Celebrating Quaker Excellence; Hall of Fame 2023 Recap
On an unusually warm May evening, 135 Quakers and supporters gathered in community to celebrate Quaker excellence, both past and present. At this Franklin Hall of Fame event, a theme ran through speeches from the podium and conversations after the celebration – we all have a deep pride in our alma mater and in the community-shifting changes our fellow alums have effected.
At the event, we were introduced to three community leaders inducted into the Hall of Fame and were told stories of the people and experiences that helped shape them, often as they walked the halls of Franklin High School. Robert Nellams (class of ’74) spoke of the life-changing experience of being introduced to three African American accountants in Ms. Malver Haynes’s class and he “saw something he could become.” Robert went on to lead one of the city’s most important institutions, the Seattle Center, with 12 million annual visitors, $1.9 billion in annual economic impact, 16,000 annual events, 7,500 jobs, and home to more than 30 organizations in residence.
Robert Nellams, ‘74 (left) accepting award from Andre Nellams
Inductee Betty Lau (class of ’65) also talked about the community she built at Franklin, both as a student and as an innovative educator. She shared about her effort to create and advise the Lion Dance Teams at Franklin and other schools across the city to help students celebrate and share their heritage. Betty is a vocal advocate for her community and is currently organizing and leading the opposition to a Sound Transit proposal to build a new light rail station on Fifth Avenue, which would destroy the Chinatown International District (Chinatown, Japantown, Little Saigon). She has also secured more than $5 million in grant funding for organizations across the city.
Betty Lau ‘65 (right) accepting award from Donna Lew
The third inductee, civil rights leader and radical change maker Gary Owens (class of ’63), was also honored. His wife, Cindy Domingo, accepted the award on his behalf, as Gary passed away in late 2022. Gary had a life-changing experience participating in the Seattle chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) as a senior at Franklin. He would go on to join the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party and helped manage its free breakfast program. Gary’s impact on this community is deep and broad, having spent decades serving at the city of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods as one of the first community organizers hired to help underrepresented and less affluent parts of the city organize their own neighborhood associations.
Cindy Domingo accepting on behalf of Garry Owens ‘63 from Tamiko Miyano ‘88
In addition to hearing from Quakers who have made their mark on this city, three current Franklin students shared their talents and spoke to ways that Franklin has helped them move toward bright and fulfilling futures. The graduating seniors were able to advocate for more equitable access to the Mock Trial program, volunteer with incarcerated youth, and sharpen their passion for music and leadership.
Rin Matsudaira ‘23 jamming on the koto. Rin was a Gilman Music scholarship recipient and is currently attending Cornish College of the Arts.
At the conclusion of the evening, Quakers stepped up and raised more than $72,000 to support scholarships for graduating Franklin seniors. This excerpt from one of the 2023 scholarship applications underscores the significance of these funds raised (the applicant is attending MIT in the fall):
“We come from the Yuan village in rural Taishan, China, where my parents were both farmers who were forced to drop out of middle school. For eighteen years, my parents have worked tirelessly so I could have a brighter future. My dreams have been shaped by their labor of love. I will be the first high school graduate from my family and the first college student from my village.”
It was an evening filled with hope, community, and Franklin joy, and we couldn’t be more proud.