The annual Gifts from the Earth Fundraising event at South Seattle College on Jan. 24, raised nearly $215,000 for the institution a new record in its twelve-year history. Proceeds from the event benefit South’s Foundation in its mission to support South students and programs with scholarships, internships, emergency funding, tutoring and more.

“Gifts from the Earth is an inspiring event where philanthropists and our sponsors come together for the common goal of supporting South students in their pursuit of a higher education and a fulfilling career,” South Seattle College President Gary Oertli said. “Their support has an enormous impact on our students’ ability to realize their dreams.”

South’s supporters started their night with a silent auction accompanied by appetizers and wines crafted by South’s Culinary Arts, Pastry and Baking Arts, and Northwest Wine Academy students and alumni. Next, the sold out event moved to the Jerry M. Brockey Center, where guests enjoyed a multi-course meal created by 15 celebrity Northwest chefs (including South alumni). Students from the college’s culinary, wine and Hospitality Management B.A.S. programs helped the chefs prep, cook and serve.

A highlight of the evening came after dinner and a live auction, when South student David Michael Patrick Yama shared his story of emerging from poverty to succeeding in college with the help of a Foundation scholarship.

“I sought out a Foundation scholarship because I needed more money, but money was the smallest thing it gave me,” Yama, who hopes to obtain a doctorate in biomedical engineering, said. “The greatest thing it gave to me was validation. Validation that I belong here, that I could succeed in school.”
Gifts from the Earth is made possible by the support of the following sponsors: Food Services of America (title sponsor), Boeing, Union Bank, Rebar and Associates, McGranahan Architects, GM Nameplate, QBSI, Interbay Food Company, WSECU, Vigor Industrial, The Gene Colin and Susan Janus Charitable Fund, Pedersen’s and Ferguson Construction.

Yama, was characterized by his childhood teachers as “unteachable”. He dropped out of school at the age of fourteen, but always kept his dream of being a scientist alive. At South that dream is rapidly becoming a reality. While completing prerequisites in order to transfer to a university, David also performs research at one of the University of Washington’s bioengineering laboratories and is preparing to publish his findings. A 2014 recipient of the South Seattle College Foundation’s Vern Gambriell Endowed Scholarship, David has gone on to be awarded additional outside scholarships, and as an All-Washington Academic Award recipient will go on to compete with other Phi Theta Kappa students for national recognition of his work. Despite his rigorous studies, David manages to find time to volunteer on campus as an STEM tutor for the (AANAPISI) Center, has started a STEM study group, tutors children at Neighborhood House, and volunteers at Duwamish Live! Restoration events, all while maintaining a 3.98 GPA. David’s long-term goal is to earn a Ph.D. in bio-engineering and become a research scientist.

"I'm trying to get into vascular research," Yama explained, "I'm mostly working with skeletal muscle and heart muscle." He said the goal of his research is how to create vasculature "outside the body" meaning and including even semi exotic technologies like 3D printing, which he wrote a paper on.

While his drive and ambition are clear reasons for his success, David says that South has played a critical role in his transformation, describing the college as a place where underdogs beat the odds and achieve their dreams.