By Oscar Halpert | Edmonds School District
Edmonds eLearning Academy
Student Name: Macey Farr
Mother’s Name: Heather Farr
Interests: I love music, writing and reading, crystals, movies, and the color pink.
Community Service/work: I foster puppies with NOAH Animal Shelter in Stanwood, and always carry a bag to put trash in when I’m outside or on the beach.
Education Goals: I hope to attend Whitman College and major in either journalism, political science, or English. I may or may not pursue getting a doctorate 🙂
Career Goals: My dream job is to be a world-renowned author/journalist, but realistically I hope to work for a news broadcasting company or publisher.
Anything else you want us to know? I’m so thankful for this nomination!
Edmonds Heights K-12
Student Name: Sophie Jenness
Mother’s Name: Anne Jenness
Father’s first and Last Name: William Jenness
GPA: 3.95 at Everett Community College
Clubs & Activities: As a junior and a senior I participated in the Regional Ocean Sciences Bowl (Orca Bowl). In 2019, I also competed in ESD’s Battle of the Books competition. I have volunteered to work backstage with the Edmonds Driftwood Players, Madrona Children’s Theatre, and with Bigfoot Players. I have also been in Girl Scouts since second grade. At the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) I have been involved in their National Science Foundation funded Geopaths program conducting research.
I have presented at multiple conferences, including the University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium in May 2020, the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program in September 2020, and ORCA’s Possession Sound Student Showcase Talks last June.
Athletics: I have done martial arts through Edmonds Heights since I was in first grade, and I earned my first degree black belt in 2018.
Honors: I am currently taking college courses through ORCA at Everett Community College. I am a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and in Fall 2020 I was on the President’s List at Everett Community College.
Awards: Tied for first place at the Edmonds School District’s Battle of the Books in 2019; first degree black belt; Girl Scout Silver Award.
Significant School Project: This academic year, I have been independently researching spatial and temporal changes in pH at various depths in the water column in the Snohomish River Estuary. I have been analyzing the data with R Studio, and I will be presenting my research at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in April of this year. I am also applying to present my research from this year at the University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Educational Goals: I plan to major in oceanography or a related field with a focus on chemical and physical oceanography. I plan to pursue graduate studies.
Career Goals: I hope to work at either the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Washington Department of Ecology.
Student name: Makayla Barcelo
Mother’s first and Last Name: Alanna Milan
Father’s first and Last Name: Cory Milan
GPA: 3.51
Edmonds-Woodway High
Student Name: Ava Gardner
Mother’s Name: Corinna Obar
Father’s Name: Mark Gardner
GPA: 3.97
Clubs & Activities: FCCLA – Chapter Co- President
Sports Medicine Club – Co-President; Acts of Kindness Club; Link Crew; Feminism Club; Tutor for EWHS Tutoring Group
ASB: Sophomore Class Vice-President; Junior Year Welcoming Team; Senior Class Vice-President
Athletics: Volleyball, Basketball
Honors: Member of National Honor Society; Edmonds College Honor Roll
Awards: Most Inspirational Player – JV Basketball
Community Service: Community Clean-Ups
Current Employment: Tutor and Babysitter
Educational Goals: I hope to go to a four-year university to study International Relations and Political Science and receive a Bachelor’s degree. I am thinking of minoring in Psychology or even Film.
Career Goals: I tend to change my mind about my career path a lot, but it always manages to stay in the political world. Since this past summer, I’ve been really driven to study politics, economics, social justice, and government and I want to make a change in the world we live in.
Anything else we should know? I’ve been using quarantine to read a lot! My all-time favorite book is Six of Crows and I recommend it 1,000 times over!
Student Name: Jacob Sawyer
Mother’s Name: Lisa Sawyer
Father’s Name: Michael Sawyer
GPA: 4.0
Clubs & Activities: Speech and Debate, Jazz Band, Wind Symphony, Edmonds City Youth Commission, Rocketry, and Astronomy
Honors: National Honors Society Member
Community Service: I work with the City Council and advocate for student issues on the Edmonds City Youth Commission.
Educational Goals: I intend to pursue at least Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and potentially get a Master’s degree in the same field if it is still financially possible and relevant to my career options.
Career Goals: My dream is to eventually work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or Applied Physics Laboratory to help engineer the next generation of NASA robotic exploration.
Lynnwood High
Student Name: Bitanya Getahun
Mother’s Name: Wosene Mengistu
Father’s first and Last Name: Tesfaye Getahun
GPA: 3.7
Clubs & Activities: Tri-M, Interact Rotary Club (Secretary/ Public Relations), Debate Club (President).
