We often talk about the Rainier Scholars family – the community of
students, staff, families and donors. It is not surprising that as our cohorts of scholars build relationships and strong connections, so do our families.
As our program has grown and older students serve as role models and mentors for their younger counterparts, so has the number of parents who experience a desire to “give back” to Rainier Scholars.

This describes the birth of the Rainier Scholars Parent Advisory Council (RSPAC), a group of volunteer parents working to create a sense of community among all cohorts.The RSPAC provides leadership opportunities for RS parents, plans activities and fundraising events and creates opportunities for parent-to parent support.

Volunteers serve as translators, recruitment night speakers and retreat chaperones. Parents provide a Fall Welcome brunch for new families entering the ACSS phase, and a Family Potluck/Auction in the spring. Each May, RSPAC spearheads a staff appreciation event made possible through generous donations of families in the program. In the past two years, the RSPAC has provided a gift of spending money to students who travel out-of-state for summer academic programs, college visits and other educational opportunities.

A big thank you goes out to the RSPAC Co-Chairs for the past two years -
Charlette Duckett and Willie Gregory. Charlette is the mother of Miles Welsh
from Cohort IV who attends Lakeside and Willie is the father of Thaddaeus
Gregory from Cohort III who attends University Prep. With all they do,
parent volunteers are truly the heart of the Rainier Scholars family.