By Ryan Betz
Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Washington’s GET Program
Nov. 24, 2014

Ryan Betz, left, with his father.

On May 9, 1998, I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. This was not a fluke, it was an intentional goal set by my parents the day I was born. Neither my mom nor my dad had the opportunity to pursue a degree.

My mom is a self-taught computer programmer who became independent at the age of 16 and worked full-time while finishing high school. My dad is the son of a farmer from Iowa who was captured while building runways in Japan during WWII. He was held as a prisoner of war for close to six years. Because my grandfather’s health was not the best after the war, my dad also worked through high school to support his family and when he graduated, college was not an option.

By Mary Anne Busse
Managing Director, Great Disclosure LLC
Nov. 11, 2014

With the celebration of Veterans Day this November 11, I think of the countless thousands who fought and died for our freedom – from the bloody battles of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War to the War on Terror today, one thing remains the same – the unwavering courage and strength of those who fought bravely and selflessly for the freedom of so many.