Nelson Del Rio, UW Foundation Board Member

Del Rio and his son, Nelson Jr.

Del Rio has partnered with several UW departments to make this happen. He has committed time and fi nancial resources to the UW, but says he receives more than he gives: "These partnerships allow us to pursue our passions and make a difference for the UW. This is my home. It made me who I am," he says.

A high school dropout, Del Rio came to the UW at age 19, with encouragement from the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and scholarship support. He graduated magna cum laude in economics three years later, then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, became a Wall Street merger and acquisition attorney, and eventually began a successful career in finance and real estate.

Del Rio has stayed connected to the UW since graduation. He is helping the School of Social Work by providing fi nancing and assistance in the expansion of partnerships and technological capacity in Cambodia, where the School is helping to start the country's fi rst social work school. His involvement with Pangaea, a fouryear global expedition to bring environmental awareness and the concept of sustainability to the attention of young people, has led to another UW connection. The project begins this year and is led by famed explorer Mike Horn, whom Del Rio and his son met during a dog sled expedition to the North Pole last year. Del Rio established and supports the relationship between Pangaea and the UW, now the project's educational and research partner.

Del Rio lives near Los Angeles, but visits the UW frequently. "I really see myself as part of the University – as though I never left," says Del Rio, who also has created two scholarships to support students in the UW's Educational Opportunity Program. "The UW keeps giving forever."

Return to Spring 2008 Campaign Newsletter