HOME
nwasianweekly.com
March 12, 2005
The Diversity Makes a Difference program celebrates young people who are
committed to reaching out across cultural lines. This newspaper believes
that diversity is an asset to our community, and so we encourage young
people to take action to instill this belief in others.
On this page, you will find some of the students nominated for the 2005
Diversity Makes a Difference scholarship award. All of them — a total
of 63 students from all over Western Washington — will be featured
here between Feb. 19 and March 18. The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation
will award five winners with $1,000 scholarships, with finalists receiving
$200 each.
Winners will be announced at the Diversity Makes a Difference
awards banquet on March 25 at Jumbo Chinese Restaurant in Seattle. For
tickets to the event or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, call
206-223-0623.
Diversity makes a Difference 2005
Feven
Gebrehiwet
Senior, Foster High School
Nominated by Sue Pike
Leadership comes naturally to Feven, who grew up in Eritrea. She is vice
president of her class, president of Teens Against Tobacco Use and an
anchorwoman on KFHS, her school’s news station. She and her French-speaking
classmates were recognized by the American Red Cross and World Vision
for their efforts in raising $2,500 for “rehydration,” measles
vaccinations and school supplies for young people in Africa. Through her
leadership of the Multicultural Action Committee, she helped put on a
four-day Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and a World’s Fair, during
which students showcased their cultures.
Aquila Benton
Senior, Bainbridge High School
Nominated by Maria Rivera
In 2004, Aquila was selected from many outstanding candidates to attend
the prestigious National Youth Leadership Training conference. When she
returned home, she applied her training to her school community. Aquila
planned and implemented an assembly that celebrated multiculturalism and
encouraged her peers to “be the change” and “model respect
for diversity.” The assembly, attended by 1,300 students, included
youth and adult guest speakers, music, mime, dance and spoken word. Aquila’s
personal goal is to make her school a place where everyone feels comfortable
in their own skin.
Anisha Farook
Senior, Squalicum High School
Nominated by Jennifer Beardsley
Anisha is an intern in a classroom of English-language learners and is
a leader in her school’s Multicultural Club. She has a gracious,
calm manner, yet she is assertive when she feels something is not working.
She is very creative when coming up with new ideas and is capable of expressing
those ideas with confidence. Her kind, positive and compassionate approach
is always noticeable when she is working with others.
Luan Thanh Luong
Senior, Interlake High School
Nominated by Jamie Ginter
Luan is a new student to Interlake, having just arrived from Vietnam.
In his ESL classes, he makes an effort to meet all of the students. He
knows some of them understand English better than he does, and he does
his best to learn from them. He also uses the talents he has, usually
in math, to help those who are struggling with their studies. Luan enjoys
getting to know others whose backgrounds and experiences differ from his
own. He believes diversity enriches our community.
Laura Ng
Senior, Sammamish High School
Nominated by Loma Vander Houwen
Laura founded the Mandarin Club at her school and has been its president
for two years. By inviting all students to join, she directs the club
members toward integrating with other ethnic cultures and the mainstream
culture. She has also inspired students in the Mandarin Club to join the
Multicultural Club. Laura strongly desires to be a Chinese teacher. She
intends to reach that goal, even though she suffers from the physical
pain caused by lupus.
Sydnee Goodrich
Senior, Renton High School
Nominated by Rebecca Babcock
When Sydnee entered her sophomore year, she and her family relocated to
Misawa, Japan. There, she learned a great deal about Japanese culture
and customs and became fluent in the Japanese language. She was also able
to teach her new friends about the American and African American cultures.
Sydnee has great pride in her experiences in Japan. She considers herself
a bridge between the American, Japanese and African American cultures.
Today, she continues to study Japanese at the Seattle Japanese Language
School and frequently tries to introduce her American friends to Japanese
culture.
Judy Li
Senior, Renton High School
Nominated by Rebecca Babcock
Judy’s membership in her school’s National Honor Society chapter
has allowed her to work with a number of nonprofit organizations and programs,
including the World Association for Children and Parents, Relay for Life,
Climb for Leukemia and the Salvation Army. In each of those experiences,
she met people who are struggling with, or have overcome, tremendous adversity.
She has also volunteered at Kin On Health Care Center, a nursing home
for Chinese seniors.
