A Ballard High School alumni left $5 Million to help Seattle area students attend college and now, 74 high school seniors will be graduating with $10,000 each in their hands.
C. David Hughbanks graduated from Ballard High School in 1954. 52 years later, his estate gift transformed a local scholarship fund — doubling the award amount and expanding it to its largest class ever, including students from Ballard and Roosevelt High School.
Ballard's neighborhood has changed almost beyond recognition since Hughbanks graduated. The fishing industry has given way to tech workers and craft breweries, and the school itself has been rebuilt. When Hughbanks died, he donated the $5 million to the Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund, the all-volunteer nonprofit that gives college awards to SPS graduates who've overcome challenging hardships.
Before the Hughbanks gift, the fund awarded scholarships at $5,000 each. The $5 million donation doubled the award amount to $10,000 and expanded the number of recipients from 51 three years ago to 68 in 2024 and 74 this year.
A ceremony held on May 28 at Franklin High School before upcoming graduation awarded scholarships to students from Ballard High School, Roosevelt High School, Cleveland STEM, Franklin High School, Garfield High School, Rainier Beach High School, West Seattle High School, and
Recipients are nominated by school counselors and selected by the fund's board of trustees. The criteria are specific: students who have overcome housing instability, caregiving responsibilities, language barriers, and displacement while staying on track for graduation. Several honorees in this year's class arrived in the U.S. mid-high school and completed years of coursework in compressed time.
The Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund was founded in 1974 and is an all-volunteer nonprofit affiliate of the Seattle School Board. It puts 100 percent of donations directly towards college and university funds.
The fund receives $25,000 in annual support from the Seattle School Retirees Association and named gifts from individual donors supporting scholars at specific high schools. Named gifts of $500 or more with a stated honoree are added to the SSSF Recognition Wall at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.
Notable Mentions:
Ballard High School $10,000 Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund Recipients
Maya Cozad
Zahra Hakimi
Lael Kelly
Isalena Rainlyn
Indro (Dro) Sypher
The Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund accepts named gifts of any amount. Donations of $500 or more that designate a specific school are added to the Recognition Wall at the John Stanford Center and help ensure students from your neighborhood are prioritized in future award cycles.
The fund puts 100% of donations toward student awards. To give or learn more, visit seattleschoolsscholarshipfund.org.
A Note on Sources: Seattle Public Schools announcement, May 31 2026, Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund, Cleveland PTSA.