Investing in Potential: Associated Industries’ Bright Promise Scholarship

Opportunities don’t always come from perfect grades or a flawless resume. Sometimes, they come from persistence, real-life experience and the drive to build something better for yourself. That’s the idea behind the Bright Promise Scholarship, started by Jim DeWalt, the recently retired president and CEO of Associated Industries, a human relations services group based in Spokane.

Founded in 1910 by a group of small businesses in the Inland Northwest, the association utilized their collective strengths and jointly managed legal representation to prosper in the rough and tumble early years of labor movement formation. Services for members included contract negotiations and collective bargaining, as well as advice on navigating newly passed labor laws.

In the mid 1950s, services expanded to include both human relations and an association medical benefit plan.  Currently, Associated Industries offers the professional services of five full time staff members, all of whom have earned HRP certification.

DeWalt’s own story isn’t exactly a straight line. He graduated from Monroe High in Monroe, Washington, and headed off to the University of Washington—then got drafted into the Army and spent the next three years stationed all over: Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, south Vietnam, and West Germany.

After his military service, friends talked him into giving Eastern Washington University a shot. At EWU, he studied pre-law and English, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1973. He then returned to UW for graduate studies. There he earned a master’s degree in business management, and landed a coveted internship at the Seattle mayor’s office. That’s when things came together for him. “They hired me after the internship was done. It was great for me financially. It introduced me to the work world, which was really important, and I really enjoyed it,” he says. That firsthand taste of the professional world showed him just how important hands-on opportunities are—a lesson he wanted to carry forward with the scholarship.

Bright Promise breaks the typical scholarship mold. DeWalt says he doesn’t believe you can measure a person just by how they look on a transcript. “I believe strongly in character. Bright Promise was structured to be comprehensive, not solely focused on grades or economic abilities.”

Better, he says, to look for determination, hard work, and the richness of life experience. Internships and exposure to new careers can completely change someone’s future, but plenty of students can’t afford to get started—especially in fields like healthcare, business, and technology. “Associated Industries wasn’t very well known as a company,” DeWalt explains, “so I wanted to do something that would elevate the profile of my company and at the same time, meaningful to the community.” It’s a win-win: students get support and the workforce gets stronger.

Since then, nearly 300 local students at EWU and the Community Colleges of Spokane have received Bright Promise half-tuition scholarships. Many have taken unconventional routes. Some took time off between high school and college, or started out in trade schools instead of four-year programs. Others are single parents juggling family, work, and school. The scholarship gives them some breathing room.

DeWalt says he always intended it that way. He’s big on personal stories, because he wants to know who these students really are.

The selection process has changed over time. It used to put a lot of emphasis on community service, for example. But then DeWalt read an application from a woman who explained she simply couldn’t volunteer—she was raising kids and working full-time. That clicked for him. Family and work commitments matter just as much as hours logged at nonprofits. After that, the scholarship became more flexible and open-minded.

This approach to students’ needs really makes a difference in the lives of people like Jenny Todd. She graduated in 2022 from Eastern with a degree in finance and marketing, but college wasn’t an easy path for her. She faced a serious heart condition that meant multiple surgeries. The Bright Promise Scholarship arrived at exactly the right moment. Too wiped out to keep working her job, she could finally focus on school.

“Between the academic scholarship I got from Eastern and the Bright Promise Scholarship, that covered everything,” Todd says. “I didn’t have to work at all, which was really amazing.”

That peace of mind let her have one last normal year before her health challenges intensified—letting her enjoy college instead of constantly balancing work and classes.

After graduation, things took some turns she never expected—more procedures, a heart monitor, open-heart surgery in 2024, and, eventually, a pacemaker. Her medical needs kept her from pursuing a traditional corporate path, so she created her own: selling on Etsy, supplying handmade goods to local shops, and doing photography. Her life isn’t what she planned, but the scholarship allowed her to graduate debt-free and so gave her options. She never forgot DeWalt’s message: This scholarship isn’t looking for perfect students, but for people working to better their lives. That idea stayed with her, especially as her journey kept changing.

Today, she talks about how grateful she is that the Bright Promise Scholarship didn’t just focus on top students or dramatic underdog stories—it had room for people working steadily in the middle, doing their best without always getting noticed. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” she tells the donors. “What you’re doing truly makes a difference.”

DeWalt says he has always believed that the real impact goes beyond paying for tuition—it opens doors, lifts burdens, and, for some, changes the whole direction of life.

This philosophy lines up with the mission of Associated Industries, too, which offers legal, HR, and medical benefit services to its members. DeWalt made sure the scholarship supports fields directly connected to those industries, like health care and business. He wants to keep growing the program and focus on high-demand careers—especially in nursing. Partnerships with groups like Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Regence Insurance have helped expand its reach.

For students thinking of applying for scholarships, DeWalt keeps his advice simple: Don’t count yourself out. Too many people assume they won’t be picked and never try. He urges students to just go for it and really show what drives them. The strongest applications combine ambition with a good sense of where you want to go.

In the end, DeWalt knows there’s no single formula for success. Bright Promise has backed students going into trades like mechanics and plumbing, not just traditional degrees. What really counts is finding something that matches students’ skills and goals. That’s the spirit of the scholarship—believing in people, not just numbers. By focusing on resilience and real potential, the Bright Promise Scholarship keeps opening doors for students who need it most, and that kind of support can lift up entire communities.