Yordanos Fesehaye
Senior, Evergreen High School
Nominated by Carrie O’Brien
Yordanos was raised in Seattle, but she chooses to learn about her culture
and speak her native language. After some soul-searching, she is now able
to take pride in her heritage and works to help others be proud of themselves.
She volunteers as a peer mentor to help other young Eritrean students
learn to speak the language of their homeland. Yordanos also takes part
in a dance group that presents traditional dances and skits of Eritrea
to the community.
Blaine Yates
Senior, Spanaway Lake High School
Nominated by Debbie Tygart
Blaine, who was born deaf, is president of his school’s Junior National
Association of the Deaf club. He is responsible for running monthly meetings
and bringing together students who can’t hear with students who can.
Blaine has planned and implemented many social and fund-raising activities
for the deaf and hearing to interact. At one event, called the Silent
Games, hearing and deaf students came together to enjoy games that do
not require sound in order to play. Whenever he’s able to, Blaine
volunteers in his school’s American Sign Language classroom, where
he helps hearing students learn his native language.
Angela Kim
Senior, Squalicum High School
Nominated by Bethany Johnson
After just one semester in the English Language Learner class, Angela,
a recent immigrant from South Korea, asked to be transferred into a mainstream
English classroom where she would be expected to perform as well as her
native-English-speaking peers. Angela said she wanted to be pushed to
work harder and learn faster. When she transferred, she excelled. Now,
with a full schedule of mainstream classes, Angela ranks at the top of
her class. Her goal is to become a dentist.
Thuy Van
Senior, Garfield High School
Nominated by Bopha Chan
Thuy loves tutoring at-risk students and encouraging them to strive for
academic and personal excellence. She also enjoyed her internship at STOMP,
a program of the Seattle Youth Involvement Network. There, Thuy polished
her leadership skills and discoverd how passionate she was about being
an activist. She was in charge of leading an after-school program that
promoted civic and social awareness at the grassroots level. She helped
plan meetings, worked with donors and communicated with politicians to
raise issues of racism and diversity.
Liberty Patos
Senior, Blanchet High School
Nominated by Mary Pat Ankerson
Liberty has been a member of the Multicultural Awareness Committee at
her school since freshman year. She currently serves on the executive
committee, through which she helps bring speakers to school assemblies.
For the past two years, she has helped the school’s Suicide Prevention
Program by organizing events and giving classroom presentations. Liberty
has also volunteered her time to help first-grade students and been a
member of a Filipino folk-dancing group at the Filipino Community Center.
Grace Federico
Senior, Henry Foss High School
Nominated by Dr. Valerie Navarro
Grace’s daily acts of kindness include helping students with homework,
calming students in distress, sharing food and staying late with others
until their transportation comes. She showed particular kindness to a
new exchange student from Belgium. She made it a point to introduce her
to American ways and help her with transportation and social and cultural
issues. Grace has taken the student bowling and to the movies. This support
helped make the student comfortable and empowered her as a member of the
student body.
LadyByrd Wong
Senior, Squalicum High School
Nominated by Bethany Johnson
LadyByrd is a recent immigrant from Hong Kong. From the beginning of her
career at Squalicum, she has wanted to prove that she could do the work
and do it well. Prove that she did. Not only did she pass all of her classes
with flying colors, but she did so in a language that she was just learning
to speak and use academically. The hurdles of language and culture were
tremendous, but they didn’t stop her from reaching her goals.
Jennette Bailey
Senior, Spanaway Lake High School
Nominated by Roland Eisel
Jennette plays in the band and orchestra, has set school records in the
triple, long and high jumps, won the peer mediation award and is a counselor
in anger management and relationships. Jennette also keeps busy with church
activities and volunteers at spaghetti feeds and soup kitchens. She is
also a volunteer babysitter for the Young Single Mothers group. Her skillful
leadership has made her one of the top cadets in both the Naval Junior
Reserve Officers Training Corps’ Sentinel Battalion and at her school.
