As a high schooler, Gary Rubens could scarcely pay to put gas in his car.
Now a successful investor and philanthropist who has helped thousands of financially challenged Washington residents afford college, Rubens is about to finally become a college grad himself.
Back in 1981, Rubens found himself entering the workforce and relying on blue collar mechanical skills he’d picked up from vocational and technical college courses.
After the sale of his company, ATGStores, Rubens met with friends and colleagues to talk about how to invest in the wellbeing of students while helping to meet the needs of employers in the region.
Rubens donated $1 million to test the waters, leading to CSF to grant additional scholarships to students who thought they’d missed out.
Shortly thereafter, Rubens learned about the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, a public-private partnership that saw the state matching donated dollars to support financially disadvantaged students.
“Gary specifically targeted dollars to students from lowest economic background,” Jessica Monger, external affairs director for WSOS, said.
WSOS started in 2011 by supporting students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in high demand areas like STEM and healthcare.
In the midst of supporting scholarship programs, the idea of attending college came back into Ruben’s mind.
Ultimately, Rubens opted to go with WSU Global, closing the loop opened in 1981 with his original acceptance.
The coursework was rigorous, and it took Rubens time to get used to the amount of reading and coursework required.
Prior to the pandemic, Rubens would host events near campuses to meet students and their families, something he hopes to start doing again so.
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