Past recipients renew a deep connection at Scholarship Breakfast

Always an occasion for inspirational stories and life-changing personal connections, the Foster School’s annual Scholarship Breakfast was the venue for an especially meaningful connection this year.

For Barbara and Walter Tomashoff, it was “exciting and thrilling, truly,” to discover that Angelo Ongpin (BA 2003), a past recipient of the scholarship named in memory of their twin son Conrad, had joined them at their table. The Conrad Tomashoff Endowed Accounting Scholarship was established to support an undergraduate accounting major and a twin when possible. Angelo and his twin brother, Victor (BA 2004), had received the scholarship in 2002.

“As we learned about what he has been doing and what he is doing and his plans for the future,” she said, “it was just wonderful. And the idea that he credits our scholarship in any way for his success was simply wonderful.”

Bringing scholarship recipients together with the families, individuals and companies dedicated to helping Foster students afford their education makes the breakfast one of the school’s premier events. This year, attendees celebrated the powerful impact of 273 Foster students receiving scholarships totaling $1.4 million.

For the Tomashoffs, the scholarship named for Conrad (BA 1986) is a constant reminder of the great impact their son was having on the world before he tragically died in 1994, just three weeks shy of his 30th birthday. Conrad, active in several non-profit organizations in addition to pursuing a successful career, had made the University of Washington the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. With counsel from Conrad’s twin brother Curtis, the Tomashoffs established the scholarship the year Conrad died.

“It’s a great feeling and comfort to know that we have been able to accomplish what we think our son Conrad had in mind,” Barbara said when reflecting on the many years Conrad’s scholarship has been improving the lives of Foster students.