Chariya Thach
Senior, Tyee High School
Nominated by Bopha Chan
Chariya has volunteered as a day-care provider for Southwest Youth and
Family Services and has helped put on many events for the University of
Washington’s Cambodian Student Association. Proud to be of Cambodian
descent, she has been a Cambodian classical dancer for three years and
has worked closely with Cambodia Tomorrow, an organization that helps
poverty-stricken orphans in Cambodia. To raise awareness about the group,
she and others held coin drives, made public announcements at school and
held discussions in their classrooms. Chariya was integral in planning
and hosting a banquet that raised over $400 for Cambodian orphans.
Miguel Carrion
Senior, Highline High School
Nominated by Jacqueline Chalmers
Miguel, who is from Lima, Peru, has not been in the United States for
very long, but he is already heavily involved in the school community.
He has served as an interpreter at many evening presentations in the school
district, interpreting for Latino parents who do not understand English.
He serves as a bridge for the Latino community, helping others understand
how the American school system works. Miguel also volunteers at an elementary
school and is a mentor to another Latino student who needs support to
stay in school.
Linda Nguyen
Senior, Chief Sealth High School
Nominated by Jol Raymond
For two years, Linda has served as president of the Vietnamese Club. She
enjoys sharing her culture and working with others to promote greater
understanding between ethnic communities. Last year, Linda organized a
school-wide celebration of Vietnamese culture. Since middle school, Linda
has been involved in the Gear Up program, which recruits first-generation
students of color with college aspirations. As a freshman, she was selected
as an ambassador, returning to her old middle school to tutor and be a
mentor. In her five years with Gear Up, she has volunteered more than
500 hours.
Nien Hoang
Senior, Bellarmine Preparatory School
Nominated by Gwen White
As vice president of the Diversity Club, Nien has been a visible advocate
for diversity and a good example for his peers. He has contributed a great
deal of time as an organizer, presenter and host of the Martin Luther
King Jr. assemblies for the past two years. He was also part of the Diversity
Team, which taught middle school students about Bellarmine and its scholarship
program. An artistic student, Nien belongs to the school’s vocal
ensemble, is president of the Break Dancing Club and shares his Vietnamese
culture through the annual multicultural week.
Irina Check
Junior, Highline High School
Nominated by Jacqueline Chalmers
Irina, originally from Russia, is president of her school’s HIYA
club, a group that encourages understanding across all cultures. To help
victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia, Irina recently initiated a fund-raiser.
In the past, she has planted trees in the community and made sandwiches
for the homeless. At school, she has also been an interpreter for Russian
families.
Emily Salanga
Senior, Bainbridge High School
Nominated by Millie Loughnane
Emily’s grandparents were among the pioneers of the Indipino community
on Bainbridge Island. Indipino is the combination of cultures that developed
during and after World War II when Filipino strawberry farmers began marrying
First Nation women who had immigrated from Canada to Bainbridge to work
on the berry farms. Emily helps carry on Indipino traditions through folk
dancing, native foods and crafts, and by sharing them through such events
as the Bainbridge Island Indipino Festival, the island’s Fourth of
July celebration, the Filipino community’s Strawberry Festival and
the Filipino American Day Festival.
Meghla Julin
Junior, Bellingham High School
Nominated by Melanie Bade
Meghla’s physical disability requires her to use a service dog at
school to help her carry her books and supplies. For a school project,
she chose to focus on senior citizens because she finds she relates to
older people. Many are in wheelchairs or have difficulty seeing, so establishing
a strong rapport with them has been easy for her. Meghla hopes her project
will help make a difference in young people’s attitudes toward seniors.
She wants her peers to see them as friends, rather than “old, grumpy”
people.
Richard Lin
Senior, Todd Beamer High School
Nominated by Fonda Mongrain
In high school, Richard began to find his own identity and to have pride
in his Taiwanese heritage. In English class, he often writes about his
Taiwanese heritage or issues concerning Taiwan, such as the controversy
over last year’s presidential election, to inform his classmates
of the difference between Taiwanese culture and other Asian cultures.
As a member of the “assimilation team” at his multiethnic church
in Renton, Richard actively goes out into the community and invites people
to church-sponsored events. He indirectly promotes diversity by bringing
people to a place that embraces differences.
Donald Hoang
Senior, Renton High School
Nominated by Rebecca Babcock
Donald’s character has been shaped by his involvement in the Lieu
Quan Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Association, which meets every Sunday to
teach the Vietnamese language, cultural values and the Buddhist religion.
