From left to right, top to bottom: Raiye Abunie, Giraldi Juneau Lazo Alabanza, Rima Akras, Jesus Anaya, Marie Angeles, Anthony Balfour, Shiv Bhandari, Christine Chin, Nicole Chin, Eugene Chon, Yen “Vivian” Dao, Michael Andrew Davis-Redditt, and Daniel Davis
The Diversity Makes a Difference scholarship program celebrates young people who are committed to reaching out across cultural lines. Students are nominated by their school as being champions of diversity.
Of those students, a judging panel will choose and five winners who will receive $1,000 scholarships and 10 finalists who will get $200.
The Diversity Makes a Difference awards dinner will take place on April 2 at Jumbo Chinese Restaurant (4208 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle). For more information or to buy tickets, visit diversity.nwasianweeklyfoundation.org.
Each week, leading up to the dinner, we will print a batch of short profiles of the nominees. This week’s nominees are:
Raiye Abunie
Shorewood High School
Recommended by Margaret Aguilar
“Raiye Abunie comes from an immigrant family and she has clearly internalized the importance of her success for her family, particularly after she took a family trip to Ethiopia following her sophomore year,” wrote teacher Margaret Aguilar.
“On campus, Raiye is a member of the Black Student Union and has helped organize and lead the annual Black History Month assembly, which is attended by the entire student body. In the community, she is an active volunteer with the Ethiopian Cultural Mutual Association where she mentors youth.
“Since 2004, Raiye has participated in the Multimedia Resources and Training Institute, a program that teaches youth from various ethnic groups about their and others’ cultures through technology. Raiye is also a member of Ethio-Reel, an organization focused on teaching appreciation of Ethiopian culture, dance, and art,” wrote Aguilar.
“As a successful woman of color on our campus who values other languages and cultures, she was also awarded the Shorewood Student Achievement Award in 2007 for her leadership and academic excellence, and she is a role model for her fellow students.”
Giraldi Juneau Lazo Alabanza
O’Dea High School
Recommended by Jeanne Eulberg
“When Giraldi Juneau Lazo Alabanza was due to begin high school in the Philippines, his mother decided that it would be best for him to live with her in Seattle. He came to Seattle and was placed in the sixth grade,” wrote his school counselor Jeanne Eulberg in her recommendation. His teachers quickly realized that he was not being challenged, so he was eventually placed in eighth grade. In addition to the turbulence at school, Alabanza underwent many personal challenges with his family.
“With each change, he left behind the friends that he made. All of these changes were very traumatic for Giraldi, but he persevered and was very successful academically. It would be easy to understand if Giraldi was a bitter, angry adolescent, but he is exactly the opposite. He is one of the most positive, upbeat young men you will ever meet. He has a vision for his future. … He has become a leader in our school. He is well respected by both peers and the faculty. He has a wide circle of friends who admire his honesty and his fantastic sense of humor.”
Rima Akras
Bellevue High School
Recommended by Mitch Smoller
In addition to being in her school’s Advanced Placement program, Rima Akras “has a desire to master world languages,” wrote her counselor Mitch Smoller. “Human relations and the welfare of the community is the underpinning theme for this young lady of dignity, care, and profound presence.”
“A touchstone in Rima’s recent development was a trip to Syria, where she volunteered for the Red Crescent organization, motivating young Iraqi women refugees to gather their lives. Rima’s travels to the Middle East and Europe were clearly instrumental in designing her world view as new and unique. … She evolved as a global thinker,” wrote Smoller.
“Rima was also instrumental in starting the Hart of Bellevue, an organization that supports a health-impaired adult ‘super fan’ in the high school. … Rima finds space to tirelessly raise money for the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society Tour de Cure,” wrote Smoller.
“Through her activism in women’s rights, environmentalism, poverty in undeveloped countries, and membership in the high school Peace Club, Rima serves as a role model for change.”
Jesus Anaya
Squalicum High School
Recommended by Diane Bates
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Jesus over the past three years as a student in my business classes and as a member of our DECA Marketing club and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA),” wrote his teacher Diane Bates in a recommendation. “Jesus has a friendly, outgoing personality with leadership abilities that he applies as the manager of the Squalicum High School student store and a leader amongst his friends. Because he has worked since he was 15 … Jesus knows what is expected of an employee, is a supportive team member, and is mature in his dealings with others.”
