Compiled by Andrew Kim
Northwest Asian Weekly
Each year, the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation offers scholarships for extraordinary students who contribute and play a part in promoting diversity in our community. Here is a sampling of a few of our many exceptional nominations:
Jonathan Flores, Kentridge High School
“Jonathan has challenged himself by taking advanced college classes. He is part of LEAP (Latino/a Education Achievement Project), KRADE (Kentridge Alliance for Diversity and Equity), and the POC (People of Color) Committee. He has worked with Washington legislators on the Real Hope of Washington State, which allows undocumented students that are DACA eligible get financial aid for college. He is also a math tutor for those struggling with math.”
Anne Liisa Vlasenko, Mariner High School
“Anne is a high academic achiever and has a diligent work ethic. She sets high standards for herself and is not intimidated by difficult tasks. She enjoys reading and is a welcomed voice in the classroom – her insightful contributions and relevant questions elevate the level of discussion. Anne is a part of the National Honors Society and a recipient of The Lamp of Knowledge Award, earned by maintaining a 3.7 GPA throughout high school. Anne and her family immigrated to the US from Estonia when she was very young and as a result, she values diverse thinking, open-mindedness, and respectful discourse. Anne is fluent in two languages and impressive for her age, she possesses a tremendous amount of integrity and is not threatened by opposing viewpoints or perspectives.”
Christina (Audrey) Owour, Mountlake Terrace High School
“Audrey has been a key member of the Black Student Union group for the past two years and is a testament to the group’s goal to ‘advance the perception and spread the culture of African Americans at her school and community through exceptional works both in the classroom and in our daily lives’. Being the middle child of five siblings has instilled a work ethic and sense of maturity beyond her years. She donates her time to the local food bank three times a month with her church to provide those who are less fortunate with a nutritious meal. She also shares responsibilities to set up and attend volunteer opportunities with Food Lifeline, Campus Clean-Up, and youth mentorship. She also played a pivotal role in the bi-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly this year and exhibits a personal responsibility to be a positive role model for students of color.”
Gloria Hunkin, Auburn Riverside High School
“Gloria is gregarious, open, and accepting – known for her kindness she displays to all students alike. She has been instrumental in setting up the Multicultural Fair for the past 2 years and she is sincere in her endeavor to unify the students at Auburn Riverside High School. A native of Hawaii, Gloria is very proud of her Samoan heritage and is frequently seen wearing Polynesian attire. For the Multicultural Fair, she took on the huge project of coordinating performances and booths with ethnic foods and other cultural items. Gloria also recruited students to perform with her in a Polynesian dance. Many who participated were not even Samoan, though this was not apparent due to the joy on each of their faces. Her enthusiasm was absolutely contagious and the fair has doubled in the number of participants and cultures represented. Gloria also serves as an athletic trainer in the Sports Medicine Program and after high school, intends to pursue a nursing career.”
Isabel Gregario, Juanita High School
“Isabel is a driven, focused, and mature young woman who has learned how to be a leader and role model at an early age. Her family moved to the states seven years ago and as the eldest daughter, Isabel has had the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings. She also takes the time to volunteer at Robert Frost Elementary and Kamiakin Middle School.
Isabel is a current member and past president of the Honor Society and takes leadership roles at her church. She has become looked upon as an ambassador to the Philippines and always looks to build a culture of inclusion. Isabel has shown the dedication, drive, and ability to achieve high levels of success and she always strives to be a positive role model who is able to share her diverse perspective.”
Jerome Siangco, Eastside Catholic High School
“Jerome has had an impressive impact on his community – he has served as President of Interact-Fidelis, President of International Club, and as a member of Bamba Club. As President of Interact-Fidelis, Jerome led efforts to partner with a pen pal project with students in Nigeria. The pen pal project allowed a sharing of different cultures and students maintain contact with their pen pals to this day. As President of International Club, Jerome seeks to promote diversity in a fun way by celebrating a holiday from a different culture each month. Jerome is also an enthusiastic member of the Bamba Club, Eastside Catholic’s sister school in Bamba Kenya. Jerome was actively involved with a small team of students who worked with school faculty and administrators to initiate an entire week devoted to understanding the hardships of families growing up in Kenya. This included a day of fasting, a day without technology (wow!) and wearing the colors of the Kenyan Flag. Bamba Week continues to this day.”
In addition to his club activities, Jerome shares his Filipino culture by performing a traditional dance called “tinikling” at the school on different occasions including school assemblies and during half time of the school’s homecoming football game. Tinikling involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance.”
Rachel Liu, Ingraham High School
“Rachel is a thoughtful and creative student who is polite and respectful to all her peers. She enjoys studying French and has done an impressive job of reviving the long-dormant Chinese Club at Ingraham High School. As president of the club, Rachel takes it upon herself to organize a wide variety of activities including: a multi-media lesson on linguistic differences between Mandarin and Cantonese, a recreation of the Chinese Zodiac story for the school multicultural assembly, a guest speaker she’s arranged for a Tai Chi lesson, or lessons on calligraphy to make banners for the Lunar New Year. Her leadership in Chinese Club has helped bridge connections with a large group of students who are diverse in every way, from race to culture to gender. Interest in China, including its history, food, and arts have grown tremendously and it can be attributed to Rachel’s commitment to sharing her cultural background.”
Vera Okalo, Mountlake Terrace High School
“Vera has been a member of the Black Student Union group for the past three years and during this time, she has been an inspirational role model for younger students. She has taken formal leadership roles in planning volunteer events but she has also been looked upon by the group to be the vocal leader and respond to racially sensitive issues. In addition to the Black Student Union group, she is also a part of Key Club, Honor Society, and volunteers at the Lynnwood Library.
As the eldest sibling in her family, she has a sense of responsibility towards future generations. She intends to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals so that she can one day contribute to finding cures for diseases. She is well on her way; a thoughtful and responsible leader who has already completed an internship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.”
Lisa Nguyen, Franklin High School
“Lisa is a curious student who goes above and beyond the required work to learn as much as possible. She sets herself apart by taking the initiative to start conversations and approaches issues of diversity with an open mind – seeking to understand all the different angles. Lisa’s extra-curricular activities display some of these qualities: from taking part in the Feminist and Gay Straight Alliance clubs, to tutoring younger students both at Kid’s Co. and in her own family. She has a profound sense of integrity and has navigated the incredible ethnic diversity at Franklin High School with grace and a desire for understanding.” (end)
Andrew Kim can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.