Highline Schools Foundation awards scholarships to graduating seniors

The Highline Schools Foundation on Friday, May 1, 2020, announced the winners of its 2020 scholarships to graduating seniors.

“We received 163 scholarship applications this year,” Anne Baunach, Executive Director of Highline Schools Foundation said. “This is a record number of applicants. “The Scholarship Committee had a very difficult process selecting winners based on both the number and quality of applicants.”

The following scholarships were awarded for 2020:

- CM Garrity Scholarship: Thanks to the generosity of benefactor Charles Garrity, two (2) $26,000 scholarships were awarded to students attending a 4-year institution. Scholarship criteria included financial need, academic performance, leadership and community service or extracurricular activities.
  - The winners for 2020 were: Viktoria Cambas (Tyee) and Mony Thach (Evergreen).
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport (STIA) Scholarship: Started in 2002, this is the Foundation’s longest running scholarship, funded through the STIA Golf Tournament held each July. Four scholarships (one for $20,000 and three for $10,000) were awarded to students motivated to pursue a STEM education.
  - The winners for 2020 were: Anwar Beshir (Tyee), John Marquez (New Start), Minh-Ngoc Pham (Mount Rainier), and Eyoeil Fentie (Evergreen).
- 13th Year Scholarship: Established in 2017 by Brad and Danielle Tilden, this scholarship supports students who might otherwise be unable to continue their education beyond high school. Four (4) $5,000 scholarships were awarded based on financial need, academic merit, and achievement.
  - The winners for 2020 were: Vincent Githinji (Evergreen), Samerawit Hailu (Tyee), Thien-An Nguyen (Mount Rainier) and Trang Pham (Evergreen).
- Gateway Scholarship: Created by MCSB, Inc, this scholarship was awarded to a student who has been impacted by homelessness or housing insecurity. Criteria included financial need, academic merit, achievement, and community service and leadership. One (1) $3,000 scholarship was awarded.
  - The winner for 2020 was: Addison Wilanger (Evergreen)
- Mt. View Presbyterian Scholarship: Created by the congregation of Mt. View Presbyterian Church when they closed in 2019, this scholarship recognized graduates from Evergreen High School. Two (2) $2,000 scholarships were awarded.
  - The winners for 2020 were: Abdijibar Hassan (Evergreen) and Ashley Huynh (Evergreen).
- Severson Leadership Scholarship: Created by Anna and Daniel Nguyen, this scholarship was created to honor a former Evergreen High School counselor. It was awarded to a student from Evergreen who demonstrated strong leadership. One (1) $1,000 scholarship was awarded and is renewable for 4 years if the student maintains a 2.5 GPA.
  - The winner for 2020 was Alice Im (Evergreen).
- Pay it Forward Scholarship: Created by Vy Truong and Billy Chaung, this scholarship recognized graduates from Evergreen High School. Three (3) $1,000 scholarships were awarded.
  - The 2020 winners were: Alma Gomez Gonzalez (Evergreen), Jonathan Felix-Garcia (Evergreen) and Khoa Nguyen (Evergreen).
- Harriette Fredenburg Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship was awarded to an Evergreen High School student who plans to study mathematics or education. One (1) $1,000 scholarship was awarded.
  - The 2020 winner was Alma Gomez Gonzalez (Evergreen).