September 6, 2018

Friends of Honors in the News

Friends of the Honors Program, Neal and Jan Dempsey, are the newest recipients of UW’s annual Gates Volunteer Service Award. The Dempseys are active alumni of the University of Washington whose leadership and philanthropic gifts have made a tremendous impact on the experience of thousands of Huskies.

Neal Dempsey, a huge booster of Husky athletics, Foster, and other vital organizations at UW, has shown a special interest in the UW Honors community, too. Mr. Dempsey recently made a gift to support faculty innovations in the Honors Program and meets with Honors students as often as time allows. During his visit in 2016, Neal encouraged students to take more risks as often as possible: “Especially if you’ve spent your life doing everything right, it’s important to learn how to fail. You won’t enjoy it! But you’ve got to do it or you’re probably not challenging yourself enough. The world needs you to keep trying. Fail! Then pick yourself up and figure out what to do, next.”

Neal is a partner at Bay Area Partners, leading investments in companies in the Silicon Valley.  Although he and his wife, Jan, are based in Northern California, they make frequent visits to campus. Honors students will have a chance to meet with Neal this fall. Check upcoming event listings for more info and to register in advance. 

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