“Besides his efforts in the classroom, Jesus works with fellow students as a mentor, encouraging them to complete assignments, join and compete in FBLA and DECA, and to make good choices outside of school. He has brought students of diverse backgrounds and ethnicity into the business clubs and competitions at conferences. I will be taking Jesus and a good friend of his to the state DECA conference for two days in March.”
Marie Angeles
Franklin High School
Recommended by Elizabeth A. Olsen
Marie Angeles describes Summer Search as “the program that pushed me further than any other program I’ve been in.” The program is a national program created for low-income students to gain leadership skills, graduate high school, and matriculate into college.
The program provides mentors, college advising, and summer trips to gain life experiences. Angeles has gone to Pennsylvania and Costa Rica for her summer programs and said that the trips had “showed [her] different types of people from all over the country” and as a result, she “learned something new about [her]self and grew because of the people [she] met.”
Angeles also participates in Mock Trial at Franklin High School, which she describes as comprising of mostly private school and middle-class students. “We are one of the few schools of color and lower economic standing that is fully able to compete and win against these students,” says Angeles.
“What I’ve learned from this is that all the things that make us different from the private school and middle-class students are the things that make the competition diverse. Also that regardless of the background any team has, we are all able to compete on the same level as equals and competitors.”
Anthony Balfour
Franklin High School
Recommended by Elizabeth A. Olsen
“As a result of being thoroughly involved in Franklin’s community, and being surrounded by a very diverse community, I have come to understand and appreciate the cultural differences of my peers,” says Anthony Balfour, who is half Jamaican and half Filipino. Balfour was brought up to appreciate both his cultures.
Balfour is a member of the Black Student Union, Gay Straight Alliance, the Seattle Chinese Athletics Association, and the president of the Asian Student Association at Franklin High School.
Balfour appreciates these opportunities to “learn about the various cultural backgrounds of my peers” and it has helped him “create many close and important friendships which [I] would not trade for the world.”
Shiv Bhandari
Bellevue High School
Recommended by Mitch Smoller
Shiv Bhandari has been inspired by his doctors, who treat him for existing medical conditions. He dreams of becoming a doctor, carrying on their work, and giving to those who need medical help.
“He serves as president of the Model United Nations as well as serving as a peer tutor within his membership in National Honor Society,” wrote counselor Mitch Smoller. “Shiv found the space to tutor other French students and help them become successful.”
“I observe Shiv’s high engagement in class and active participation in all that he pursues. Shiv has a wealth of experiences and pursuits that enrich him. … He was passionately engaged in orchestra during his entire high school career and was recently awarded the most inspirational member. He traveled to Singapore last summer and to various cities in India where he met his extended family for the first time. These experiences will propel Shiv forward in his direction of entering the field of medicine.”
Christine Chin
Newport High School
Recommended by Betty Chin-Nguyen
Christine Chin participated in the Seattle Youth Leadership program, the Microsoft DigiGirlz program, and the Business Week Leadership program. “Her ambitions to learn has enrolled her in many diverse leadership programs that have expanded her horizon,” wrote Chin’s aunt, Betty Chin-Nguyen.
Christine has “achieved the highest community service award: Knight Valor, accomplishing more than 100 hours of community service.” Christine continues to volunteer in her community as she is involved with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Treehouse, Open Window School, ACRS, Eastside Baby Center, Tent City, and Girl Scouts.
“Giving back to the community has been a wonderful mission for her and it has taught her the diverse social needs of the community,” says Chin-Nguyen.
Christine has retained her Chinese culture and language. “Simple activities such as having daily dim sum with her great grandmother and grandmother in Chinatown, hanging out at her grandfather’s Chinese herbal store…and attending Chinese opera shows. In summary, she cultivates early culture and customs understanding. With that knowledge, she can provide better teamwork with different views and opinions to her team.”
