HHS ALUMNI FOUNDATION ANNUAL SOUNDINGS NEWSLETTERS 2024-2005
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter Volume - 23 -2024
Welcome Highline Alumni, Friends, and Community Sponsors - In 1995 the Highline High School Alumni Foundation donated one scholarship for $500. In 2023 the Foundation awarded twenty-seven scholarships to Pirate seniors totaling $94,000! The scholarship winners were honored at a reception on June 7, 2023. To view the names and scholarship types for each student in the picture above please visit the Highline High School Alumni Foundation website at www.HHSAF.org. This is the 28th year of the Foundation's existence and we are proud to announce that thanks to your generous voluntary support, the Foundation has offered a total of 467 scholarships valued at $1,129,500. Annual dues are only $20 and lifetime dues are $100. You can safely donate by visiting the secure Foundation website. The Foundation has recently received new applications from the Class of 2024 and over the next two months the Alumni Scholarship Committee will collaborate with the Highline High School administration and counselors to award another round of scholarships valued at approximately $100,000 The deadline for application submittal for 2024 was March 5th.
Highline Golf Tournament, Tricia Anderson HHS Alumnus of the Year, & New Inductees in Athletic Hall of Fame
Far Left - Joel Carey, class of 1978, shows his Pirate Flag at the 2023 Highline High School Alumni Foundation Golf Day! Thanks to all of you that participated in our annual Golf Tournament at Auburn Golf Course. Your generosity enabled us to raise a record $13,685.00, all of which goes directly to scholarships for HHS Seniors. Mark your calendars for next year’s tournament – Friday, August 23, 2024, at Auburn Golf Course. Further details will be mailed in April and posted on the HHSAF website. Middle – Congratulations to Tricia Anderson (C/O 1977) for her selection as the 2023 Highline Alumnus of the year. Anderson, a lifelong Burien resident, has been an active volunteer for the HHSAF and numerous other organizations including the American Heart Association, Washington Green Schools, Mary’s Place, Highline Historical Society, and the Assistance League of Seattle. “For me, volunteering is an act of love on a grand scale,” said Anderson. “To see the impact of the Foundation’s programs over the years, and how what we do supports our HHS students, and their families is a true blessing” Read more about Tricia in the What’s New section on the HHSAF.org website.
Far Right - The following members were inducted into the Highline High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. Curt Ladines (C/O 1981) – football, basketball, baseball, WSU football, Tara Bell-Candelaria (C/O 1979) – swimming and diving, US Jr. Olympics qualifier, University of New Mexico diver, Kevin Bridges (C/O 1978) – basketball and baseball, NPSL Player of the Year in baseball 78, Cliff Bridges (C/O 1979) – football and baseball, all 1979 NPSL player of the year and 1978-79 Washington State Scholar Athlete of the Year, Bill Trowbridge – coach and teacher for over 30 years, Head basketball coach for the1950-51 State Championship team. Check out the Athletic Hall of Fame section on the Alumni website for more information!
Far Right - The following members were inducted into the Highline High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. Curt Ladines (C/O 1981) – football, basketball, baseball, WSU football, Tara Bell-Candelaria (C/O 1979) – swimming and diving, US Jr. Olympics qualifier, University of New Mexico diver, Kevin Bridges (C/O 1978) – basketball and baseball, NPSL Player of the Year in baseball 78, Cliff Bridges (C/O 1979) – football and baseball, all 1979 NPSL player of the year and 1978-79 Washington State Scholar Athlete of the Year, Bill Trowbridge – coach and teacher for over 30 years, Head basketball coach for the1950-51 State Championship team. Check out the Athletic Hall of Fame section on the Alumni website for more information!
Far Left – Highline High School recently announced that JT Jackson has been hired as their new head football coach. Jackson will be taking over for outgoing Coach Deontae Cooper, who is moving on to the University of Idaho as the Vandals new running backs coach. Jackson played football at O’Dea High School, then at Pacific Lutheran University. Jackson said his goal as Coach is to continue the Highline culture that was set by Coach Coop and the kids that were here before him.
Middle – Marquawn McCraney is pictured above with his family, accepting a football scholarship with the University of Idaho on National Signing Day. He will be following his former head football coach, Deontae Cooper east to play for the Vandals. Marquawn was a dynamic wide reciever and safety who lead his team to 3 Kingco leaque championships. Marquawn, was the overall team MVP for two seasons in a row and also voted as the offensive MVP one season. Congratulations to Marquawn and his family!
