Jackie Robinson Scholarship Night at Safeco Field

Contact: Jim Beaver, (360) 867-6042

Shortly before the Mariners home game with Boston, September 9, Les Purce, President of The Evergreen State College, and Charles Mitchell, Chancellor of the Seattle Community College System, will stand at home plate to award full-year scholarships to this year's three recipients: Carlos Marentes, Mara Mercedes Surel and Tynesha Wilson.

The scholarship, awarded in honor of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, whose life exemplified the ideals of social justice and community involvement, pays for one full year of tuition for students transferring from Seattle Central Community College to Evergreen.Carlos Marentes, a junior this fall, worked this summer with the Committee for General Amnesty and Social Justice, campaigning for immigrant rights. Marentes plans to obtain a doctoral degree and teach people of color in a higher education setting while maintaining involvement with social justice and community groups.Mara Mercedes Surel, a junior, will attend Evergreen's Ethnic Studies program. While at SCCC, she served as Student Ambassador and was President of United Brothers and Sisters. This summer she worked and volunteered as a Summer Book Buddy for Seattle Youth Tutoring Program's REAL program which helps at-risk youth living in publish housing improve their reading skills.Tynesha Wilson, also a junior, plans to attend Evergreen's Tacoma campus in spring for Child Studies. At SCCC, Wilson was a Student Leader Ambassador and organized an area on campus called "Spot" where students could learn about student leadership and organizations on campus.

A limited number of specially-commissioned posters of Jackie Robinson will be distributed to early-arriving fans at the ballgame. The poster, showing Jackie Robinson at bat for the Montreal Royals in 1946, was designed by Evergreen alumna Tina Hoggatt, a public artist and arts educator from Issaquah. Her permanent artwork, "The Positions on the Field" is installed on the third concourse in Safeco Field.Jackie Robinson Scholarship Night at Safeco Field is made possible with the support of The Seattle Times, The Kenneth and Marleen Alhadeff Charitable Foundation, Mariners Care and Washington Mutual.Since 1987 Evergreen has awarded a scholarship in the name of Jackie Robinson to a student of color to attend Evergreen. For the third consecutive year, The Evergreen State College is teaming up with the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Central Community College for the presentation at Safeco Field. Patrick and Maureen Hill established the Jackie Robinson Scholarship in 1987 as a gift in memory of their parents. Hill, a member of the Evergreen faculty, served as the college's Provost and Academic Vice President from 1983-90.