They Aimed High, Worked Hard And They Succeeded
They’re the student body leaders, the champion debaters, the gifted musicians. They squeeze advanced calculus and creative writing classes between volunteering and studying.
They’re also ace basketball players and class crack-ups. They’re guitar players, immigrants from war-torn countries and comic book readers. They all got A’s in P.E.
The North Side’s 1997 valedictorians aimed high and succeeded. Of the 2,300 graduates from private and public schools, 61 students logged perfect or near-perfect grade-point averages.
Most were inspired by family, but all worked hard themselves. They have been rewarded with honors and scholarships to prestigious universities.
Here is a look at the valedictorians and the memories they leave behind:
Lakeside
Her grades add up to a 3.9 GPA, but you don’t need to tell Lucia Vojtech how to figure a math problem.
A member of Lakeside’s state championship math team, she was listed in Who’s Who Among U.S. Students as a math whiz. She knows the inverse of cosine.
She was the honor society president, a member of the band and the track and cross country teams.
She says she drew on her friends and family for support during a strenuous senior year.
She plans to attend Western Washington University, but hasn’t picked a field of study. Odds are good that she’ll figure it out.
“I want to continue to learn,” said Vojtech.
Northwest Christian
Jason Miller’s religious convictions are the most important part of his life.
“Life is secure with God. Even when time is against me, I know God is with me,” said Miller.
Involved with baseball and student leadership at Northwest Christian, Miller plans to attend Washington State University and study in the honors program.
His goals are straight forward: love God, like his hero, Solomon.
“He was the wisest man to ever live. I could get so much done, make good decisions that would effect the rest of my life.”
Deer Park
Holli Schuler has packed her resume with academic and athletic accomplishments, and wants to turn her interest in playing softball into a career as a physical therapist.
“I want to have a happy and healthy family,” she says.
She leaves Deer Park with good memories of homecoming, softball games and good teachers. “(Scott Carlson) taught me that if you try your hardest you can improve anything and it’s worth it,” she said.
She plans to attend the University of Montana.
Riverside
Ryan Monroe knows what it’s like being the best at his school, but would like to know the experience of another successful person: Michael Jordan.
“I would like to know what it would be like to be the very best at what he does,” said Monroe.
He hasn’t done poorly at sports himself, making the all-state basketball team and all-league tennis teams, and being the team MVP in both sports. Basketball gave him his most memorable moment of the year, because, simply “we had fun.”
In his spare time, Monroe likes to play golf, swim, read and listen to Mariners games. He also was an anti-drug DARE role model in school.
He credits teacher Marvin Sather with setting an excellent example and for “bringing out the best in me.”
He plans to study international business at Westmont College next year. His ultimate goal: “Be successful.”
When Faith Gallinger’s not going to Future Business Leaders of America, Natural Helpers or student government meetings, playing basketball or studying, she’s at the diner with friends.
She meets monthly at the Chattaroy Hills Cafe with friends. “We’ve had some of our best conversations there,” said Gallinger.
She’s had a rounded high school experience, excelling academically (a 780 SAT verbal score) and socially.
She likes to mountain bike and snowboard, and develop friendships with her family.
“My mother Trudy has such a positive attitude and she is so unselfish and giving,” said Gallinger.
She even has a tattoo - a sun and moon with a vine of flowers, which symbolizes divinity, she said.
She plans to attend Gonzaga University or Washington State University, and study math or science.
Saint George’s
Last year’s spring floods took Paul Biggs out of the classroom and put him on a sandbagging line to hold back the swollen Little Spokane River. The campus was partially flooded, but it provided him a memorable experience.
Other activities out of the classroom, a bit less dramatic, also made an impression on Biggs, who has a 3.96 GPA from the rigorous school. Youth leadership organizations such as the Teen Advisory Council “proved to me what exceptional results can be obtained by an open mind and hard work - even by teens.
“They have also helped me go out into the community and meet more people with more interesting ideas than I thought possible,” said Biggs.
A varsity baseball player, Biggs is interested in the success of another diamond star: Ken Griffey Jr.
“He’s an amazing athlete, yet he’s modest. He’s a great role model, but how does he deal with it all?”
Biggs plans to return to the East Coast - he was born in Tar Heel Country, North Carolina - for college at Dartmouth. He’s considering studying politics so he can remain involved with local government, or perhaps medicine.
