Rooted in Legacy and Future-Focused

Seattle University has been the school of choice for Maggie Scanlan’s family—her mom is an alum and her dad attended law school here—so when Maggie herself was looking at universities in Seattle there was a built-in awareness of what makes SU so distinctive and special.

Jesuit-educated throughout her academic life, Scanlan’s decision was nudged along when she learned she was awarded the Sullivan Scholarship—and with it a full-ride for tuition, along with resources and opportunities that align with her interests and values.

Scanlan and Santino “Santi” Miguel are SU’s current Sullivan Scholars, a prestigious scholarship with more than 35 years of history that is entering a new chapter while remaining rooted in its founding pillars.

Refined to focus on nurturing top scholars, Seattle University awards the Sullivan Scholarship each year to two high-achieving students attending Jesuit or Catholic high schools. Designed to foster both academic excellence and personal growth, the program prepares students to compete for highly selective post-graduate fellowships such as the Watson, Fulbright and Rhodes, while emphasizing community, mentorship and leadership development. In addition to tuition, the scholarship covers housing, food and fees for four years.

Structured around a cohort model, the program encourages close collaboration among scholars, providing opportunities to work together on projects and learn from one another through sustained mentorship. By blending rigorous academic preparation with a strong sense of shared purpose, the Sullivan Scholars program helps shape the next generation of leaders and innovators.

Interestingly enough for Scanlan, she was quite aware of what the Sullivan Scholarship was about before applying as it, like Seattle University, is something she became acquainted with through her family.

Maggie Scanlan

“I have an interesting perspective as my brother, who is four years older than me, and three of my cousins also applied for the Sullivan but never got it,” says the Boise, Idaho native. “… I remember getting the call that I was a finalist and then a Sullivan Scholar. I remember being overwhelmed. My family—including extended family—were all very excited for me.”

Scanlan, ’29, is studying public affairs and pre-med, the latter a natural direction considering she grew up “surrounded by medicine.”

Originally, she imagined a future in policy-oriented global health but has since shifted her focus toward addressing health care inequities and disparities more directly. By majoring in public affairs with a health-focused lens, Scanlan says she hopes to better understand the systems that shape access to care and to play a role similar to that of a doctor—someone who speaks with authority and insight about human health.

“I want to focus on human health and equality and equity within the health care industry,” she says, stressing the importance of truly understanding the field in order to create meaningful change.

Learning that she received the Sullivan Scholarship was both surprising and exciting and provided a clear path to where she was going to study after initially considering a focus on global health at Georgetown. Being a Sullivan also provided a sense of validation, that all her work and educational achievements up to this point made this all possible.

Now in her second quarter on campus, Scanlan has embraced the strong sense of community that is part of the fabric of an SU education, buoyed by the connections made living in Bellarmine Hall and through her studies and activities. Academically, she is taking a range of courses—one of her favorites is Make Your Message Matter, taught by Joni Balter and Sam Howe Verhovek—and stays active through the tennis and ski clubs, the pre-health club and as a member of the Ethics Bowl, which she describes as her main extracurricular focus. And with a nod to her future, Scanlan is actively applying for fellowships and internships for next summer.

What would Scanlan’s pitch be to someone thinking about applying for the Sullivan Scholarship?

“This is an amazing opportunity. You have to be motivated, try your best and want to learn. You’ll have opportunities to hold leadership roles and somewhere you can be part of a community and not feel lost,” she says. “You’ll form great relationships with professors and mentors. I think being a Sullivan Scholar people recognize you worked hard to get here.”

Like Scanlan, Santino “Santi” Miguel knows something about hard work and resiliency.

After graduating from high school, Santino “Santi” Miguel was planning to take a gap year to play soccer in Spain. That all changed when he got word from Seattle University that he was the recipient of the Sullivan Scholarship.

The gifted soccer player and Eastside Catholic High School graduate from Sammamish, Wash., first learned about the merit- and academic-based scholarship from his school counselor and was compelled to apply for all that it offers.

Santino "Santi" Miguel

“I had already planned to go to Spain when I got the email” about receiving the Sullivan Scholarship, he says. “When this was offered to me it was a no brainer. And a soccer career only lasts about 15 minutes.”

As one might suspect, he was overcome with happiness—once the initial shock wore off—calling the Sullivan Scholarship “life changing.”

“I didn’t even tell my parents. I instantly made up my mind that I was going to accept it,” he says.

Now in his second quarter as an SU student and Sullivan Scholar, the finance major—who is part of the Albers School of Business and Economics Investment Group—was drawn to SU not only to play soccer but also because it is a Jesuit university located in the middle of a city with finance hubs all around. This last point is important to Miguel, who dreams of one day owning his own business in the financial space, potentially focusing on wealth management (he’s also considering a combined business and law degree).

Although his debut with the Redhawks soccer program has been delayed due to a broken foot—of which he’s currently recovering from—it hasn’t impeded Miguel’s academic pursuits with some extracurriculars mixed in.

Though he has played soccer since he was 2 years old—yes, you read that correctly—and aspired to one day go pro, when he suffered an injury his junior year of high school, he started to contemplate a shift away from the sport that is so part of his identify. “I realized that the education path is going to take me further than soccer can. Instead, I focused on academics and how can I enjoy the sport when not I’m not playing.”

There are many benefits to being a Sullivan Scholar, not the least of which is not having to stress about any financial burdens of attending university, says Miguel. “Not having to work through the school year has been a big asset,” he explains. “I have gotten so connected here, through the program, making friends and one-on-ones with professors. The Sullivan Scholarship ultimately puts you into a position to make an impact.”

Self-described as “very future-oriented,” Miguel’s goals immediately after graduating is to possibly pursue an MBA—or go to law school—then go to work for a wealth management firm (on the way to that future aspiration to be his own boss.) 

Putting in the work now, Miguel explains, is something your future self will thank you for and the Sullivan Scholarship helps make that future possible. Whatever he does and whatever achievements are to come, Miguel is guided by a simple philosophy: “To be the best version of myself.”