Far Right – The Highline High School Administration started a new tradition this year by selecting a military veteran that graduated from Highline to participate in the pregame coin toss during this year’s football game scheduled around Veterans Day.George Williamson from the Class of 1963 was honored to meet Coach Cooper before the game and join the football captains at mid field.
Middle – Marquawn McCraney is pictured above with his family, accepting a football scholarship with the University of Idaho on National Signing Day. He will be following his former head football coach, Deontae Cooper east to play for the Vandals. Marquawn was a dynamic wide reciever and safety who lead his team to 3 Kingco leaque championships. Marquawn, was the overall team MVP for two seasons in a row and also voted as the offensive MVP one season. Congratulations to Marquawn and his family!
Far Right – The Highline High School Administration started a new tradition this year by selecting a military veteran that graduated from Highline to participate in the pregame coin toss during this year’s football game scheduled around Veterans Day.George Williamson from the Class of 1963 was honored to meet Coach Cooper before the game and join the football captains at mid field.
Far Left– The HHSAF greatly appreciates the leadership of Principal Clint Salee and his team for their dedication and support of the Alumni Foundation.Check out his thoughts below on Tricia Anderson’s nomination as Alumnus of the Year.
Middle – The Foundation would like to acknowledge Loren Sisley, Highline (C/O 1958), for his long term sponsorship and contributions to the HHS Alumni Foundation and Alumni Golf Tournament. Loren is the owner and operator of the Pancake Chef and was recently profiled by Eric Johnson of King 5 News on his Eric’s Little Hero’s segment in November.Check out:The Syrupy Story of the Pancake Chef. Tucked away in SeaTac, there exists a restaurant that transcends mere breakfast fare. It is a Northwest gem, a classic, and a haven for family dining and unforgettable experiences. Allow me to introduce you to the Pancake Chef. If you drop by make sure you let him know you’re a Highline grad and appreciate his community support! What Is the Value and Impact of a New Modern School Building Far Right) - Anni Tadesse, HHS Class of 2022, ASB President and Harvard University bound provides his feedback on the new High School after Highline wins the 2022 Polished Apple Award.for Educational Design by the Washington chapter for the Association of Learning. Check the Highline High School’s web site for more information and a virtual our of the faclity .https://hhs.highlineschools.org/about/virtual-tour. "I think replacing the old building with a modern learning facility has definitely impacted students like myself in a positive way. The Promethean boards placed in every class and hallway wing is such a great technological touch.The new Highline High School building brings a whole new vibe that inspires a motivation to learn. My favorite feature is the advanced new look of the whole school. I love how everything is more open and friendly, like the classroom windows and the spacious hallways.I also enjoy the fact that the new building was able to keep bits and pieces of the old building, such as the pirate mural, the old gym floor circle on the new gym wall and the similar design of the front of the school building."
From HHS Principal Clint Sallee “It has been a true pleasure to get to know Tricia over the last few years. She is relentlessly positive and committed in her work, and her pride for this school community is palpable. I feel so thankful for Tricia and the Alumni Foundation’s work to support the students of Highline High School. The difference they make for our students goes beyond just financial support. It is so inspiring for our students to know that they go to a high school with such a rich history and a dedicated community of alumni who are invested in their success.”
Middle – The Foundation would like to acknowledge Loren Sisley, Highline (C/O 1958), for his long term sponsorship and contributions to the HHS Alumni Foundation and Alumni Golf Tournament. Loren is the owner and operator of the Pancake Chef and was recently profiled by Eric Johnson of King 5 News on his Eric’s Little Hero’s segment in November.Check out:The Syrupy Story of the Pancake Chef. Tucked away in SeaTac, there exists a restaurant that transcends mere breakfast fare. It is a Northwest gem, a classic, and a haven for family dining and unforgettable experiences. Allow me to introduce you to the Pancake Chef. If you drop by make sure you let him know you’re a Highline grad and appreciate his community support! What Is the Value and Impact of a New Modern School Building Far Right) - Anni Tadesse, HHS Class of 2022, ASB President and Harvard University bound provides his feedback on the new High School after Highline wins the 2022 Polished Apple Award.for Educational Design by the Washington chapter for the Association of Learning. Check the Highline High School’s web site for more information and a virtual our of the faclity .https://hhs.highlineschools.org/about/virtual-tour. "I think replacing the old building with a modern learning facility has definitely impacted students like myself in a positive way. The Promethean boards placed in every class and hallway wing is such a great technological touch.The new Highline High School building brings a whole new vibe that inspires a motivation to learn. My favorite feature is the advanced new look of the whole school. I love how everything is more open and friendly, like the classroom windows and the spacious hallways.I also enjoy the fact that the new building was able to keep bits and pieces of the old building, such as the pirate mural, the old gym floor circle on the new gym wall and the similar design of the front of the school building."
