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April 18, 2007

Local trio ranks with best in state

By Pat Ratliff- The Mukilteo Beacon

Two Kamiak High School students and one from Mariner High are among 147 students statewide to be awarded this year’s Washington Scholars Award.

Charlie Tran, Mariner High School, and McKenna Milici and Jonathan Wells of Kamiak have earned the distinguished award, which provides full scholarships to any Washington public or private college or university.

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.

State leaders will acknowledge the 2007 Scholars in Olympia on Wednesday, April 25.  Morning events on the Capitol campus 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).

Later that day the deserving students will be honored at a luncheon at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, with support from Comcast.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has been invited to add her congratulations, and University of Missouri president Dr. Elson Floyd will deliver the keynote address.  (Dr. 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,” says director Ann Daley of the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

“The Washington Scholars program not only rewards these students for their many accomplishments in high school,” she adds.  “It is also a perfect expression of the state’s desire to ‘grow our own’ degrees.

“This program encourages 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.”

Association of Washington School Principals director Gary Kipp agrees.

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

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 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.