For Curtis Riggins, the internal “stirring” around continuing his education began in his job as a Safety Officer for the Renton School District.

“I was working the high school graduations and started feeling the void of not having finished high school,” he shared, “I had always told my two teenage daughters to push through to the finish line with their education, yet realized I hadn’t done that in my own life.”

Curtis enrolled in RTC’s high school completion program and learned about what was possible for him to pursue a college degree. As a working dad, that meant financial support and through the RTC Foundation, he applied and was a recipient of the Jay Covington Scholarship for Community Service and the Robert Burke Memorial Scholarship. 

He has now earned his Entrepreneurial certification and is working on his Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Contemporary Business Administration.

“Scholarship support is key for students who don’t have financial resources,” he shared, “For me and other students, it means you don’t have to choose between school and life.”

Setting an example and coming along side students has been a focus of Curtis’ community work through a nonprofit he founded called Filling In Generational Gaps (FIGG). Through FIGG, Curtis provides mentoring for high school students and sets up tours of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This spring he took 36 students from the Renton School District on a tour of Howard University in the Washington, D.C. area.

When asked about the future, Curtis is excited to expand his business knowledge, grow his impact on young people, and build stronger relationships in the Renton community.

Through your generous support of scholarships and grants, you are doing this valuable work with Curtis and other students like him who are transforming their lives and communities through education.