2026 Impact Report

Dear friends and supporters of UW Bothell,

Every day, our students make a difference across our region, not only as alumni after they graduate but also while they are here at UW Bothell. Not someday. Right now.

Students work alongside faculty and staff mentors as well as our industry and community partners to take on complex, real-world challenges and to contribute to research and local projects, all the while discovering what they are capable of achieving.

I get to see this work happening across campus and the region. I see students and faculty working together to advance research, strengthen community partnerships and create new opportunities for learning and discovery.

Our students’ education and impact are supported by an expansive network of people — including you, our donors — who believe in students and in all that education can make possible. Our students feel this support every day through scholarships, mentorship, advising, peer tutoring and coaching, student organizations, and other resources that help them thrive academically and personally.

As the No. 1 regional public university in the state, we are proud of the ways our work is connected to the people and communities we serve, and we are committed to making an impact. Our students, faculty and alumni are investing their time and talents across Washington state in classrooms, clinics, research labs, businesses, nonprofits and public-service settings.

Thanks to them — and you — more people are discovering what so many of us have known for years: UW Bothell is a place where faculty-student relationships, individualized support, applied learning and community partnerships drive student success, career readiness and long-term community impact.

Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we are creating opportunities for students, strengthening our region and helping shape a better future for Washington.

Kristin G. Esterberg, Ph.D.
Chancellor and Professor

“I just graduated with my bachelor’s in Law, Economics & Public Policy from the University of Washington Bothell. The road to get there has been long and difficult.

“My academic journey has been nothing like I expected. As a kid, college was never a topic of conversation in our home. We lived paycheck to paycheck. We didn’t ask for things we knew we couldn’t have. When my friends started talking about college applications and campus tours, I worked up the courage to ask my parents about my options. The answer was worse than I imagined: ‘We don’t know.’

“Eventually, they settled on the idea of community college. The plan was that I would take on just enough loans to get by without falling into overwhelming debt.

“I wasn’t afraid of working hard to pay off the debt required to pursue a degree at a four-year university, like I desperately wanted. So I applied to 10 universities, paying the application fees myself. When I received offer letters from all of them, I cried tears of joy. This was my golden ticket to go to college, and I was overwhelmed with possibilities.

“I started college in 2020 at Whitman College. Once there, I spent the next three years battling severe financial instability and loneliness which I had never experienced before. In 2023, I finally broke. I had no money to my name. No car. Not even a credit card. I had to admit defeat. I decided to take a six-month leave of absence to find my bearings.

“This time, I was going to do whatever it took to feel in control of my life. I accepted the only job that would allow me to work more than 45 hours a week. My six-month leave of absence turned into a year and a half. I built up my savings, got my driver’s license and purchased my first car. I learned financial literacy. I was finally safe and ready to finish school, but I wanted a fresh start.

“UW Bothell gave me that fresh start — and so much more. Thanks to scholarships, I have been able not just to survive in college but also to thrive, to wonder and to dream again. I have met so many new people with unique perspectives and backgrounds. I have never felt out of place.

“I chose to major in Law, Economics & Public Policy because it feels foundational to the kind of change I want to make through my work. Now that I’ve graduated, I intend to work as a paraeducator before completing a master’s degree in education. I want to teach English as a second language, and I hope to empower other disadvantaged students.

“I cannot adequately express my gratitude to donors who choose to support students like me. I promise to make the most of the investment they’ve made in me.”