Not much is known about former Des Moines resident Daisy Sonju, except that she was a big supporter of education.
Make that a very big supporter of education: she left Highline Community College a gift of $155,000 in her will.
The college was notified of the donation — which came completely out of the blue — near Thanksgiving by Sonju’s son, who lives in Canada. Staff at the college tried to research Sonju, maybe find out whether she took a class or once worked at Highline. All they could find was that she went to Central Washington University, and lived near the college on 16th Avenue South.
“We’re extremely appreciative and grateful,” said Rod Stephenson, executive director of the Highline Community College Foundation. “All I can say on behalf of Highline is that we’ll put the funds to work immediately to help students.”
To quantify Sonju’s gift to Highline Community College: 20 students could pay for eight full-credit semesters each, which is more than enough for an associates degree in business, or a certificate in hospitality and tourism management.
In short, Sonju’s donation to the college could provide many people with a path to a job. The donation did not come with any specifications, meaning that Sonju did not ask for an endowment or scholarship to be set up in her name.
“It’s going to go wherever it will benefit the most number of students. If I had 18,000 scholarships” — roughly the school’s population — “I could give them all away,” Stephenson said.
According to the college, Sonju lived near Highline for 50 years. She also donated her property on 16th Avenue South to Des Moines for a community garden. Stephenson said that donation happened more than a decade ago.
The college said she died in 2010, though a database of deceased Social Security recipients kept by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints puts her birth at May 23, 1913. She died, according to the database, Dec. 21, 2009.
Stephenson said the Highline Foundation gives out about $100,000 each year in scholarships, emergency student aid and program support. He noted that the college has received a number of gifts from deceased supporters over the past year.
Highline is one of the largest community colleges in the state and, according to the college, serves upward of 3,000 Federal Way residents.
The fact that Sonju’s gift was both mysterious and unexpected caused Stephenson to comment that with anonymous gifts, “someone’s going to smile.”
“I can’t say it enough, we’re so appreciative of folks like Daisy,” he said.
