Jonathan Sposato ’89 (pictured, left) is a firm believer in a Whitman liberal arts education as a pathway to success in life and work, especially in entrepreneurship and technology, where he has made his mark as a serial entrepreneur.
Now he and his spouse, Heather Lowenthal (pictured, right), are investing in that tradition with the Sposato Internship Endowment for students exploring careers in startups and tech.
“It can be difficult to bridge not just from academia to industry, or young adulthood to ‘real life,’ but also simply from Walla Walla to Seattle,” Sposato says. “Anything we can do as alums to lower barriers for super qualified Whitman grads to be noticed by great companies in Seattle or any other city so that they can move forward in denting the universe is meaningful to Heather and me.”
Through the support of funds like the Sposato Internship Endowment, the college has expanded the number of available Whitman Internship Grants to help students gain access to experiences at startups and nonprofits, where the employer may be unable to provide wages for students. During the 2023–2024 academic year, 129 students completed internships funded by a Whitman Internship Grant.
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