The group enhances his leadership skills and keeps him connected to his
culture. Unlike many other American-born Vietnamese, Donald can speak,
read and write Vietnamese fluently (almost as well as English). As school
president, Donald helped coordinate a charity drive that collected over
100 Thanksgiving dinners and 5,000 items of clothing.
Marissa Hill
Senior, Mount Si High School
Nominated by Lynn Fallows
Marissa is chair of student relations and active in student government,
the group responsible for developing the Respect program at school. Two
years ago, the group instituted changes in the previous Day of Respect
to create a more inclusive program that was developed and led by students.
Over 120 student facilitators and about 1,100 students and staff participated
in activities that fostered respect among students and celebrated the
individuality of each person. In preparation, Marissa attended numerous
conferences and workshops led by the Anti-Defamation League. Last year,
ADL presented the school with the first “No Place for Hate”
certification in the Northwest.
Lisa Dela Cruz
Senior, West Seattle High School
Nominated by Virginia Kalkoske
Lisa participates in many clubs and other extracurricular activities,
including Teens Against Tobacco Use, Making Connections and the varsity
cheer squad. Last year she was one of only seven students from the Seattle
Public Schools to attend the National Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers conference in Chicago. Lisa is also the recipient of the Presidential
Freedom Scholarship, which is awarded to students who have completed more
than 100 hours of community service.
Pawandeep Kaur
Senior, Squalicum High School
Nominated by Jennifer Beardsley
Pawandeep Kaur has exceptional morals, leadership skills and the motivation
to succeed. She is intelligent, diligent, astute and ready for great challenges.
She is also honest, compassionate and has great energy and enthusiasm
for all she does. An effective communicator, Pawandeep demonstrates adaptability
and flexibility on a daily basis. She is committed to her future.
Emi Meyer
Senior, University Preparatory Academy
Nominated by Arlene Prince
When her school became involved in an exchange program with a school in
Zambia, Emi enthusiastically collected clothing to send to teenagers there
and wrote thoughtful letters to a 15-year-old in the hopes of bridging
cultural differences and to offer encouragement for continuing education.
When the tsunami hit Asia, Emi was on winter break, but she still put
together a proposal to assist the victims. Thousands of dollars were raised
as a result of her efforts. Proficient in Japanese, Emi has been learning
the language since kindergarten and has studied science, math, history
and literature in Japanese.
BichHa Phan
Junior, Kentlake High School
Nominated by Janet Groves
BichHa participates in the Diversity Club, the Diversity Council, Key
Club, the Student Credit Restoration Review Committee and Skill USA, of
which she is vice president. She is also a delegate to the school district’s
Alliance for Diversity and Equity and helps organize the annual Cherry
Blossom Festival at school. BichHa has demonstrated her commitment to
her school by attending several conferences about diversity and bringing
back ideas for programs and events.
Dasha Li
Senior, Renton High School
Nominated by Rebecca Babcock
Dasha is Korean, but she was born in Kazakhstan and spent part of her
childhood in Russia. In Russia, many students kept asking her why she
looked different from the others, why the color of her eyes and skin were
different. Insecure and depressed, she often cried herself to sleep at
night. Then, in 2003, she and her family moved to the United States. Dasha
soon noticed that she was greeted with smiles, not mockery. Her membership
in her school’s Language School cemented her belief that each and
every culture is beautiful and must be respected.
Selma Zizak
Senior, Mariner High School
Nominated by Elizabeth Stokes
Selma was integral in helping Mariner win recognition from the Anti-Defamation
League as a “No Place for Hate” school. To qualify, the school
had to complete three major projects that addressed respect for diversity.
Selma took leadership of this task. In the first project, she and other
students did classroom presentations about Mariner’s Respect Policy.
In conjunction, Selma led a workshop for all faculty and administrators
on the topic of respect. The second project was an all-school assembly
on anti-harassment and anti-bullying. The third involved making and showing
a video that discussed real-life hate crimes, including the cases of Matthew
Shepard, James Byrd and Columbine.
