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
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