From HHS Principal Clint Sallee “It has been a true pleasure to get to know Tricia over the last few years. She is relentlessly positive and committed in her work, and her pride for this school community is palpable. I feel so thankful for Tricia and the Alumni Foundation’s work to support the students of Highline High School. The difference they make for our students goes beyond just financial support. It is so inspiring for our students to know that they go to a high school with such a rich history and a dedicated community of alumni who are invested in their success.”
Transform A Student’s Life Right Now – Give Them the Chance To Make A Difference https://www.HHSAF.org
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter Volume - 22 -2023
The Annual Highline High School Alumni Foundation newsletter was mailed in March of 2023 if you have provided the Foundation with your name and address or have processed an online donation through the HHSAF.org website. If you are not currently registered with the Foundation and wish to recieve the annual newsletter please go to the Contact Us page and submit your name and address. We currently have a database of over 8,000 Highline students for distribution! If you are planning a reunion in the future you can also send us your reunion information for help promoting your event on the website to attract more classmates. Current reunions are posted in both the What's New and Reunion Information sections.
The 2023 newletter will provide you with the names and pictures of Highline's most recent scholarship recipients, and provide information on the newly elected Highline High School Athletic Hall of Fame members, and the new HHS Alumnus of the Year Tricia Anderson. It will also provide you with information about our 2023 donation drive and how you can help contribute to the Foundation. Volunteer donations in 2022 were 25% of the normal 10 year average due to Covid but have improved significantly in April! For as little as a one time donation of $20.00 you can join the other 8,000 Highline Alumni members and recieve updated annual information regarding the High School and the Almuni Foundation. Lifetime memberships at $100.00 have just surpassed the 900 member level. Thanks to all for your generous donations.
The Foundation will be hosting the annual golf tournament at the Auburn Golf Course on Friday August 25th, 2023 and the Alumni scholarship committee will partner with the high school staff and career college placement specialist to grant another 30 scholarships in 2023 along with hosting the Scholarship Celebration Ceremony for the students and their families and friends.
We sincerely appreciate our working partnership with the High School staff and Principal Clint Shalee and their entire support team and look forward to providing continued support for projects like the Highline Closet Clothing Bank, the Unity Day Celebration, the Pirate Booster Club Feast in May, and the Pirate's Log Annual funding project ! Go Pirates!
We have provided a few articles this year outlining the incredible achievements of two of our past Highline Scholarship recipients who are both creating positive change in the world! The Highline High School Alumni Foundation proudly presents the stories of Alula Asfaw and Katarina Quach!
The 2023 newletter will provide you with the names and pictures of Highline's most recent scholarship recipients, and provide information on the newly elected Highline High School Athletic Hall of Fame members, and the new HHS Alumnus of the Year Tricia Anderson. It will also provide you with information about our 2023 donation drive and how you can help contribute to the Foundation. Volunteer donations in 2022 were 25% of the normal 10 year average due to Covid but have improved significantly in April! For as little as a one time donation of $20.00 you can join the other 8,000 Highline Alumni members and recieve updated annual information regarding the High School and the Almuni Foundation. Lifetime memberships at $100.00 have just surpassed the 900 member level. Thanks to all for your generous donations.
The Foundation will be hosting the annual golf tournament at the Auburn Golf Course on Friday August 25th, 2023 and the Alumni scholarship committee will partner with the high school staff and career college placement specialist to grant another 30 scholarships in 2023 along with hosting the Scholarship Celebration Ceremony for the students and their families and friends.
We sincerely appreciate our working partnership with the High School staff and Principal Clint Shalee and their entire support team and look forward to providing continued support for projects like the Highline Closet Clothing Bank, the Unity Day Celebration, the Pirate Booster Club Feast in May, and the Pirate's Log Annual funding project ! Go Pirates!
We have provided a few articles this year outlining the incredible achievements of two of our past Highline Scholarship recipients who are both creating positive change in the world! The Highline High School Alumni Foundation proudly presents the stories of Alula Asfaw and Katarina Quach!
