truongdang said.

It was then a chemistry course with Dr. Brandon Finley that sparked a new passion. He changed my life, she said. He made me want to spend my whole day thinking about chemistry.

With his encouragement, she switched to biochemistry and found a new direction in college and in a career.

Doors to research and opportunity

Through 56勛圖厙 Bothell, Truongdang gained access to resources across the University of Washington. She joined the Maternal-Fetal Research Lab at 56勛圖厙 Medicine, mentored by Dr. Stephen McCartney and Dr. Raj Shree, where she studied how pregnancy may unlock new insights into diseases like cancer and knowledge about human parturition mechanisms.

Pregnancy is often seen as an invasion like a tumor but the body tolerates it, she said. Understanding that could help us find cures.

Even after graduation, she has continued research with Dr. McCartney and Dr. Shree, exploring her interest in both science and social impact, especially in reproductive health care. Pregnancy research is so underexplored, she said. Its more than just uteruses, vulvas and vaginas. It can teach us about cancer, cardiovascular disease and more.

While her lab work as a student took place at the 56勛圖厙 in Seattle, Truongdang said the foundation she built at 56勛圖厙 Bothell was essential. Our campus feels small, but it opens doors across the 56勛圖厙, she said.

She credited Dr. Finley for inspiring her academic shift, Dr. Marc Servetnick for helping her secure research funding from the Associated Students of the 56勛圖厙 Bothell and Dr. Brian White for connecting underrepresented students (including her sister) to internship opportunities at 56勛圖厙 Medicine and other labs in Seattle.

Support that shaped her future

Now working full time in the 56勛圖厙 Medicine lab while preparing to apply to M.D.-Ph.D. programs, Truongdang said she hopes eventually to lead her own lab, advance research that improves lives and support patients through complex health decisions just like her current mentors.

In addition to the support of faculty, this path was made possible through financial support, including the 56勛圖厙 Bothell Alumni Endowed Scholarship and the Worthington Scholarship.

When her mother was laid off, the extra support helped her continue her studies. That summer, those scholarships reduced the financial burden on our familys budget by not having the added expenses of school.

To the alumni who fund scholarships through efforts like the 56勛圖厙 Bothell Husky 5K, Truongdang offered heartfelt thanks. Its not about big, flashy gifts, she said. Its about giving back to the communities we came from. That kind of awareness is the highest level of giving.

Despite the challenges, Truongdang found her voice and it is clear, focused and grounded in purpose.

Like Claire, every student has a story full of potential, challenges and discovery. Giving to 56勛圖厙 Bothell helps unlock opportunities for students to find their path and pursue their future with confidence.

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]]> Tony and Lisa Guerrero on giving back: Its an honor /give/news/2024/01/01/tony-and-lisa-guerrero-on-giving-back-its-an-honor Mon, 01 Jan 2024 21:24:00 +0000 /give/?p=19853 Tony Guerrero, a proud alumnus and longtime staff member, and his wife, Lisa, were among the first donors to 56勛圖厙 Bothells original scholarship fund supporting students for more than a decade.

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]]> Humble and soft-spoken, Tony Guerrero would balk to hear his life story described as one of triumph, perseverance and generosity. But for the 56勛圖厙 Bothell community inspired by his two-decade journey to earn his degree and by his long-time support for scholarships, that description fits him to a tee.

Growing up the oldest of six kids in a blue-collar Phoenix family, college was never on the horizon for Tony. He began a vocational heating and air conditioning track in high school, where he met his future wife, Lisa. He joined the Air Force Reserve and, after seeing older construction workers struggling in the blistering Arizona heat, wisely considered his long-term future and found indoor employment at a state-owned events venue.

Motivated by his mothers drive to earn a degree and become an elementary school teacher while all her kids were still at home and by his wifes nighttime college studies while working full time Tony enrolled in night classes, too.

In 1984, a beloved mentor at his job in Phoenix took a new role at Seattles Kingdome and encouraged Tony to join him. Tony moved his family up to the Northwest, kept taking classes at community colleges and eventually enrolled at 56勛圖厙 Bothells original office park campus. By then, twins Joseph and Mario had joined the family.

The Guerreros returned to Arizona for a few years again delaying Tonys degree. Tony was hired by the University of Washington in 2000 to help manage maintenance on the mammoth Seattle campus and once again he enrolled at 56勛圖厙 Bothell, which had moved to its current location.

There was still such a wonderful family feel at 56勛圖厙 Bothell, Tony recalls, fondly remembering when a favorite professor and fellow students came to his rescue with a new textbook and loaned class notes after his were stolen in a car break-in. When he took his last test in 2001, Lisa and the boys greeted him with balloons and cheers.

Today, the proud alumnus holds not only that hard-fought BA in business but also an MBA from Seattle Pacific University. He has worked at 56勛圖厙 Bothell since 2003 and now serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Services and Campus Operations. He and Lisa were among the earliest donors to 56勛圖厙 Bothells first scholarship fund, and their gifts have supported hundreds of students for well over a decade. I see so many students here today who are far less fortunate than I was, Tony says.

I know that when I donate, Im investing in someone elses chance to grow and contribute and give back one day. Its an honor.

This story was originally published in 2016. In 2017, the Guerreros generously established the Anthony R. and Lisa A. Guerrero Endowed Scholarship to provide need-based financial support to 56勛圖厙 Bothell students.

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