The incredibly accomplished national art expert and museum director Mimi Gardner Gates gave a compelling presentation at the St. Mary's Academy 13th annual Food for Thought scholarship luncheon, emphasizing the opportunities for women in the coming century and detailing the Gates Foundation’s plans for global change. In addition, St. Mary’s junior Y. Hoang gave a heartfelt speech on behalf of the students at the school who receive tuition assistance from the fundraiser.
Due to the generosity of the luncheon patrons, the event exceeded the school’s goal, raising a total of $375,000 for the school’s tuition assistance program. Currently, 30 percent of St. Mary’s student body receives tuition assistance, at an average of one-third the cost of tuition. “To put the dollars into more real terms, the money raised supports 185 young women who require tuition assistance,” says Margueritte Kim, Director of Development at St. Mary’s Academy. “We are extremely grateful for the generous donors who have helped offer these young women the financial opportunity to attend our school.”
Founded in 1859 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy of Portland, is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and one of 716 all-female schools in the country. The student body represents a diverse background of young women from over 30 urban, suburban, and rural communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. St. Mary’s Academy is distinguished by its development of the whole person, and is the only school in the state to receive three U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools awards.