Welcome Highline Alumni, Friends, and Community Sponsors
In 1995 the Highline High School Alumni Foundation donated one scholarship for $500. In 2022 the HHSAF granted 24 scholarships totaling $91,000. The past 10 years the Foundation has averaged over $22,000 per year in dues and donations. In 2022 Alumni donations decreased 75% to around $5,000. Our goal in 2023 is to mail the HHSAF annual newsletter to our database of 8,000 Highline Alumni and seek volunteer contributions to help fund $100,000 in scholarships. Annual dues are only $20 and lifetime dues $100. You can view the names of all the 2022 scholarship recipients and safely donate online by visiting the Foundation website at www.HHSAF.org. Your donations are tax deductible
Congratulations to the 2022 Scholarship Recipients
Back Row: Noah Harder - John P. Ashley Family Scholarship, Anni Tadesse - Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Scholarship, Lenora Fuaga - Social Studies Scholarship, Graham Luethe - Harry Lemon Memorial Scholarship, Khoa Tran - Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship, Tony Duong - Gary Low Memorial Scholarship, Allison Camacho - BECU Turnaround Scholarship, Sophie Jones - Annex Brothers Science Scholarship, Carmen Stanfield - English Scholarship, Dado Cokic - Emily Nishimura Herod Memorial Scholarship
Front Row: Elaiza Hoxha - Roger & Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship, Marilyn Bertrand - Roger & Linda Walsh Memorial Scholarship, Yisel Jimenez - Roger & Linda Walsh Memorial Scholarship, Kaelynn Khanphonphanh - Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship, Vichet Ros - Music Scholarship, Heather Fogerty - McEachern Family Fine Arts Scholarship, Lupita Perez Cedeno - Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship, Tiffany Tran - Dr. Alan Gunsel Memorial Community Service Scholarship, Ashley Rodriguez - World Language Scholarship, Manuel Bermudez-Leon - Dick Dahlgard Memorial Visual Arts/Photography Scholarship
Not Pictured: Lesli Pablo Gomez - Tom Sawyer/AVID Scholarship, Samantha Quiroz - Nancy Tully Memorial Business Scholarship, Andrea Ramos - BECU Turnaround Scholarship, Ava Simone Hortelius - Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship
Front Row: Elaiza Hoxha - Roger & Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship, Marilyn Bertrand - Roger & Linda Walsh Memorial Scholarship, Yisel Jimenez - Roger & Linda Walsh Memorial Scholarship, Kaelynn Khanphonphanh - Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship, Vichet Ros - Music Scholarship, Heather Fogerty - McEachern Family Fine Arts Scholarship, Lupita Perez Cedeno - Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship, Tiffany Tran - Dr. Alan Gunsel Memorial Community Service Scholarship, Ashley Rodriguez - World Language Scholarship, Manuel Bermudez-Leon - Dick Dahlgard Memorial Visual Arts/Photography Scholarship
Not Pictured: Lesli Pablo Gomez - Tom Sawyer/AVID Scholarship, Samantha Quiroz - Nancy Tully Memorial Business Scholarship, Andrea Ramos - BECU Turnaround Scholarship, Ava Simone Hortelius - Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship
Highline High School Principal Clint Sahlee
From HHS Principal Clint Sallee “I have come to deeply appreciate that Highline High School is truly blessed to have such an involved and supportive Alumni Foundation and been taken aback every year by the impressive amount of financial support the Highline High School’s Alumni Foundation provides for our deserving students. The Alumni Foundation is a relentless cheerleader and advocate for Highline High School’s past, present, and future.”
Past HHS Scholarship Recipients Alula Asfaw and Katarina Quach Are Making a Difference!
Alula Asfaw (left) dreams big. After graduating in 2008 he landed a job at the Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement. In that role, he supported place-based initiatives to improve schooling in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. After attending the University of Cambridge and Yale Law School Alula founded Bonds of Union, a nonprofit educational organization that aimed to help the highest-need students by giving them a learning coach who not only focuses on their math skills, but also their social-emotional skills and critical thinking. At the UW Asfaw was part of a group that helped create The Dream Project to send UW undergraduates to middle and high schools to help students overcome barriers to college. Since its start, hundreds of UW student-mentors have helped thousands of teens find their way to the UW and other schools.
Class of 2020 alum Katarina Quach (right) recently was accepted into the inaugural cohort of the Obama-Chesky Voyager scholars at Boston University. Quach is majoring in public relations and minoring in visual arts and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2024. She told the B-Town Blog that “I spent a lot of time in high school talking about how I wanted to be a voice for the students who weren’t heard, and how I wanted to be someone that people could look to in terms of seeing someone who was like them or at the least someone who related/understood them,” and “And now I get to pursue that kind of work, and I feel supported, recognized, and encouraged on so many levels. The opportunity to travel and build connections and communities is also intensely valuable to me, as I’ve always wanted to see and experience more of the world.”