ASB: Vice President
Community Service: Volunteered in annual food and blood drives organized by Tri-M; heavily involved in projects with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, and Clothes For Kids via Interact Club.
Educational Goals: Attain a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in International Relations; continue with Law School thereon.
Career Goals: To one day hold some form of public office.
Educational Goals: Attend a four-year university to attain a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in International Relations, then attend graduate school.
Career Goals: Corporate Law
Student Name: Juan Carlo “Jay” Valdevieso
Mother’s Name: Amanda Valdevieso
Father’s Name: Arnold Valdevieso
GPA: 3.65
Clubs & Activities: Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, WeMatter, Liberty In North Korea, Key Club, Debate Club
Significant School Project: Traveled to our sister school in Damyang, Korea
Current Employment: Quail Park of Lynnwood
Career Goals: Nursing Student
Meadowdale High
Student Name: Aron Ghebreslase
Mother’s Name: Emebet Gebremedhin
Father’s Name: Tesfaldet Tekle
Clubs & Activities: I participated in the UNCF program for College.
Athletics: I play soccer.
Awards: I got Student of the Quarter from my English teacher.
Community Service: I taught Eritrean kids how to read and write their native language until COVID started.
Educational Goals: I want to attend Edmonds College and transfer to University of Washington after two years.
Career Goals: I am interested in becoming an engineer or an accountant.
Student Name: Nicole Martinez
Mother’s Name: Carmen Hernandez
Father’s Name: Rigoberto Martinez
GPA: 3.95
Honors: NHS
Awards: Prudential Spirit of Community Award-Local and have been nominated for state recognition.
Community Service: I put in 105 hours at Lynnwood food bank and 15 hours at school.
Current Employment: Host at a restaurant in Edmonds.
Educational Goals: Go to college, complete a degree, then go to medical school.
Career Goals: I want to become a psychiatrist.
Mountlake Terrace High
Student Name: Saloni Sanger
Mother’s Name: Rita Sanger
Father’s Name: Nitten Sanger
GPA: 4.0
Clubs & Activities: President of Key Club
Athletics: I have a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and will soon test for third degree.
Awards: I received special recognition by American Association of University Women.
Community Service: Key club, volunteering by making lunches for homeless people in Seattle
Significant School Project: It’s in progress as I am in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) English 12.
Educational Goals: Computer science bachelor’s degree
Student Name: Nina Otebele
Mother’s Name: Claire Otebele
Father’s Name: David Otebele
GPA: 3.6
Clubs & Activities: Washington Aerospace Scholars Program, Museum of Flight Apprentice Program, Rocketry Club, Girl Scouts, Hawkeye (Journalism), Vex Robotics, Battle of the Books.
Honors: Washington Aerospace Scholar Program Alumna, Washington Aerospace Scholar Program Ambassador, National Honors Society Member
Awards: Girl Scout Silver Award, Reinvent the Rover Wheel Challenge: NASA Gold Star, Washington Journalism Education Association Excellent Award in Editorial Cartooning.
Community Service: For Girl Scouts, I’ve hosted donation drives for struggling families, mentored younger Girl Scouts, babysat children for parents during PTA meetings, and worked in a soup kitchen where I cooked for homeless people. I earned my Silver Award by installing an interpretive trail that identified different plant species at Lynndale Park.
During my Museum of Flight apprenticeship, I created and installed an exhibit of models of international spacecraft for community education. Entertained children for the “Santa Landing” Event and helped construct and set up the haunted house for the “Museum of Fright” event.
Also, for FoodLife Line in Seattle, I sorted food into smaller packages for delivery.
Finally, with Wellspring Family Services in Seattle, I sorted clothes and raked leaves for their playground.
Significant School Project: STEM English 12 Research Project. I am developing a small robot that can sense and collect garbage located in neighborhoods and forests. For Principles of Engineering, I worked with a team of students to design a bridge that could withstand 500 lbs.
Educational Goals: I plan to attend a four-year college and work towards earning a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. I intend to obtain a postgraduate degree.
Career Goals: I want to be an Aerospace Engineer with focus on propulsion systems. I would like to work for NASA, Boeing, or Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Anything else we should know? As a Washington Aerospace Scholars Program Ambassador, I’ve publicly promoted the WAS program through question and answer events.
Scriber Lake High
Student Name: Paul Tiersma
Mother’s Name: Julie Tiersma
Father’s Name: Mike Tiersma
Educational Goals: Major in marine biology
VOICE Transition Program
Student Name: Brandon Cram
Mother’s Name: Nicola Cram
Father’s Name: Brian Cram
Educational Goals: Complete VOICE program this year.
