Salaguinto Family Internship Endowment Supports & Funds Strong Launches
By Debbie Ritenour
Beth Long Salaguinto ’88 and David M. Salaguinto Jr. ’87 credit Whitman College with much of their personal and professional success. With flourishing careers in human resources and product management, the Salaguintos are committed to paying it forward to help ensure that future Whitman students have even more opportunities to thrive.
In 2021, the couple established the Salaguinto Family Internship Endowment to support one or more student internships each year as a part of the Whitman Internship Grant program. The grants make it possible for Whitman students to compete for unpaid internships at nonprofits, government agencies and startups—internships that can provide valuable work experience and help launch careers after graduation.
Setting Students Up for Success
The Salaguintos are firm believers in the value internships add to education.
“The critical thinking and writing skills you develop, the relationships you build, and the internship opportunities you take advantage of are the secret sauce of the Whitman experience,” Beth says. “All three combine to prepare you for life after graduation.”
While neither completed an internship during their undergraduate years, the Salaguintos were very active during their time at Whitman. Beth was involved with the Associated Students of Whitman College, the speech and debate team, and the Student Admission Advisory Council. David was President of the Whitman World Hunger Organization and played intramural basketball. And they both worked multiple jobs to pay their way through college.
“The critical thinking and writing skills you develop, the relationships you build, and the internship opportunities you take advantage of are the secret sauce of the Whitman experience.
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Beth Salaguinto ’88
“I was able to graduate without student loans, but if I had to do it again, I would take out loans and do an internship instead,” David says. “Completing an internship is one of the biggest things students can do for themselves. We want to help students make that transition from Whitman to the real world.”
Beth and David, who met through their respective roommates at Whitman, have two daughters, Grayce and Taylor Salaguinto ’18. Beth notes that Taylor took her parents’ advice to complete an internship. Following her junior year at Whitman, Taylor interned in Greece—studying the ecology of wild bees—an opportunity funded by the National Science Foundation. The internship paid off: Today, Taylor is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
A Political Science major at Whitman, Beth went on to earn her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington. She has worked in human resources for several major corporations, including GE and Boeing, and currently operates her own HR consulting business. David, who was a Mathematics and Physics major, is a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, where he has worked for 25 years.
The Salaguintos have generously supported the college for more than three decades. Beth also has served on the President’s Advisory Board since 2017 and previously was a member of the Board of Overseers and the Alumni Board. The couple regularly visits campus and have helped students who needed advice or a place to stay during an internship.
“Legacy is important to both of us,” Beth says. “Whitman was so good to us, and we want to have a lasting legacy and leave our footprint.”
Give the Gift of Opportunity
To support strong launches for Whitman students, you can give a gift online to the Salaguinto Family Internship Endowment.