Shadle Park
The deaths of a classmate and a popular junior class counselor reminded Erin Rice and others to make the most of their futures.
“The loss of several peers during the past years helped put things into perspective and inspired me to make the most of being alive,” said Rice.
She is making the most of every day, filling her time with varsity soccer, softball, leadership and working on the yearbook. She reads, shops and is a miniature golf fan.
She plans on studying business or education at the University of Portland, but her most important goal is to build a family and be a mom.
“I have a desire to stay at home and raise my own children,” she says. I want to organize charity work for the community until my kids are in high school.”
Paul Raugust can’t be stereotyped. With SAT verbal score of 770 and a math score of 690, as well as interests that include journalism, German, hockey and computer animation, he can pick his future.
At the moment, he’s planning to study architecture at the University of Washington.
His life goals seem clear: “Success, happiness and the right to decide for myself,” he said.
If a genie popped out of a magic lamp and offered Lisa Anthony the chance to be any famous person for an hour, she would politely decline.
“I wouldn’t want to be anyone famous; I’m satisfied being myself,” she said.
Anthony is an accomplished painter, capturing silver medals this year in both watercolor and acrylic painting at the Allied Arts Festival, along with top honors for her French studies.
Eventually she hopes to study and work in environmental science.
Sean Hughes has already pictured his future. He plans to study law, launch a career as an environmental lawyer and eventually become a judge.
If he could be someone famous for an hour, he’d try on the robe of a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
“They have the most effect on Americans today through their rulings,” he said.
Hughes has a full scholarship to the University of Bridgeport, where he plans to major in political science and minor in leadership.
He’s focused on his future, but Hughes also makes time for sports and to hang out with his friends.
When her aunt died of cancer a little more than a year ago, Aubrey Bruneau was struck by the devastation of the terrible disease.
It also gave her a goal: to be involved in finding a cure for cancer.
In the meantime she is planning to attend the University of Washington and major in mathematics and business.
Other life goals include touring Europe, building a successful career, and eventually settling down.
Her strongest memory over the years was traveling to Indianapolis to take part in the national competition for the American Legion Scholarship Award.
For fun she plays piano, sings, dances, explores the Internet and reads.
Melissa Chadwick has learned a lot about life in the three years she’s been playing varsity volleyball.
“I have learned many life skills through playing. So many aspects of sports in general relate to school or relationships or anything else,” she said. “My coaches teach me to persist and give 100 percent, and act for the benefit of the team. And that’s what I try to do in life, too.”
In addition to sports, she’s involved in the Teen Peer Abstinence Council and was an ASB officer. Chadwick had perfect school attendance for four years, took first place in the Peace and Justice Action League essay contest and won honorable mention in the High School Regional Art Show, along with many other accomplishments.
A trip to Spain inspired Alison Krogel to study Spanish so she can return to the country someday to study, maybe as part of a college exchange program.
She won the trip after writing an opinion piece for a contest sponsored by Parade magazine and The Spokesman-Review.
In the meantime, she plans to attend the University of Washington to study journalism or pursue international studies.
“I would like to work for a newspaper somewhere in the U.S., or maybe for a wire service abroad,” she said. Her strongest memory of the year was of walking into school the morning she learned of her classmate’s suicide.
“I walked into school with my friend and we were laughing and talking when suddenly we noticed that our once-noisy commons was completely silent and everyone was crying and devastated,” she said.
Death touched Jennifer Madden as well, with the passing of her grandfather in March. Just months earlier, she was inspired by his strength as he fought to live.
“He shocked everyone around him by recovering to be himself. It was amazing, watching the miracle of God unfold and the power of the soul and his strength,” she said.
Throughout the year she was involved with the National Honor Society, softball, volleyball and German Club. She was named Outstanding Junior for Shadle Park by the Masonic Temple.
She plans to attend Washington State University, studying mathematics, then education. She would like to become a math teacher.
Spending her freshman year in Perth, Australia, gave Erica Hall a life goal: to travel the world.
In the meantime, she stays on the move, spending time with friends and family, skiing, vacationing at her family’s lake cabin and playing soccer.
She plans to attend the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and study business and computers. If she could become a famous person for an hour, she would fill in for Bill Gates. Her mission then would be to hire Erica Hall.
