The North Thurston Education Foundation has awarded scholarships with a total value of $120,000 to 36 graduating seniors from North Thurston Public Schools.

Recipients of the scholarships — which range in value from $2,000 to $11,000 —were selected on the basis of factors that included financial need, academic performance, school and community activities, personal essays, and letters of recommendation.

“This year’s applicants were exceptionally gifted and deserving. The Foundation is pleased to be able to award scholarships to these outstanding students to assist them as they continue their educations,” said Cathy Callahan who chaired the committee that reviewed applications and selected the scholarship recipients.  She noted that recipients will be attending vocational-technical schools, community colleges, and colleges and universities across the country.

The following graduating seniors received this year’s awards:

North Thurston High School:
Addison Parker DeMeire
Annissa G. Deguzman
Bethany Samone Ball
Devan Marie Gunther
Eden Young Ahn
Emily Chaeyoung Kim
Hunter Steven Kosmider
Luis Esteban Rodriguez Socon
MacKenzie Marie Polly Kennedy
Madelyn R. Olson
Paige Bristol Sedgwick
Truc Ngoc Pham.

Timberline High School:
Chloe Kusterbeck Aseron
James Owen Beardslee
Jayden Hunter Collins
Joseph Paul Gardner
Hope Marie Hocutt
Joshua J. Lee
Kayla Neeley
Lesly Patricia Navarrete
Maya Jasmine Martinez
Sophie A. Hall
Taylor Carlson
Aditi Kumar

River Ridge High School:
Aramara E. Sanchez
Avonya Essence Divinity
Cato Delos Cannizzo
Felina Jo Guynn
Janeah C. Owens
Jarett Golden Stalcup
Jasmin Salcedo
Jiovani Gilberto Cervantes
Jordyne Denise Dorer
McKenzie M. Goff and Naomi Diesta Stanley.

South Sound High School:
Cole Parker Roderick.

Fifteen of the scholarships are named after individuals in the community and funded by bequests from or donations on behalf of the persons for whom they are named. The remaining twenty-one scholarships were funded solely by the Foundation’s annual fund-raising and by an unrestricted grant from the Dawkins Charitable Trust.

The scholarships recipients were celebrated at a June 12, 2018 reception honoring them and the Foundation’s donors. The reception provided an opportunity for students and donors to meet and visit.

For more information, contact Mike Jones, Executive Director, 360-790-6548 or Cathy Callahan, Scholarship Chair, 360-888-3175.