Paul Sok
Senior, Henry Foss High School
Nominated by Mary Kay Taylor
Paul was selected last summer for an internship with the City of Tacoma
tax department. He was so highly regarded and successful in that program
that he was asked to remain on through the school year. He continues to
work in the tax department while maintaining another job. Paul also helps
the homeless community through the Tacoma Rescue Mission and volunteered
his time for the Festival of Trees to raise funds for Mary Bridge Children’s
Hospital.
Lisa Wu
Senior, Franklin High School
Nominated by Jol Raymond
Lisa is an active member of her school community. She is a member of Key
Club and was one of six students selected for the Tribes Project, which
culminates in the presentation of a powerful play about teen relationships
and stereotypes. To further develop her acting skills, Lisa joined the
Youth Shakespeare workshop. She is also a member of Franklin’s nationally
recognized Mock Trial team. As a 10th grader, she received a “Best
Attorney” award at the state championship.
Mulugeta Fentahun
Senior, Rainier Beach High School
Nominated by Lila Chin
Mulugeta, who is originally from Ethiopia, is an interpreter for students
and parents at his high school and in the community. He desires to become
a doctor to help low-income people receive quality medical care. He also
wants to help people be free from depression, drugs and habits that are
self-destructive.
Active in multicultural activities, Mulugeta has performed a solo in an
ESL assembly.
Kathy Cao
Senior, Bellarmine Preparatory School
Nominated by Jeanne Hanigan
As an editor of the student newspaper The Bellarmine Lion, Kathy consistently
urges other students to think outside of the cultural walls of Bellarmine
Prep, a school primarily made up of Caucasians. When the newspaper staff
brainstorms for each issue, Kathy kindly but forcefully addresses the
issue of diversity. She makes sure cultural stereotypes do not seep into
the publication. In the February issue, she made sure that people of color
were included and such significant events as Black History Month and Chinese
New Year were addressed.
Lamarana Diallo
Senior, Rainier Beach High School
Nominated by Carolyn Mar
Lamarana came to the United States from Guinea four years ago. A community
volunteer since March 2002, he now volunteers at Swedish Medical Center,
where he is an interpreter. Lamarana is aware that most people in his
native country do not have the same opportunity to get an education as
Americans do, so one of his personal goals is to change that. Lamarana
is in the top 10 of his class and hopes to someday attend a prestigious
college to study software engineering.
Lisa Akiyama
Senior, Meadowdale High School
Nominated by David Wilson
For the past three years, Lisa volunteered with the Seattle Asian Art
Museum’s associate lecture series and has taught art to young children
attending the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Seattle. She has also
demonstrated and taught Japanese calligraphy at the Eastside Aki Matsuri
Festival. At school, Lisa helped the Diversity Leadership Team plan a
daylong program about the destructive nature of sexism. She also participated
in a study-abroad program in Hokkaido, Japan, where she took the same
classes as the senior students there.
Jeannawade Fernandez
Senior, Chief Sealth High School
Nominated by Kory Kumasaka
Jeannawade is president of the Polynesian Club and captain of the cheer
squad. She delivered a motivational speech dressed in a sumo costume in
front of the entire school because, this year, Homecoming fell on the
Friday before Halloween. Unafraid of being judged, she offered her perspective
on the importance of education. Being biracial (Dominican and Samoan),
she is able to relate to others on many levels, and people in turn have
great respect for her.
Dennis Huo
Junior, Henry Foss High School
Nominated by Dr. Valerie Navarro
During his school’s World Theatre Festival, Dennis performed scenes
in French, English and Mandarin. He found authentic Chinese costumes in
Seattle for all the members of the cast, showing his sense of responsibility
and respect for his cultural heritage. In International Chorus, he sings
from a repertoire of 18 languages. Dennis spends countless hours memorizing
lyrics, writing violin parts and helping the group by providing transportation,
food and homework assistance. He also participates in orchestra, the Math
Team, the Tacoma Youth Symphony and Knowledge Bowl.
Gretchen Fyffe
Senior, Kentwood High School
Nominated by Susan Mosby
As a junior, Gretchen learned through a relative that an orphanage in
South Korea was struggling to stay afloat. On her own initiative, she
flew there to see the situation firsthand. Gretchen spent the entire summer
working in the village and in the orphanage. When she returned home, she
wanted to continue helping the young people who had changed her life,
but could not find an organization in which to do so. So she developed
a plan and created the Youth Aid International Association, which raises
funds for overseas projects. Her work has sustained the orphanage and
assisted the people of the village.
