june 2023 update
student spotlight
Nidhi Krishna Kumar (right), who graduated from Olympia High School in June, accepts an award at the Night of Stars earlier this month. Nidhi has been a supporter of the Principal's Emergency Fund since her freshman year. (Photo credit: Olympia School District)
Congrats, grads! And thank you to one of our faves!
We are proud of all of this year's area high school graduates. And we would be remiss if we didn't give a special shout out to one of them.
We first learned about her in the fall of 2019 when we received an envelope from Olympia High School containing a small stack of checks written out to our organization in amounts ranging from $5 to $75. Curious what the backstory was, we called the school.
We were astounded by what we learned from OHS staff: The checks had come from a student!
Nidhi Krishna Kumar, then a freshman at OHS, had recently begun teaching Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form she is proficient in, to younger students. Rather than keeping the pay she earned for the classes, she felt compelled to donate it to a cause that was meaningful to her -- and that would allow her to witness its impact.
She chose the Olympia Education Foundation's Principal's Emergency Fund as the beneficiary.
"I've grown up hearing that I should do whatever I can to help my community," she told the Foundation in 2019. "The Principal's Emergency Fund makes a difference to the students around me. I could have donated the money I raised to another organization, but it doesn't affect the people surrounding me as much. The fact that I could do something to help the students around me, people that I interact with currently or will in the future, is what really convinced me. I can see myself how much this fund helps my community."
Since 2019, Nidhi has donated to the Principal's Emergency Fund every penny she has earned teaching dance classes. Over the course of four years, that has added up to a significant amount of support for students who have urgent basic needs.
Nidhi was recognized in 2020 as a Hecks' Hero, an honor the Foundation awards annually to people and organizations that go above and beyond to assist students with the Principal's Emergency Fund. To this day, she remains the only student who has received this award.
In addition to teaching the dance classes, Nidhi's high school extracurriculars included serving as president of OHS' Hack Club (for computer programmers of all levels) and vice president of Future Business Leaders of the America's Capital Region. She was a 2022 finalist in the International Science & Engineering Fair and worked as a math coach for North South Foundation, which provides educational access to economically disadvantaged students.
Nidhi, who discovered her passion for engineering and technology at a very young age, plans to attend Purdue University in the fall, where she will major in computer science. She is interested in a career in Artificial Intelligence.
We wish Nidhi -- and all 2023 grads -- the best of luck in pursuit of their chosen post-high-school path!
our breakfast is back
Join us Oct. 13!
We'll be back at the PAC this fall! Mark your calendar for our annual breakfast, which will feature Left Bank pastries again, as well as a short program about the work we do to empower students.
We'll share more details in the coming weeks about this complimentary event! We plan to make it extra special in celebration of our 25th anniversary!
If you are interested in volunteering, sponsoring, attending or organizing a group to attend with you, contact events@olyedfoundation.org today!
golf for a good cause
Just a few spots left in our golf scramble!
Get a team of four together and join us Friday, Aug. 18, at the Olympia Country & Golf Club for the Olympia Education Foundation Scramble! (Use the "register a team" button below, then select "view available tickets.")
All proceeds from this incredibly fun day benefit the Principal's Emergency Fund -- and all of our work to empower every student!
Sponsorships -- most of which include a team of four -- are also available.
Don't delay! This tournament is nearly sold out!
Sponsor spotlight
Thank you to Capital Heating Cooling and Plumbing for sponsoring the Olympia Education Foundation Scramble again this year. It is an honor to be supported by local family-owned companies like yours that not only put customers first, but prioritize giving back to the community. Congrats on your rebrand. We love your new look -- including the nod to your grandfather.