Katie Kosanda’s inspiration is close to home - her parents.
“They are both such hard workers and they have tremendously impacted the way I see life,” she said.
She hopes medical school is in her future. She plans to attend the University of Washington first, majoring in biology. She’d like to become a general practitioner and family doctor to help others.
Her best memory of the year was the annual Groovy Shoes competition.
“Although we didn’t take home the shoes, I will always remember how much spirit Shadle Park has,” she said. “I’m proud to say I go to Shadle.”
Talk sports and you’re talking John Ball. Aside from his studies - camping, fishing, hunting, football and track fill his school days and weekends.
But his year had some sadness, as well. Counselor Doug McCray was Ball’s shotput coach for three years and an inspiration. His death was a shock.
“He put things into perspective for me and made me realize not to take things for granted,” he said.
Ball plans to study engineering and hopes to have a career as a civil or mechanical engineer.
He, too, would like to change places with Bill Gates for an hour.
“I’d like to see exactly how much hard work and time it takes to become successful in the business field,” he said.
Lindsay Plaster doesn’t skip a beat when asked to name the most inspirational person she knows.
“My mom,” she says. “She is the perfect example of selfless service. She is always thinking of others before herself.”
Plaster plans to study nursing at Brigham Young University, but marriage, motherhood and family are in her long-term plans. She’d also like to visit all 50 states.
Her best memory of the year was cheering at the state basketball tournament.
“The games were all so exciting and our squad definitely knows how to have fun together,” she said.
When Tom Mohr looks back at high school, he’ll remember the sports. His achievements include the “Most Inspirational” award in basketball, Highlander of the Year award for football and First Team All GSL for football.
His favorite memory was of going to the state basketball tournament.
“It had been our goal ever since we were freshman,” said Mohr.
He plans to attend the University of Washington to study biology, then find a job “that pays a lot” and start a family.
His goal in life: “Give it everything I’ve got.”
Crystal Stoehr is a varsity cheerleader and member of the National Honor Society. But top in her high school memories was becoming Shadle Lilac Princess.
“It was such an honor. I was so surprised and excited about what being a Lilac Princess meant - I felt honored!” she said.
She plans on attending Pacific Lutheran University to pursue a degree in nursing or education. Whatever her career, she wants to focus on helping other people.
Stoehr spends her spare time with friends and family, water-skiing and camping. And, just for fun, she’d like to find out what it’s like to be Princess Diana.
“She has worked for so many charities, and I admire her for trying to keep a good reputation even after being out of the royal family,” she said.
When William Stewart leaves Shadle Park High School, he’ll take with him the lesson that with hard work comes rewards.
“I made the baseball team,” he said. “I put a lot of hard work into making the team and all the work paid off.”
He’s looking forward to studying biology at Pacific Lutheran University, with plans for a career in marine or wildlife biology. When he’s not studying or playing baseball, he likes to fish and hang out with his friends. He says a trip he took with his youth group was one of the most inspirational events in his life so far.
“It defined my character and made me who I am today,” he said.
In her free time, Brianne Votava likes to go to movies, listen to music and talk to her friends. It’s hard to imagine she has much free time with a full plate of activities including soccer, softball, honor society, marching band and pep band.
Votava plans to study biology at Eastern Washington University, then pursue a career in science. She finds inspiration in scientist Marie Curie.
“She was a woman and contributed to science in a time when not many women did,” she said. “I would like to make discoveries in science that will benefit people.”
Qualifying for the finals in debate was the perfect ending for Scott Peters’ distinguished high school debate career. Now he’s moving on to study philosophy, then law, and maybe someday become a judge.
In the meantime, he enjoys going to the movies and spending time with his friends. He’s upfront with those who know him and doesn’t keep secrets.
“I tell most of my friends anything they want to know,” said Peters. “And if there is something they don’t know about me, then they just haven’t asked.”
He admires Cal Ripkin.
“He showed America that you don’t have to be all ‘flash.’ Hard work and determination will get you what you want,” he said.
North Central
Nathaniel Sampson sets high goals for himself.
He plans to study biology and history at Whitman College, with a goal of becoming a doctor. He wants to specialize in surgery or pediatrics.
“I want to continue learning and developing while maintaining a genuine character and a free spirit,” he said.