Emma Kent
Senior, Sehome High School
Nominated by Laurie Holland
Emma witnessed the intense poverty and suffering of people in Guangzhou,
China, when she traveled there on a cultural exchange. When Emma returned
home, she had a newfound desire to help people who don’t have food,
shelter, medical care and other necessities of life. Emma’s knowledge
of Spanish allows her to assist patients at the SeaMar Health Clinic.
As a volunteer at the Bellingham Food Bank, Emma bags donations, sorts
canned goods and works in the office. The most rewarding part of her experience,
she says, comes from distributing food and talking to the people who need
help.
Nick Li
Senior, Franklin High School
Nominated by Joyce Pisnanont
Nick has volunteered with the International District Housing Alliance’s
youth program, Wilderness Inner-city Leadership Development (WILD), for
three years. A program leader, he facilitates presentations in English
and Cantonese that help families in the I.D. understand environmental
issues that impact their health, such as household hazardous waste and
seafood contamination. He is often the first to volunteer his time, whether
to distribute educational information to residents or to provide interpretation.
Nick also volunteers as an ESL teacher for Chinese elders in the I.D.
In February, he spoke to City of Seattle agencies and council members
about the importance of cultural competency and including limited-English-speaking
populations in the decision-making process.
Ofelia Rosas
Senior, Rainier Beach High School
Nominated by Aurora Escame
When Ofelia was 11, her father had an unfortunate accident. To help her
mother raise eight children, she had to quit school. Later, she and her
family moved to Seattle from Mexico and she began attending high school.
Ofelia is proud to be a straight-A student today.
Ofelia’s cooking skills have been showcased at multicultural events.
She acts as a translator and interpreter for Spanish-speaking immigrants.
Her dream is to attend college and earn a degree in nursing.
Nicole Jung-Eun Kim
Senior, Nathan Hale High School
Nominated by Jo Anderson
Every year Nicole and other Diversity Club members plan the Martin Luther
King Jr. assembly at her school. This year, she translated part of the
“I Have a Dream” speech into Korean and read it in front of
the entire school while wearing a traditional Korean dress. She understands
that “diversity” encompasses more than ethnicity and culture.
Nicole recently organized a talent show for the disabled students at her
school. Performances included a cultural dance in a wheelchair, a poetry
reading and trumpet playing. Nicole said it was important to her that
these students’ talents were recognized in public.
Yi Zhang
Junior, Henry Foss High School
Nominated by Dr. Valerie Navarro
In two years, Yi has earned a silver medal in the National Russian Essay
Contest, a gold in the Olympiada of spoken Russian and first place for
her scene in Mandarin at the regional World Language Theatre Festival.
She recently qualified for the opportunity to compete for a spot on the
U.S. team in the International Olympiada of spoken Russian, to be held
in Moscow this summer. A talented violinist, she also took on the role
of viola section leader in orchestra last year. Yi also participates in
Key Club, is president of the school paper and sings in the school’s
International Choir.
Jessica Sidhu
Junior, Rogers High School
Nominated by Bob DeJardin
When Jessica realized that discrimination was still a problem at her school,
she took action and joined several clubs that help foster understanding
between students. She became active in Rambassadors, the student council
and the Diversity Club, of which she is vice president. She has also helped
organize and volunteered at the Multicultural Food Fair and the Martin
Luther King Jr. assembly. Jessica recently created a tsunami relief fund
at the school.
Kathleen Wheelock
Senior, Enumclaw High School
Nominated by James J. LovellFord
Kathleen participated in the People to People Student Ambassador program,
through which she was able to travel to France, Germany, Switzerland,
Spain and England. She has been on both sides of the student-exchange
program, hosting students from Eggenfelden, Germany, and Panama City,
Panama, and in turn living abroad with each of them.
At home, Kathleen is active in the Swiss community of Tacoma. She sings
in the only all-female Swiss choir on the Pacific Rim and is a counselor
at the annual Kids Swiss Camp, where children spend four days learning
about Swiss culture.