Nicole Chin
Edmonds Woodway High School
Recommended by David Quinn
“As a full International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma candidate, Nicole Chin has developed an appreciation and understanding for a wide range of perspectives, and her GPA is one of the highest in the entire senior class. Because of the diverse student body within the IB cohort and the extent of her interactions with her high-achieving peers, she has become more deeply engaged in her judgments of issues in both the classroom and global settings,” wrote counselor David Quinn in a recommendation.
“Other than being involved in many school activities like our Mixed and Multicultural Club, Nicole has also been an active member of the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team. She represents the Chinese American community by performing drills and traditional Chinese dances to help break cultural barriers that still exist in society. Notable performances include opening fundraisers for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s Walk for Rice, opening the Asian Pacific Islander Month Celebration at Seattle Center, recognizing veterans on Memorial Day, and visiting the Kin On Senior Center,” wrote Quinn.
Eugene Chon
Bellevue High School
Recommended by Mitch Smoller
Eugene Chon has achieved academic success at Bellevue High School and is an observant and conscientious student. “He listens, provides input, and unerringly follows through with tasks, all with a positive outcome. … He also recognizes the interplay of school and the outside world with reaching his dream,” wrote his counselor Mitch Smoller.
“He spent last summer assisting the poor in Tijuana, Mexico, building homes on mission trips. He also serves as the news editor of the high school newspaper. He is a young man with a wide array of interests and talents. Eugene loves to immerse himself in reading. Additionally, he plays tenor sax, piano, and percussion. I applaud his capacity to balance his demanding academic schedule with his outside pursuits.”
Yen “Vivian” Dao
Rainier Beach High School
Recommended by Theodore Moriarty
“I have known Vivian Dao for almost all of the three years she has been in the United States,” wrote Theodore Moriarty, Advanced Placement department head at Rainier. “Vivian has had a very clear plan to become a doctor even before she arrived in the United States. Living in the U.S. has given Vivian the tools and opportunities necessary to become a doctor.”
“Vivian has confronted her language barriers and turned that struggle to learn English and turned that into an opportunity through her volunteering to teach others English as well. Vivian’s work over the last two years with the Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) shows that Vivian has not only the desire to assist her community, but to sharpen her own skills. This work shows that Vivian has the determination, maturity, and discipline to follow through on her commitments,” wrote Moriarty.
“Her determination shines in class every day as she coolly and levelly provides leadership to her classmates and inspiration to her instructors.”
Michael Andrew Davis-Redditt
O’Dea High School
Recommended by Jeanne Eulberg
“Michael Andrew Davis-Redditt’s mother has been a foster parent for over 20 years,” wrote his counselor Jeanne Eulberg in her recommendation. “His family can vary from three people to as many as eight. Michael’s foster siblings usually have high-risk behaviors and special needs. … This leaves Michael with little time for homework or studying. … In spite of this, Michael never complains. He is proud that his mother is so giving.”
“Michael has been involved in many different volunteer organizations since he was a young boy. The one constant in his life has been the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls club. Because of his significant contributions to this group, he won the King County Youth of the Year Award last year,” wrote Eulberg.
“He leads by example to his friends and especially the younger children in his neighborhood and tries to influence them to avoid the gang life. Michael has a strong moral compass that guides him in everything he does. He knows that he could have done better academically if his home life had been more ‘normal’ but on the other hand, without this chaos, some of the foster children that lived with him may have been lost forever,” wrote Eulberg.
Daniel Davis
Chief Sealth High School
Recommended by Kory Kumasaka
“Daniel Davis has established a significant presence within the school. He is a humble leader with a charismatic personality. He has been vice president of his class for two years as well as the Black Student Union. He is a three-sport varsity athlete with athletic promise … [However, he is] applying for colleges and scholarships based on his academic potential,” wrote counselor Kory Kumasaka.
“While most African American students are hesitant to embrace more recent immigrant populations, Daniel eagerly volunteered to perform African/Ethiopian Dances at multicultural night. He has the strength of character to cross imaginary lines of separation. His friendships are not bound by socio-economic status or race,” write Kumasaka.
“As a talented male athlete, he defies stereotypes. He is an engaged learner, a calm diplomat in the hallways, and an insightful thinker of life’s larger questions.” ♦
*Updated March 15 to correct Michael Andrew Davis-Redditt’s name.