OLYMPIA—Some 121 high school seniors and community and technical college students have been awarded the 2024 Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) scholarship.

WAVE is a merit scholarship that honors the achievements of Washington’s top career and technical education students. Below are the 16 student winners from Snohomish County schools:

• Ally Clinkenbeard
  Monroe High School
  Arts, A/V Technology and Communications
• Anika Hart
  Lake Stevens Senior High School
  Arts, A/V Technology and Communications
• Callum Russell
  Stanwood High School
  Engineering and Technology
• Dakota Bendigo
  Stanwood High School
  Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
• Dannika Burke
  Edmonds-Woodway High School
  Architecture and Construction
• Hannah Wells
  Snohomish Senior High School
  Business Management and Administration
• Isabell Kelsey
  Marysville Pilchuck High School
  Marketing
• Jesus Guasch-Pereira
  Mountlake Terrace High School
  Human Services
• Kien Ba Trung
  Mountlake Terrace High School
  Engineering and Technology
• Phillip Patzer
  Everett Community College
  Manufacturing
• Preston Campbell
  North Creek High School
  Information Technology
• Selina Ng
  Meadowdale High School
  Business Management and Administration
• Sienna Dilling
  Snohomish Senior High School
  Marketing
• Tadgh Wieber
  Homeschooled; Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center
  Architecture and Construction
• William Fox
  Lake Stevens Senior High School
  Information Technology
• Katelyn Anderson
  Marysville Getchell High School
  Manufacturing

A committee of business, labor and education leaders selected winners through a highly competitive process. This year’s award pays up to $6,768 per year, for up to two years, or about $13,536 total. Awards vary depending on tuition at the college attended by scholarship recipients, and other factors.

Many awardees are focused on careers that face ongoing labor shortages, including nursing, advanced manufacturing, education, information technology and more.

“The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence is a great investment for our state,” Workforce Board Co-Chair Gary Chandler says. “This scholarship helps students access good jobs and helps employers by adding more skilled workers to the workforce.”

“WAVE creates new opportunities for Washington students studying a variety of professions and skilled trades,” Workforce Board Co-Chair Larry Brown says. “These jobs are crucial for our state’s future success.”

Chandler and Brown also thanked Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington Legislature for adding an additional $500,000 to this year’s scholarship fund. Scholarships total $1,638,000 this year.

A list of this year’s winners is located here

Additionally, this year’s winners represent:

• 86 graduating high school seniors
• 35 community and technical college students
• 47 legislative districts
• 22 Washington counties
• 69 high schools
• 20 community and technical colleges
• Rural, urban and suburban communities

WAVE helps undergraduate students pay for tuition and other costs at Washington colleges, universities and private career schools. Career and technical education students from Washington high schools and public community and technical colleges are eligible to apply. The program is funded by the Washington Legislature.

The scholarship is administered by Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. The Washington Student Achievement Council manages distribution of the WAVE scholarship.

SOURCE: Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board