Lyuda Dovgalyuk
Senior, Mariner High School
Nominated by Rob Caskey
Only the most trusted and respected students in the school are selected
to become mediators in the Conflict Mediation Program, and Lyuda is one
of them. Lyuda respects the backgrounds and feelings of students of all
races and ethnicities. She is trained to provide confidential and nonjudgmental
alternatives to violence to resolve disputes among her peers. Lyuda’s
training has provided invaluable service to her school, as well as powerful
personal growth.
Collins Ulu-Maalona
Senior, Rainier Beach High School
Nominated by Aurora Escame
Collins has been involved in activities throughout his high school career.
He has volunteered to assist with various sports programs as a manager,
timekeeper and scorekeeper. He has helped put on multicultural dinners
and programs and been part of many other activities that promote diversity
and cultural awareness. A caring individual, he is supportive of his peers
and well liked by school staff.
Stephanie Miller
Senior, Squalicum High School
Nominated by Margie Kimberley
Stephanie planned and coordinated the school’s Martin Luther King
Jr. celebration almost single-handedly, and did a remarkable job at it.
Her efforts involved organizing a school-wide assembly, planning a follow-up
activity that all classes would do after the assembly and coordinating
open discussions during lunch. This involved a large amount of work, but
Stephanie’s organization, people skills and passion helped her handle
everything beautifully. When with peers, she seemingly melts boundaries
with her humor, her strength with languages and her sincerity.
Semone Negassi
Senior, Evergreen High School
Nominated by Kathy Guerra
Semone, an Eritrean immigrant from Yemen, might be classified as being
underprivileged — as indeed he should — but he considers his
life experiences as a benefit, not a disadvantage. He is an excellent
ambassador for his heritage and beliefs. Mature, intelligent and articulate,
he has the ability to share information with his peers without appearing
condescending or rude. He absorbs new information quickly, relates it
to what he already knows and can use his new knowledge base critically
and usefully.
Anthony Mendiola
Senior, Spanaway Lake High School
Nominated by R.H. Eisel
Anthony is a leader in his school and among cadets of the Naval Junior
Reserve Officers Training Corps. He serves as student activities coordinator
and senior class representative in student government, plays varsity tennis
and is an effective peer conflict mediator. He also participated in two
years of intense cadet training. Anthony was the school’s Daffodil
Festival host and recently participated in a major fund-raising project
for tsunami disaster relief efforts.
Nicole Chambers
Junior, Highline High School
Nominated by Jacqueline Chalmers
Nicole motivates and inspires others to achieve. When a friend of hers
was spending time away from school, Nicole faithfully delivered homework
to her friend and encouraged her to return to school. Today that student
is doing well at Highline. When her teammates on the basketball team feel
tired and want to quit, she guides them through the exercise and reminds
them that it is not a race. She also volunteers in a kindergarten class,
where she reads books to the students and helps them with their art projects.
Kathy Cao
Senior, Bellarmine Preparatory School
Nominated by Jeanne Hanigan
As an editor of the student newspaper The Bellarmine Lion, Kathy
consistently urges other students to think outside of the cultural walls
of Bellarmine Prep, a school primarily made up of Caucasians. When the
newspaper staff brainstorms for each issue, Kathy kindly but forcefully
addresses the issue of diversity. She makes sure cultural stereotypes
do not seep into the publication. In the February issue, she made sure
that people of color were included and such significant events as Black
History Month and Chinese New Year were addressed.
Kendra Kemp
Senior, Rainier Beach High School
Nominated by Aurora Escame
Kendra is interested in activities that help make her school a better
place for all students. Currently she is editor of the yearbook. In the
past she has served as a representative to student government, been a
member of Young Life, participated in a program that encourages college
preparatory work and assisted the coaches of the women’s softball
team. She has helped out at athletic games, working in the concession
stand to raise funds for the senior class. Kendra also recently registered
20 18-year-olds to vote.
Kevin Siu
Senior, Highline High School
Nominated by Jacqueline Chalmers
Kevin’s community service includes helping the elderly with their
yardwork, tutoring elementary students and assisting with school events.
He is also a member of National Youth Congress, which encourages young
people to make a difference in their community. Kevin has served on the
Burien Teen Council, volunteered as a camp counselor for children of diverse
backgrounds and works at Kumon Reading and Math Center twice a week.