Tricia Anderson of HHSAF cuts the ribbon celebrating the 1st year opening of the New High School
"Thank you, voters, for the brand new school!" Three recent grads spoke at the Highline High School Opening Year Celebration & Ribbon Cutting on June 15.
Alumni, elected officials, community members and some incoming families who toured the new facility were awestruck and beamed their delight: "It's amazing!"
And it took three tries, but Tricia Anderson, class of 1977 and scholarship committee co-chair with the Highline High School Alumni Foundation chopped through the double purple and gold ribbon with giant scissors.
Alumni from the class of 1948 up to as recent as this year's class of 2022 helped celebrate the end of the first year in the all-new school, constructed after voters approved the 2016 school bond.
Principal Architect Dan Miles of Bassetti Architects appeared a bit emotional upon leaving: "I've never heard students speak so passionately about a new school before."
Staff from Bassetti Architects, Skanska USA and Vanir turned out in force for the ceremony, which was postponed from the original date in October due to covid concerns, although self-guided tours were offered last fall.
Speakers included:
Clint Sallee, Principal, Highline High SchoolScott Logan, Chief of Operations, Highline Public SchoolsAaron Garcia Virgen, President, Highline School BoardSarah Moore, Council Member, City of Burien (and parent of HHS graduate Noah who served on the HHS design review committee)Kyla Blair, President, Yes for Highline (bond and levy campaign committee)John and Nanci (Yarno) Leonard, class of 1964 (staff speakers)Roxana Pardo Garcia, class of 2008 (alumni speaker)Dominique Taylor, Dado Cokic and Karis Gran, class of 2022 (student speaker & panelists)The cheer squad performed, followed by a ribbon cutting.
Refreshments were provided by Vanir Construction Management and Ohrt Real Estate Group.
Alumni, elected officials, community members and some incoming families who toured the new facility were awestruck and beamed their delight: "It's amazing!"
And it took three tries, but Tricia Anderson, class of 1977 and scholarship committee co-chair with the Highline High School Alumni Foundation chopped through the double purple and gold ribbon with giant scissors.
Alumni from the class of 1948 up to as recent as this year's class of 2022 helped celebrate the end of the first year in the all-new school, constructed after voters approved the 2016 school bond.
Principal Architect Dan Miles of Bassetti Architects appeared a bit emotional upon leaving: "I've never heard students speak so passionately about a new school before."
Staff from Bassetti Architects, Skanska USA and Vanir turned out in force for the ceremony, which was postponed from the original date in October due to covid concerns, although self-guided tours were offered last fall.
Speakers included:
Clint Sallee, Principal, Highline High SchoolScott Logan, Chief of Operations, Highline Public SchoolsAaron Garcia Virgen, President, Highline School BoardSarah Moore, Council Member, City of Burien (and parent of HHS graduate Noah who served on the HHS design review committee)Kyla Blair, President, Yes for Highline (bond and levy campaign committee)John and Nanci (Yarno) Leonard, class of 1964 (staff speakers)Roxana Pardo Garcia, class of 2008 (alumni speaker)Dominique Taylor, Dado Cokic and Karis Gran, class of 2022 (student speaker & panelists)The cheer squad performed, followed by a ribbon cutting.
Refreshments were provided by Vanir Construction Management and Ohrt Real Estate Group.
Highline Lands Outstanding Design Awards
The new Highline High School created by Bassetti Architects, landed an Outstanding Project Award and is featured in the Fall 2022 Learning By Design magazines’s Educational Faciities Design Awards section. The new school also won the 2022 Polished Apple Award.for Educational Design by the Washington chapter for the Association of Learning Enviornments. The following link below can provide you with pictures and a virtual tour.
https://hhs.highlineschools.org/about/virtual-tour
What Is the Value and Impact Of A New Modern School Building
Dominique Taylor (C/O 2022) (far right) was one of the speakers at the Opening Celebration in June for the new Highline High School building. “This school makes us feel like somebody cares about us, so we want to come to school, and we want to learn. I hope that Tyee and Evergreen have the same opportunity for a beautiful, modern school, so they can also thrive. My favorite things about the new Highline High School are: the quiet spot in the hallway, the big Promethean boards in the classrooms, the multiple staircases, the water bottle fountains where you can fill your water bottle, the comfy chairs, and the list just goes on. This building has a college vibe to it, so I feel like I’m in college already.”
As vice president of HHS’s Black Student Union, Dominique helped plan and was a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly, helped organize the Beauty in Blackness art showcase for students, and cooking sessions to showcase Black and African cultural foods. She helped found and was vice president of Girls Group at HHS.Dominique is now attending Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, planning to get degrees in social work and business, so she can help families and create a non-profit organization to help homeless families off the streets and to a better future.