A medical career seems an odd goal for someone who starts his day with “a healthy diet of corn flakes, jelly beans and Green River.” But that’s his plan.
Sampson’s high school achievements include being named Masonic Outstanding Senior, a Spokane Scholarship nominee in Science, and a Tandy Scholarship nominee.
Darcy O’Neill doesn’t have to look far for inspiration. She just looks at her cousin Kris.
“She goes to college and is raising two children besides me. She is a very strong-willed person; I look up to her.”
O’Neill is something of an inspiration herself. On the honor roll all four years, she also has leadership and varsity sports letters. She had perfect attendance several semesters and is active in varsity track and volleyball.
She’s planning to attend the University of Washington and major in child psychology. She wants to have her own business, be successful and raise a family.
Her strongest memory of the past year was of making it to the regionals in the shotput for track.
Leaving Bosnia and moving to the United States was a dramatic change of culture and life for Osman Gruhonjic.
“The war in Bosnia changed my personality and helped me set priorities in life,” he said. Gruhonjic plans to attend Gonzaga University School of Business to study political science and prelaw. His main goals include having an interesting life, great career and family.
He received the Rotary Club award for scholastic achievement, various academic letters and stars.
What can you say about a 4.0 student with top SAT scores, who admires Superman (“That X-ray vision is quite a perk”), wants to own a successful chemical or computer company and watches “Winnie the Pooh” on Saturday mornings?
Most would just say “that’s Joshua Stowell!”
Active in cross country and tennis, he was also a Masonic Outstanding Student in his junior and senior years, a tennis team MVP and National Merit Scholar.
He says his parents are his inspiration.
“They are both extremely hard working and always give everything of themselves,” he said.
His immediate plans include attending the University of Washington where he will study business and engineering.
Arianna Hilsen will never forget the sense of dread and helplessness she felt sitting in the audience on opening night and watching the first play she ever directed.
It went fine, and now Hilsen dreams of a career teaching drama.
First she plans to study theater arts at Eastern Washington University. But she has no plans to become famous.
“I would ask to be influential. Fame is never remembered, while inspiration lasts centuries,” she said. “And who can be more influential and inspirational than a good teacher?”
Her own inspiration comes from her drama teacher, Tom Armitage. “He inspired me to push myself in my work and personal growth. I am so happy with who I have become under his influence,” she said.
Matthew Bernards managed a successful mix of sports and studies, taking part in football, baseball, basketball, Rotary Leadership, National Honor Society and the Financial Committee.
Next, he’s off to the University of Washington to study engineering. What drove him to excel in sports while maintaining a perfect 4.0? Healthy sibling rivalry.
“My sister, Judie Bernards, was my inspiration. Her one ‘B’ in high school drove me to try and do better than her academically, just to show her up,” he said.
His hopes for the future include a happy family life and successful career.
Studying Andrea Abney’s high school activities points to a wide range of interests. Here’s a sample: ASB representative, member of the International Club and Groovy Shoes Committee, a tutor and recipient of awards from the National Society of Surveyors, seven academic letters, Perfect Attendance Award, President’s Trivia Contest winner and seven semesters on the honor roll.
In the fall she plans to attend Western Washington University and study communications and journalism. She would like to become a sports broadcaster, live in a big city and raise a family.
Here’s a secret even some of Abney’s closest friends don’t know: she loves Bugs Bunny and Schoolhouse Rock.
Watch for Rache Stott-Johnson on the financial pages of the future. She recently rocked the SAT’s with a 710 verbal score and 740 in math.
Still deciding between colleges, she plans to study economics and business administration. She plans to become a well-known stockbroker and financial consultant.
She would like to be Bill Gates for an hour, “Just to see what it would be like to be the richest person in the known universe.”
In her free time, Stott-Johnson likes to listen to music and go to the movies. Her fondest memory this year was Groovy Shoes.
“It was a huge event with lots of people and even though we lost the game, we won the shoe,” she said.
Sarah Herbison’s senior year at North Central revealed much about herself and others. She became comfortable with herself: “I would not choose to be anyone but myself.”
And her best memory from the year was discovering the people behind the familiar faces. “I became friends with people I had known for the last four years but not spoken to.”
She drew support this past year from her family and having fun with her friends. In school, she was NC’s best social science student for the Spokane Scholars Award and was named the Masonic Temple outstanding student.
