Who we are

Deb is a retired school teacher after 28 years of service, of which the last 23 were spent in the Everett School District. Deb met Pat during her first month of teaching, and the two bonded over their desire to always contribute to their community.

Unfortunately, Pat succumbed to cancer in 2023. It was then that Deb started this scholarship in honor of her late husband, Pat Benedict, to continue the legacy of empowerment. To create an unending legacy, a 3-person committee was formed to manage the scholarship; two of the committee members are recent graduates of the Everett School District.

It is with great honor that we provide the scholarship money for the goal of enriching not only the life of the recipient, but also their community.

Everett’s first high school opened in 1898. In 1910, a larger high school opened, as seen above. It has had several restorations and is the historically registered building you see today in downtown Everett.