As vice president of HHS’s Black Student Union, Dominique helped plan and was a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly, helped organize the Beauty in Blackness art showcase for students, and cooking sessions to showcase Black and African cultural foods. She helped found and was vice president of Girls Group at HHS.Dominique is now attending Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, planning to get degrees in social work and business, so she can help families and create a non-profit organization to help homeless families off the streets and to a better future.
Foundation Newsletter Editor - Michele (Ham) Miller - Most recent Version 2022 published in May of 2022
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 21 - 2022
What’s New with HHSAF?• Shiny, new Website hhsaf.org• Like us on Facebook!• Golf Tournament 8/26/22!• New Scholarship for 2022!
How Can You Help?Our funding sources include Alumni memberships, our annual Golf Tournament, donations, endowments, and memorial gifts. Please join us for $20 annually or become one of our 892 Lifetime Members for $100 total. Each year, we honor the Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees and the HHS Alumnus of the year. We also participate in the Burien 4th of July Parade and Rusty Nuts Car Show. We support various HHS organizations and causes. Our MissionThe Highline High School Alumni Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1995. Our mission is to provide information and outreach for HHS Alumni and to generate funding for scholarships for HHS seniors in collaboration with the school principal and teachers. RIP 2019/2020Dr. Basil Gideon Anex, Anex Science Dept Scholarship Dr. Alan Gunsul, Community Service ScholarshipThank you
Congratulations to the 2021 Scholarship Recipients
Tom Sawyer, AVID Scholarship – Fatima Zavala, BECU Turnaround Scholarship – Valery Resendiz, Annex Brothers Science Department – Nha Khu, World Language Department – Johan Aleman Lara, Roger & Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship – Ny Ha, McEachern Family Fine Arts Scholarship –Riley Brown, Harry E. Lemon Memorial Scholarship – Justin Nguyen, Emily Nishimura Herod Memorial Scholarship – Justin Nguyen, Gary Low Memorial Scholarship – Matthew Fichamba, John P. Ashley Memorial Scholarship –Matthew Fichamba, Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship- Diem Nguyen, Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship – Jarell Sanchez-Soria, BECU Turnaround Scholarship – Jonathan Estrada Vielman, Nancy Tulley Memorial Business Department – Kim Nguyen, Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Department –Mukhtar Kiboigo, English Department – Emily Jung, Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship – Erik Yahir Barahona Mendez, Music Department – Eva Phan, Social Studies Department – Helen Te, Roger & Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship – Jacqueline Prado Manzo, Roger & Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship – Brandon Arcadia Gonzalez, Dick Dahlgard Memorial Visual Arts Scholarship – Huy Tran, Dr. Alan Gunsul Memorial Community Service Scholarship – Selena Nguyen, Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship – Ricardo Gonzalez Ceja
We hope, this year, to be able to once again hold our celebratory reception in person and capture a group photo of our winners!Back Row: Noah Harder - John P. Ashley Family Scholarship, Anni Tadesse - Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Scholarship, Lenora Fuaga - Social Studies Scholarship, Graham Luethe - Harry Lemon Memorial Scholarship, Khoa Tran - Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship, Tony Duong - Gary Low Memorial Scholarship, Allison Camacho - BECU Turnaround Scholarship, Sophie Jones - Annex Brothers Science Scholarship, Carmen Stanfield - English Scholarship, Dado Cokic - Emily Nishimura Herod Memorial Scholarship
We hope, this year, to be able to once again hold our celebratory reception in person and capture a group photo of our winners!Back Row: Noah Harder - John P. Ashley Family Scholarship, Anni Tadesse - Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Scholarship, Lenora Fuaga - Social Studies Scholarship, Graham Luethe - Harry Lemon Memorial Scholarship, Khoa Tran - Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship, Tony Duong - Gary Low Memorial Scholarship, Allison Camacho - BECU Turnaround Scholarship, Sophie Jones - Annex Brothers Science Scholarship, Carmen Stanfield - English Scholarship, Dado Cokic - Emily Nishimura Herod Memorial Scholarship
2021 Membership Drive Earns $25,109!
Founded in 1995 by a group of dedicated graduates, the non-profit Highline High School Alumni Foundation initially awarded one $500 Harry E. Lemon Memorial Citizenship Scholarship to a graduating HHS Senior. We currently provide scholarships to deserving seniors in Science, Math, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Visual Arts and Fine Arts. We also reward seniors with special needs, seniors who improved their success during high school, a student exhibiting exceptional citizenship through community service, a 4-year college attendee in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math), students pursuing vocational education, a future teacher, an engineering or business student and an AVID student pursuing STEM study. This last year, our 24 scholarships totaled $91,000.