Azure Burrell
Sophomore, Bellingham High School
Nominated by Melanie Bade
At a recent assembly honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Azure spoke eloquently
about how the late civil-rights leader has influenced her life. The year
before, as a freshman, she spoke at the Bellingham City Hall memorial
for King, during which she told the crowd how she confronted racism in
her own life and how King’s example has given her the confidence
to stand up for herself and to not feel diminished by prejudice. A regular
contributor to the Voices column in The Bellingham Herald, she writes
about environmental issues, human rights and politics.
Lailah Fataftah
Senior, Chief Sealth High School
Nominated by Kory Kumasaka
Lailah is involved in activities that display her commitment to the community
and her faith. As a Team Read tutor at an elementary school, she helped
younger students refine their reading comprehension skills. Understanding
that there is significant ignorance surrounding the perception of Islam,
Lailah has been trying to educate her peers. Three times a week, Lailah
teaches Arabic after school to students and even a few teachers. She hopes
to dispel some of the common myths of Islam.
Smitha George
Senior, Henry Foss High School
Nominated by Dr. Valerie Navarro
Smitha is an accomplished singer, dancer, cheerleader and actor. She is
very supportive and respectful of all other students and is a valuable
team member. She moves easily between cultural settings and has friends
of all backgrounds and interests. Students trust Smitha and consider her
a bridge between various groups on campus. She is a catalyst for peaceful
relations on campus, and her presence enhances the quality of student
activities and clubs.
Hong-Yen Chau
Senior, Renton High School
Nominated by Rebecca Babcock
Several years ago, Hong-Yen and other Vietnamese students put together
a traditional “hat dance” to showcase their culture at the annual
International Night. When she realized that many of her peers were fascinated
by the clothing and music, she wanted to share more of her Vietnamese
culture. Not only did the dance production become more elaborate over
the years, but the number of participants increased. Even non-Vietnamese
students wanted to join the group. As a member of the Asian Student Association,
Hong-Yen also helps organize Multicultural Week and the food fair.
Joslyn Taylor
Senior, Enumclaw High School
Nominated by Donna Aloisio
By sharing her home and family with four exchange students, Joslyn has
gained valuable insights into the Latin culture. These exchange students
had positive experiences in America mainly because Joslyn went out of
her way to help them understand American culture, help them form friendships
with other Americans and involve them in activities outside of school.
Joslyn has maintained her friendship with these students by traveling
to Panama and Mexico to visit their homes and to meet their families.
She herself was an exchange student in Panama.
Scott Friberg
Senior, Lake Washington High School
Nominated by Cathy McCreary
Scott, a leader on the football team, is also a student aide in a classroom
of severely disabled young people. He treats all of these students with
a high degree of respect and has his own way of making each one feel special.
One of these students has a disability that doesn’t allow him to
feed himself. Scott came in every day and fed the student while talking
to him as he would with any other friend. Scott provided the student with
the kind of interaction that he rarely got. That is the nature of Scott;
he accepts people for who they are and knows that beauty comes from within.
Vidang Nguyen
Senior, Evergreen High School
Nominated by Rose Brown
Vidang was raised in Denmark and speaks three languages. She has had a
tough time adapting to the United States, but she has nonetheless thrived.
She has earned a 3.75 grade point average even though her schedule is
filled with challenging classes. A caring and sincere young woman, she
volunteers as a math tutor for elementary students in White Center. Vidang
is also active in the Culture Club and the Honor Society.
Dominique Smallwood
Senior, Spanaway Lake High School
Nominated by R.H. Eisel
Dominique is a standout cadet in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training
Corps at her school. She is the top female color guard and a long-distance
orienteering team member. She led fellow students onto the Community Step
Team and assists her mother with painting classes and an auction for local
after-school programs. Her maturity, sound judgment, personal example
and skillful leadership have made her one of the top two student cadets
in the entire 175-person Sentinel Battalion.
Send
correspondence to:
Northwest Asian Weekly • P.O. Box 3468 • Seattle •
WA 98114
Tel: 206.223.5559 • Fax: 206.223.0626 • Email: scpnwan@nwlink.com
Please bookmark this site: www.nwasianweekly.com.