She plans to attend Washington State University in the fall, but is undecided on a field of study.
Gonzaga Prep
Steve Schreiner, in spite of his 4.0 gpa and near-perfect SAT verbal score, doesn’t take things too seriously.
He’s done the macarena atop a desk in calculus, stopped for a banana split during Bloomsday (he finished, he says, in just over three hours), and lists drinking Pepsi among his hobbies.
“I’d be fun to be Tiger Woods so that I could finally hit a golf ball over 39 yards,” he says.
He plans to attend Stanford University next year, maybe study medicine, probably keep playing the guitar.
But his real goals? Practice medicine in Africa, learn to sail, swim the English Channel, climb Mount Rainier, and, of course, “conquer my fear of giraffes.”
Bound for a career in accounting, Jessica Coalson says rigorous study in math and science has been the most inspirational part of her senior year.
“This activity helped me to realize what I wanted to do when I got older,” said Coalson.
She was involved with gymnastics, cheerleading and cross country at Gonzaga Prep. She won the Girl Scout Gold Award from troop 530 as a result of a community service project.
She plans to attend the University of Washington, major in accounting and eventually get into international business.
She also hopes to raise a family “with academic values.”
Call him Mr. Prep. Richard Conley, 17, is no wallflower. To help raise money for Gonzaga he entered the Mr. Prep contest, gave two speeches and a martial arts demonstration, built a sculpture and modeled pajamas.
For fun, Conley studies martial arts, plays golf and goes trapshooting.
Conley, a recipient of a U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award, is listed in the Who’s Who Among American High School.
Conley, who plans to study pre-med at Seattle University, says the most inspirational person in his life “has been my grandfather. He has had a very hard life, not much schooling, and he still started a very successful business.”
Happiness and courtside seats at New York Knicks basketball games are the two things Joe Jordan says he wants out of life.
The 18-year-old senior is looking forward to attending Seattle University next year, but doesn’t know what his major will be. In the past year, however, the science and history clubs, and the math team kept him busy, as well as his stint as president of the associated student body.
Jordan golfs, plays basketball, listens to music and hangs out with his friends, while maintaining a 4.0 gpa.
He says some of his senior year has been characterized by senior slump and a minor case of panic - brought on by having to choose a college, fill out applications and wait for acceptance.
But Jordan is optimistic: “Other people have achieved before me, so they give me hope.”
For an hour, Alexi Velis would like to be Katarina Witt. Velis, 18, a dancer and cheerleader at Gonzaga Prep, admires Witt for her ability to “express her emotions so beautifully through ice skating.”
Being a cheerleader this year was a great experience for Velis, who plans to attend Santa Clara University in California.
“I got to spend time with friends, be a leader, and do something I love at the same time.”
She also enjoys going to musicals, aerobics, reading and “hanging out with friends.”
Velis’ goal in life, besides becoming a dermatologist, is to find happiness with herself, family and friends.
Mead High
Like her hero, Stanford basketball star Kate Starbird, Jamie Wakefield is determined to succeed academically as she has athletically.
While compiling a 4.0 gpa and logging a 1,350 SAT score, Wakefield was captain of the basketball and track teams, setting a school record in the triple jump. She was named regional female athlete of the week this spring after winning the long and triple jumps at a prestigious track meet.
She gets her inspiration at home, naming her parents as her most inspirational influences. She also draws strength from her religious convictions; she’s attending Whitworth College next year to study biology.
In addition to team sports, she likes to ski, hike and attend church youth activities.
She hopes to become a physician.
Jamie Moshin’s communication skills have already gained him recognition, winning an individual title at the state debate tournament and a place at the national tournament.
He hopes the next accolades will bring him closer to success in the broadcasting industry and his hero: David Letterman. “He’s inspired me to use my knack for humor to entertain others.”
The son of two former New York teachers, Moshin was a National Merit Scholar who likes to ski, read and play basketball. His school activities included membership in the creative writing club and orchestra.
He plans to attend Willamette University and major in communications.
Mother Teresa is the hero of Jennifer Bennett, whose life goal is “to help the poor and needy.”
“She’s accomplished so many of the things I’d like to in my life,” said Bennett, who plans to be a physician.
With an 1,530 SAT score, she knows how to succeed academically. She was a National Merit finalist, a Spokane Scholar and Rotary’s student of the month.