Honoring May Johnson Mettler
Announcing the May Johnson Mettler Future Nurse Scholarship, our newest scholarship. This $4000 ($1000 per year renewable scholarship) will be awarded to a graduating senior who is pursuing a career in nursing at the University of Washington. May, who earned her Masters in Nursing from the University of Washington in 1965, was a nurse for over 40 years, 22 of them with the Highline School District. She retired in 2005. She was known for her dedication to and her compassionate love of the children with whom she worked. She was their advocate, encouraging them to stop by her office not only for physical needs, but also when they just needed to talk. This scholarship honors her legacy. Many thanks to May’s family, and those who donated in her name, for their generosity
A special thank you to Karen Pauler, HHS’s “Frau Pauler” for her donation to the World Language award in honor of Bobby Bae, HHS Grad, who was stationed in Germany in the army. Thank you, Bobby, for your service!
2021 Alumnus of the Year, Jeff Ashley
I’m humbled and honored,” Ashley said. “I’ve always been a Pirate and always will be.” “The Alumnus of the Year award is the Foundations’s way to honor those who have done so much for the community, whether through charitable means or through business or other leadership,” said Gary Korsgaard, Alumni Foundation President. “We select those HHS graduates who provide a role model showing the kind of success that HHS students can realize.”
While at Highline, Jeff played football, basketball and baseball. He was captain of the baseball team and selected to the All-North Puget Sound League at catcher. He went on to Eastern Washington University where he playedtwo years of baseball. He has been in the real estate and mortgage business since 1979 and is currently branch manager for Caliber Home Loans, with responsibility for four branches of the company.
In 2017, Ashley and his family established the John P. Ashley Scholarship through the HHS Alumni Foundation, named after his late father. In addition to scholarships, Ashley and his company have been involved in support of the Veterans Administration, Union Gospel Mission, Habitat for Humanity, the HHS Alumni Foundation Golf Day, and other programs.
~From an article by Marc Anderson
From a Grateful Recipient
Dear HHS Alumni Foundation,
I would like to thank you for awarding me the Nancy Tully Memorial Business Scholarship. I will be the first in my family to attend a four-year university. The award money will give me an opportunity to pursue my dream of getting my bachelor’s degree in business administration. I deeply appreciate the generous support.
~Kim Nguyen, Nancy Tully Memorial Business Scholarship
Words of Gratitude
Dear Scholarship Donor,
I am writing this letter to express my sincerest thanks to you for establishing me the Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship. It is an honor to be the recipient of this year’s award. I intend to use your scholarship to study accounting at Washington State University. My family and I are currently working extremely hard to save money in order to pay for college because the grants we received were insufficient. We really don’t want to take out loans since they are difficult to repay and may lead to debt. The Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship will allow me to focus more on my education without having to worry too much about my financial situation.
Future Engineer
Excerpts from Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship Essay by Ricardo Gonzalez CejaWhen we look at the world around us, from the buildings that seem to stretch beyond the sky’s limits or to the everlasting bridges that connect us, who do we thank? It is innovation that drives and shapes our societies, and it is engineers that make that possible. I plan to be among the many prominent engineers of this generation that advance humanity into an exceptional future. The passions I have for engineering were sparked by the math and science classes I took throughout high school. They pushed me to think critically and about how I could one day profoundly impact the world around me….While I can’t definitively say what field of engineering I want to pursue, there are many obstacles I seek to aid in overcoming. Our world is undoubtedly changing, becoming more hostile as temperatures and sea levels continue to rise due to human influences. The climate crisis will prove to be further detrimental to life on earth as humans continue to emit toxic gasses and waste at an alarmingly increasing rate. Dangers to the environment are problems I seek to address, finding ways to improve sustainability and reduce the manufacturing carbon footprint. I am currently advocating for sustainable energy at my high school through my Environmental Club participation. We are in the process of installing solar panels through our partnership and support from many local non-profit organizations. We strive to give high school students access to sustainable energy and provide our district with an alternate unit energy source, ultimately changing our community and environment for the better... ...Furthermore, regardless of what field of engineering I choose to pursue, I will face many grueling challenges in my efforts. We will soon find that the climate crisis won’t be our only obstacle to a better future. Many barriers that we can’t yet decipher will become prominent, posing threats towards humanity as we’ve never seen before. Ultimately, when the time comes, it will be engineers at the forefront of this life-or-death struggle, and I plan to be one of them.
