Chase Nominee

Mon., July 17, 2000

In an effort to support the mission of the Chase Youth Awards, which is to recognize all deserving young people for their accomplishments, Our Generation is highlighting some of the teens nominated for this year’s awards. Even though these nominees were not selected as winners, in many cases their accomplishments are just as worthy of recognition.

Teisha Mathis Category: Personal Achievement

“Teisha Mathis looks like many other high school seniors … Looks can be deceiving. As normal as Teisha looks, her road to high school graduation has been far from easy. Teisha is the mother of a 2-year-old boy … Taking care of Austin and seeing that he has what he needs to be happy, healthy and grow up well is what Teisha sees as her first priority … Recognizing that she is the most important person in her young son’s life and that she was responsible for his welfare helped Teisha turn her own life around … She was raised in a family that struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues … Teisha was born with a cleft lip and palate. She has had at least 10 surgeries to correct this deformity … At 14, Teisha was a middle-school dropout. She looked for a smaller high school and enrolled in Spokane Valley High School in September 1996 … Teisha has a 3.2 GPA … She is winning the battle against drugs, is achieving in spite of her physical disabilities, is a dedicated and loving parent who graduated from high school with honors. She also is a delightful, personable, caring young woman who I feel has wonderful potential as a nurse,” wrote her nominator, Kitty Johnson-Woods.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.