The 2018 Northwest University President’s Banquet

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On Friday evening February 23, 2018, friends of Northwest University from all over the world gathered at The Westin Bellevue for the annual Northwest University President’s Banquet. This year’s theme was “Imagine the Possibilities.” We highlighted stories from students that have seen their hopes for college realized, as well as presented our dreams for the future of NU.

Kelly Wright, reporter for Fox News, did a wonderful job as emcee for the evening. After guests enjoyed their meals and conversations, Northwest University President Dr. Castleberry came to the podium and addressed the room. “For 10 years, we have had a winning strategy at Northwest,” he said. “But now is not the time to rest on winning laurels.” Dr. Castleberry then went on to describe how he’d like to see NU grow in the next two years in order to set the stage for future growth and success. He encouraged attendees to contribute to the implementation of this vision by giving to the Opportunity Fund, Northwest’s scholarship endowment.

After Dr. Castleberry’s inspiring speech, the Northwest Choralons gave a heartfelt performance that felt more like a worship service. As the performance ended and the applause faded, two students walked out from the choir and shared stories of the impact Northwest University has had on them. Sergey Shevchenko, a senior studying business administration with a minor in marketing, said that, “Some of these professors saw a light in me that I didn’t even know that I had.” Brittany Basso, a senior studying music ministry, expressed her gratitude, saying, “This May, I will walk away with a diploma and a full resume, but even more importantly, mentors, friendships, treasured memories, and a deeper relationship with God.”

After Brittany and Sergey shared, Kelly Wright returned to the stage with Justin Kawabori, Executive Director of Development and the NU Foundation. At this point, they opened up an opportunity to give. The room was quickly filled with raised giving paddles as friends of NU gave generously.

Through the generosity of our sponsors and guests, the event raised over $500,000 to support the Opportunity Fund. We are so grateful! Thank you to those who attended and to those who gave but could not attend. We hope you will take a moment to watch the video recap below and be inspired by what God continues to do through the lives of students at Northwest University. Thank you for being a friend of Northwest University!

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

• Pioneer College Caterers
• Bill and Sherry Owen
• HomeStreet Bank

VIP Reception Sponsors

• Barry and Joan Horn
• Guild Mortgage

Gold Sponsors

• Crossmark Global Investments
• Asset Management Strategies, Inc.
• The Bellevue Collection
• World Wide Gourmet Foods
• Ted and Marietta Terry
• Jerry and Tina Brown
• National Management Resources Corporation

Silver Sponsors

• Justin and Reini Kawabori
• Infiniti of Bellevue

Table Sponsors

• Northwest Ministry Network
• John and Jan Butterfield
• Eric and Sarah Drivdahl
• Teresa and Gary Gillespie
• Bob and Beverly Heller
• Barry and Joan Horn
• Dana and Vickie Rekow
• Dan and Sharon Schimelpfenig
• Jon and Laila Sharpe – C3 Leaders

Sponsors-In-Kind

• Chick-fil-A
• World Wide Gourmet Foods