Press Room   Press Releases   Publications   Opinion Editorials/Letters   Articles   Multimedia   Contact Us   Facebook Page   Twitter   Communications Advisory Committee

      Print this page
      Email to a friend

Home Press Room Press Releases

April 12, 2007

Top High School Students to be Honored as Washington Scholars

OLYMPIA—Report cards lined with straight A's are nothing new for the 147 students set to receive this year’s Washington Scholars Award.  But while the high school seniors earning the honor have maintained a perfect or near-perfect grade point average over the past four years, they haven’t spent all of their time in the classroom.

The award-winning scholars, musicians, athletes, actors and poets also have built houses in Central America, organized food drives and charity fundraisers, helped Sudanese refugees in Egypt, tutored kids and planted trees.

Awarded each spring by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), the Washington Scholars Award recognizes three high school seniors from each of the state’s 49 legislative districts by providing full scholarships to any Washington public or private college or university. 

State leaders will acknowledge the 2007 Scholars Wednesday, April 25 in Olympia. Morning events on the Capitol campus will include a recognition ceremony and presentations by state Sen. Paull Shin (D-Edmonds) and Reps. Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver) and Glenn Anderson (R-Fall City).

Students will be honored later during a luncheon at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, with support from Comcast. Gov. Chris Gregoire has been invited to offer congratulatory remarks, and Dr. Elson S. Floyd, president of the University of Missouri, will deliver the keynote address.  Floyd will become the 10th president of Washington State University on July 1. 

“The 2007 Washington Scholars are part of a remarkable pool of young talent in our state,” said HECB Executive Director Ann Daley.

“The Washington Scholars program is not only an excellent way to reward these students for their many accomplishments in high school, it is also a perfect expression of the state’s desire to ‘grow our own’ degrees,” Daley said. 

“This program encourages those students to stay in Washington, graduate from one of our world-class colleges or universities, and go on to enrich our workforce.  It is a solid investment in our future.”

“If this year’s group of Scholars is any indication of what lies ahead, Washington state’s future looks very bright,” said AWSP Executive Director Gary Kipp. “Academically, these students are well prepared to meet the challenges of the collegiate world. But these students are not just about books. They have taken steps throughout their high school career to understand the greater community and world around them. They have developed leadership skills that will serve them well as citizens, whatever their chosen field or profession,” he said.  

“This is an exciting time in the lives of these students. It is an honor to help them celebrate this milestone in their academic careers and inspiring to catch a glimpse of what’s yet to come.”

The value of the scholarship is equivalent to tuition and fees at the state’s public universities, which could be as much as $27,900 over the next four academic years.  A selection committee, comprised of high school principals and college admissions officers, reviews the candidates’ applications to select the top three students in each legislative district. Students are also evaluated for their outstanding academic achievement, leadership and community service.

Three students are named as scholars and one is designated as an alternate. This year, 685 students were nominated from the state’s various public and private high schools.

Click here for a complete listing of all 2007 Washington Scholars, sorted by school and legislative district.

-30-