But basketball gave her the most memorable moment of high school: winning the state tournament in 1996. That success gave her confidence in other areas, she said. Bennett, a post player, was the school’s scholar-athlete of the year.
She plans to attend Arizona State University and study biology.
Ann Ulvin’s off-beat personality won over the Mead School Board, who listened to her Letterman-esque reports with a grin.
Her flair for the original also gave her a memorable moment: “My friend Chad and I attended the holiday dance, which was supposed to be formal, with me dressed as a male and him as a female! He wore a blond wig and skirt, while I wore a tie, suspenders and corduroy pants. We were the talk of the evening. I’ve never had more fun at a dance!”
Women are her inspiration; not “an exact individual, but it would be a strong, respected, influential female as that is what I aspire to be.”
The Mead ASB president plans to attend Montana State University, where she received a full-tuition scholarship, and study engineering. Her dream job: NASA.
Cara Poage’s motto is “to have fun and die with no regrets.”
So it’s no surprise this valedictorian once auditioned for a fifth-grade school play by singing in a gym full of people.
Like many other 4.0 students, Poage participated in sports. Her inspiration was Mead assistant cross-country coach Wes Player, who helped with “his integrity, his work ethic and his desire to make better people as well as better athletes.”
In her spare time, she enjoys movies. She plans to attend the University of Washington and study computer science or art.
Family is the focus for Verina Miller. She has eight brothers and sisters, and is close to her parents, whom she says are her inspirational figures.
She says she’s become closer to them in the last year. “It hasn’t been just one thing, but lots of events that have produced a beautiful relationship that will last a lifetime,” she said.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing the piano and going to church.
Family also provides her career goal: a family care doctor. She plans to attend Ricks College and study nursing.
And her life goal: “to become perfect; knowing that the direction is important and not the destination.”
Hola, Mexico. Rebecca Cosner had her best time of the year visiting south of the border, fine tuning her Spanish, having a blast and learning to “appreciate another culture and people.”
She’s also inspired by Christopher Reeve, the actor paralyzed in a horse riding incident, “because of his ability to not give up and his positive attitude in the most difficult of times.”
She plans a challenge of her own: a math major at Whitworth College, and eventually a teaching job. But if she pursues her secret dream, she’ll become a pilot.
Chrystal Landkammer has it worked out: studying in the Washington State University honors program, a veterinarian’s degree in six years, “get married, have 2 kids, and get a house in the country.”
If that doesn’t work, there’s always Star Trek as a dream job. “I would like to be one of the actors from Deep Space Nine because I think it would be fun to play an alien or some one working in space.”
She’s worked on her grades and academic resume for the last four years. She’s been involved in math and Spanish clubs and was the top-scoring Mead High student at the 1996 Slide Rule championships.
She attributes her success to her parents. “They have really been supportive, especially through my junior year when I had one or two hours of homework every night.”
But that hasn’t kept her from a bit of TV. Her secret confession: “I like to watch cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Garfield. I also like watching Gumby.”
A history lesson delivered by former Mead Junior High history teacher Bruce Benedict on the definition of “mercenary - working or done for payment only” - framed Erin Moore’s academic success.
“He inspired me to learn for the sake of learning. He told me not to concentrate on grades; that knowledge was reward in itself,” she said.
That lesson was tested during last fall’s ice storm when power outages prevented her from retrieving college and scholarship application essays from her computer.
She plans to attend Willamette University and study the sciences, eventually becoming a bio-medical engineer or genetic specialist.
From her hero, Mother Teresa, Moore can learn how to apply the ethically sensitive knowledge. “She is the epitome of love and selflessness,” she said.
But the scholar also has a sense of humor. When asked for a secret, she said, “I was the gunman on the grassy knoll.”
Cheryl Adams looks to family for a role model.
“My older brother Carl has inspired me because of his focused work ethic and his honesty,” said Adams.
Adams has participated in volleyball and student government, and enjoys playing with friends in her spare time.
She plans to attend either Whitworth College or Southwestern University, but isn’t sure in what she will major. Her goals are simple: “to be happy and financially secure.”
Music has supplied Heather Ross with a medium for challenge and success. She won awards as a soprano in the solo division of several regional contests.
So it’s little surprise she fondly remembers performing before the student body.
