Members of the School of Business community were at the center of the lively fundraiser. Albert Jalso of Russell Investments emceed and chaired the event. Karishma Sharma who graduated with a Business Administration degree in 2016 was the keynote speaker. Angelina Ly, who will graduate with the same degree in June 2024, was the featured student speaker.  

Interim Dean Rajib Sanyal spoke about the great impact of the School of Business and recognized the many members of the faculty in attendance. The bidding on various auction items during the event was competitive, but all in good fun for a great cause.  

Building a business community 

Sharma spoke to all those gathered about how her time at 56�Թ��� Bothell helped her grow in confidence and find a community. “I went from feeling I wasn’t good enough,” she said, “to feeling that I could take on the world.” 

“This wasn’t just about my grades. This wasn’t just about school. My time at 56�Թ��� Bothell changed the way I viewed myself,” Sharma said. “Once I graduated in 2016, I found I already had a ton of business experience and a supportive network. 56�Թ��� Bothell had become my village.” 

Her 56�Թ��� Bothell village helped start her career at Microsoft where she now works as a professional storyteller and writer. After working on an initiative called AI for Earth, during which Sharma gave a presentation to CEO Satya Nadella, she was inspired to start Washington’s first along with her brother. Her interest in farming can be traced back to her time at 56�Թ��� Bothell, where she remembers snipping kale from the gardens, along with her family history of heritage farming in the Punjab, India. 

To finish her keynote speech, Sharma shared her experiences as a mentor in the School of Business’s Mentorship EDGE program. “Talking to my mentees, I see that 56�Թ��� Bothell has prepared these students to take on the world as it is today,” she said. “These students are smart, driven, and will one day be sitting in this room as you all are — as the leaders of their respective industries.” 

One of those students is Angelina Ly. 

Growing as an entrepreneur��

Ly says that at 56�Թ��� Bothell, she gained new skills that applied to her business, . Before enrolling at 56�Թ��� Bothell, Ly was already a successful entrepreneur. She started selling slime as a 14-year-old where she used her creativity to create different styles of slime which she showcased on social media. She was self-taught, learning every aspect of running a business by herself, but she also knew she would benefit from being surrounded by people who could help her gain more business skills. 

“Coming from a family that had to navigate the challenges of immigrating from Vietnam, pursuing entrepreneurship or even business wasn’t a familiar path, so there were many times when I felt as though I was on my own,” Ly said. “That’s why when it came time to choose a university, I was drawn to 56�Թ��� Bothell. With most of my family being 56�Թ��� alums, I felt a sense of familiarity and connection with the university. Additionally, I knew that 56�Թ��� Bothell’s School of Business offered the guidance and resources I needed to succeed.” 

Ly pushed herself to make the most of her college experience while her business continued to grow. “I went from never speaking up in class to being able to stand in front of you all today. It wasn’t always easy, and there were moments of doubt and imposter syndrome, but, with each small step, I grew more confident and capable.” 

Ly, who is graduating in June 2024, saw the potential for the (un)GALA to support other students just like her. In gratitude, guests at the event were given a special treat, a slime goody bag. “There are a lot of students like me at 56�Թ��� Bothell,” Ly said. “Students with big dreams who just need a little push and guidance to achieve those dreams. For a lot of us, we started from scratch, without much help from our parents. That’s why your support is so important.” 

You can help fund the big dreams of more students like Angelina by making a gift to the 56�Թ��� Bothell’s School of Business. Click here to give now. 

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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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