56�Թ��� Bothell lecturer Joe Decuir, a computing industry veteran, is helping future engineers through a generous gift supporting students in engineering and computing. With decades of experience in computer engineering and video game technology, Decuir’s contributions inside and outside the classroom are shaping the next generation of innovators.
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For 2023, 56�Թ��� Bothell named Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) as the first corporate recipient of the award. WSECU’s relationship with 56�Թ��� Bothell dates to the mid ‘90s when WSECU first began conducting financial wellness workshops on campus for students as well as faculty and staff. Since then, the credit union has supported 56�Թ��� Bothell and the 56�Թ��� at large through a number of scholarships, donations and event sponsorships. Learn more about WSECU’s deep and broad support in this video. 

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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 mother’s drive to earn a degree and become an elementary school teacher while all her kids were still at home — and by his wife’s 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 Seattle’s 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�Թ��� Bothell’s 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 Tony’s 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�Թ��� Bothell, which had moved to its current location.

“There was still such a wonderful family feel at 56�Թ��� 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�Թ��� 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�Թ��� Bothell’s 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, I’m investing in someone else’s chance to grow and contribute and give back one day. It’s 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�Թ��� Bothell students.

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Both within a few months of turning 80, Connie Niva and Jud Marquardt have left a powerful imprint on the communities in Snohomish and King counties they call home. This includes 56�Թ��� Bothell, which they have supported for many years and which now figures prominently in their estate plans.

When deciding where and how to give back, says Jud, people often “seek out an established connection — from their own or their children’s history — but it’s not required.” Neither he nor Connie attended the University of Washington. Only one of their combined six children did. But both saw an untapped opportunity in the young 56�Թ��� Bothell campus.

Supporting student access and opportunity

“When you look at Everett and Snohomish County, there were so many students, but they had been shortchanged,” says Connie, noting there was no easily accessible 56�Թ��� campus in the area before 56�Թ��� Bothell was founded. “Now, they make up a significant proportion of 56�Թ��� Bothell students, which provides needed engineers for Boeing, nurses for the region’s hospitals, and teachers and principals for local schools.”

Connie, who was a co-founder of the Center for Women in Democracy in Seattle, says she feels personally connected to the school’s commitment to educating women, especially in fields where they remain underrepresented. “You don’t have to go back that far,” she says, “to see that there were not many opportunities for us.”

From the very beginning, Connie says, 56�Թ��� Bothell was intentional about attracting students who were financially disadvantaged or the first in their immediate families to earn a four-year degree — students who have incredible drive and important dreams to realize.

As a first-generation college student, this resonates with Jud.

It’s all about putting the students first, he says. “You can see this with class size and teacher–student ratios. While these are easier to do as a young educational institution, even as it grows the Bothell campus consistently sets itself apart in this respect and is doing more than ever for the students.”

Imagining the possibilities

There is absolute clarity of purpose for both Connie and Jud when it comes to addressing the cost shift in public higher education from the state to students and families. Connie explains it was a very different financial picture when she and Jud attended college.

“We came through school for under $100 for a quarter because the state was funding school then,” she says. “We came out of college debt-free.”

Graduating without crippling debt made all the difference in what they could do with their lives — and how they could give back.

With an undergraduate degree in microbiology and a master’s degree in government relations — which she earned at age 53 — Connie took on a number of leadership roles in public service. She was a member of the Everett City Council and Everett Port Commission. She served on the Washington State Transportation Commission, for three years as its chair. For 12 years, she also was a member of Washington State University’s Board of Regents, twice serving as chair.

Jud co-founded a successful architecture firm, LMN Architects, which now has a 40-year legacy of projects across the country — including the Activities & Recreation Center on the 56�Թ��� Bothell campus. He also has been a dynamic member of the 56�Թ��� Bothell Advisory Board for the last 15 years, serving as chair for two of them.

On one point, Jud is unequivocal: Had it not been for the state school system, its funding and the doors that a four-year college degree opened, he and Connie would not have had the means to become the highly productive and engaged members in their respective communities. And they would not have been able to support 56�Թ��� Bothell among other noteworthy higher education institutions across the country.

“Students need to begin their lives without this overwhelming weight of debt,” Jud says.

Making a difference at 56�Թ��� Bothell

When asked why they support 56�Թ��� Bothell, the answer is simple: How could we not? They are quick to point with pride at the successes of the school, its students and alumni. Statewide, 56�Թ��� Bothell has an enviable graduation rate, says Jud. “Their highest average graduate starting salaries — the ROI of the cost of education — are an assurance that the time and donations we make are fueling success.

“These are powerful ways to say, ‘Don’t overlook 56�Թ��� Bothell,’” he adds, noting that 56�Թ��� Bothell has evolved to become a first-choice school.

This is a transformative moment for 56�Թ��� Bothell, Connie and Jud believe. “It’s a top-tier higher ed institution now and is continuing to evolve every day,” says Jud. “We know that our contribution will help ensure that today’s progress continues into the future.”

Another point of pride for the couple is the fact that 61% of 56�Թ��� Bothell undergraduate students and 54% of graduate students graduated debt-free in 2018-19. “As donors, these numbers tell us that there is a return on our investment,” Jud says.

In recognition of their service, philanthropy and inspiration, 56�Թ��� Bothell named Connie and Jud the recipients of the 2019 Legacy Award, the highest award for donors and supporters of the university.

“We are ready to support higher education wherever it’s being delivered with enthusiasm and success,” says Connie.

Staying in the game

Beyond their own personal contributions, Connie and Jud take a community view of philanthropy and believe in the collective power of giving. “It’s about creating a group force for change. You need bodies, and there’s nothing better than people working together to support students,” says Jud.

“A hallmark of 56�Թ��� Bothell is to honor all contributions,” he adds. “No gift is too small, and when you look at the board and alumni contributions, this is verifiable enthusiasm for the institution. It shows that everyone is in the game — including faculty and staff — and that’s powerful!”

Adds Connie: “Helping students thrive and live their dreams is the best investment in the future of our community and the school. We put 56�Թ��� Bothell in our estate plan,” she says, “and we want others to stay in the game with us.”

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