“My friends and I made up this dance skit to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and performed it at an assembly in front of the entire school. It was hilarious!” she said.
Dancing is also a social activity which she enjoys. But singing is her professional dream, which she plans to pursue at Whitworth College next year.
Regardless of what she does, Ross is sure her parents will support her. “They’ve always stood behind me and supported everything I’ve done. I don’t know what I’d do without them,” she said.
Shata Stucky’s been accepted to Yale University, but isn’t in a hurry. She plans next year to study and travel in Europe before heading to school.
Travel also plays into her career plans, possibly joining the Foreign Service. She plans to study foreign language in college.
At home, she likes floating the Little Spokane and hanging out with friends. She liked ice storm, she said, because the break from school allowed them to get together, “freed from distraction so we were able to pause and appreciate each other.”
Stucky was a senior class officer, played softball and soccer. She was a National Merit Commended Scholar as well.
For a guy who’s excelled in high school, Jeffrey Roberson’s life goals are pretty simple: “Get married, learn everything, have fun.”
The former will have to wait, but he’s got the middle one down, and that’s helped him with the latter, he says.
The strongest memory of the last year was “becoming a math tutor because it taught me a lot of interpersonal skills, but most of all because of the marvelous people I got to know as friends.”
An Eagle Scout, Roberson is inspired by his mother’s hard work.
He plans to attend the University of Washington and study biology and chemistry, just like his hero, Albert Einstein.
“I strive to understand the complexities of his mind and would like to experience his thoughts,” said Roberson.
David Li-Pino had stress to lend.
The 4.0 student also played in band, orchestra, and participated on the math and tennis teams. He played well enough to win the Mead music award for outstanding performer.
But being pulled in a dozen directions was the best and worst for the Mead student. “The stress of doing too much” was the strongest memory of the past year, he said.
“Without the stress, the school year would have been boring.”
Even quiet time is intellectual. He lists “thinking” as a leisure activity, along with playing foosball and his computer.
Born in Oakridge, Tenn., Li-Pino plans to stay in Spokane and attend Gonzaga University. He wants to major in math and science.
Rogers
Joe Le draws inspiration from his parents, whose work ethic helped direct his academic success.
“My parents work hard, which inspires me to work hard to excel at everything I do,” said Le, born in Vietnam.
Le was a varsity soccer player and student leader, attending a Congressional Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.
He enjoys camping, skiing, playing pool and hanging out with friends.
He plans to attend the University of Washington and study in the school’s prestigious pre-med program. He plans to become a physician or surgeon.
The announcement of her status as valedictorian gave Brenda Schluter her most memorable moment of high school.
“I finally achieved what I’ve worked so hard for,” said Schluter.
She’s also been honored as a Pacesetter Outstanding Student, and is a member of Honor Society.
She’s maintained her 4.0 GPA while working at Hastings. She also enjoys shopping and going to movies.
She plans to attend Eastern Washington University and study business.
Bound for Harvard University to run track, Cameron Hatch is sure of his abilities. But it was a tough moment running that provided him his strongest memory of the last year:
“Just past the 2-mile mark in the race I was fading and starting to lose contact with the pack. I was almost ready to quit. Just then, Jon Caballero from NC passed me and as he was passing, he motioned … He did it again. The second time, I realized he was signaling me to follow him. I went with him and we caught back up to the pack. I ended up 15th and he was a couple of paces ahead. I don’t think I would have finished as high as I did without his simple inspiration.”
Hatch is Rogers’ male scholar-athlete of the year, editor of the award-winning Treasure Chest yearbook and a snowboarder. He hopes for a job in the tough field of publishing.
The most surprising, and funny, detail from this top-notch scholar: “When I was a freshman, I wanted to grow up and be a heating and air-conditioning repairman.
Trinity Thompson looks to her mother for a role model. “I have always looked up to her,” said Thompson. “She raised me very well and taught me about my morals and values. I now have been able to see how extraordinary of a mom she really is.”
She played soccer and softball, was in student leadership and in the German club at Rogers. She says she now appreciates watching sports, and for recreation plays volleyball, softball, soccer and gymnastics.
She plans to attend Whitworth College’s teaching program, and become an elementary school teacher.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 49 Photos
The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Jonathan Martin and Janice Podsada Staff writers Staff writer Kathy Malady contributed to this report.