What Highline Means to Me
In my four years at Highline High School, I met many different people and saw the inspiring legacies left at this school. Highline High School to me means greatness through adversity. When looking at the old Highline building, everything was breaking down and was vintage. But looking at all the mementos left by the previous generations of Highline students and stories of previous students, it reminds me of all the greatness and success all of the students achieved. It also reminds me of how they were able to fight for their success. Even with everything around them crumbling, and with nothing given to them, those students were able to achieve greatness. Going to Highline High School has affected me a lot more than I initially thought, learning of the legacies here has made me have a profound respect for the past. Highline has shown me how to gain respect from others, because my wrestling coach has told me nothing is going to be handed to me. He told me I have to work for everything I want, and I find it always true. I learned a lot about myself and the world through the community at Highline, and it showed me that I want to leave my mark on this school, on this world, just like those who came before me, so I can help guide those in need, as I once was.
~Justin Nguyen, Outstanding Applicant, Awarded Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship & Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship Scholarship
Hall of Fame Inductees
Those honored are selected from a list of nominees suggested by coaches and graduates. They are honored annually at the Homecoming Assembly in the fall. Permanent plaques are displayed at HHS. Awards are given in four categories and selection is based on high school accomplishments and post-graduate athletic achievements and/or service to the high school. All nominations should be made in writing and mailed to the Alumni Foundation, accompanied with biographical information about the individual or team. Congratulations to the these outstanding athletes:Rick Barnhart (1974), an outstanding pitcher for three seasons at Highline, he continued his playing career first at Green River College, then at the University of Puget Sound. Nick Castro, (1979), was a versatile dual-sport athlete during his years at Highline High School. He was 2nd team All League in football and a strong wrestler in his sophomore and junior years. He was 1st team offense and defense in the North Puget Sound League his senior year. Dawn Tessendore (1992, pictured), was an exceptional all-round athlete at HHS, earning letters for gymnastics, softball, diving and band. For more information on these and past inductees, go to hhsaf.org
2022 HHS Alumni Golf Tournament Fri Aug 26th
Mark your calendars for the annual Highline High School Alumni Foundation Golf Fun Day at the scenic Auburn Golf Course, 7:30 am shotgun start. Back by popular demand, we have once again auctioned off Jack Thompson to join a foursome as a 5th golfer. Jack was a WSU football star and NCAA passing record holder and later became the quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year’s lucky foursome included Jim Rice, Roger Gray, Gene Armstrong and Joseph Lynn. Thank you for your generous donation! This year’s winning foursome will be announced August 22nd.
We have many great prizes, including $20,000 for a Hole-in-One on Hole #14!Auburn Golf Course provides a delicious lunch, accompanied by the awards ceremony with special guest speakers and great raffle prizes. Mulligans and raffle tickets are cash only that day. If you, your company, or class would be interested in sponsoring a hole or donating prizes for our Golf Day, please let us know.
Proceeds go to our scholarship fund for deserving HHS Seniors!Check our website hhsaf.org or Facebook page for additional info or contact Cathy Low at 206-244-3044 or Larry Olson at 253-631-6466
Support HHS Students
HHS’s Clothing Closet needs donations of new or gently used, teenfriendly clothing, shoes, backpacks and accessories. Contact Tricia.anderson206@comcast.net or drop items off at the front desk of the school.
The Pirate’s Log Annual needs you! Support by becoming a Yearbook Angel, or place an ad. Contact chelsea.hinderlie@highline schools.org
To Donate
To donate to the HHS Alumni Foundation, make checks payable to HHS Alumni FoundationPO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166 or pay by credit card on our website by clicking on the shopping cart icon hhsaf.orgLike us on Facebook
Join Our Crew!
We welcome new volunteers! Check out our brand new website hhsaf.org We encourage your input for fundraising ideas, website updates, articles for the Soundings annual newsletter and nominations for Alumnus of the Year and the Alumni Hall of Fame. Have some new information to post about an upcoming Class Reunion? Let us know the details and we’ll share it on our website. Interested in joining? Have Info or Updates to Share?
Contact:Gary Korsgaard, President, at grkgroup@hotmail.comMichele (Ham) Miller, Newsletter Coordinator, at millersailorlady59@gmail.com
or go to the Contact Us Page on this website and send a message
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 20 - 2021
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
Highline High School Alumni Foundation 2020 Scholarship Recipients
Eliza Romero - Pictured (Tom Sawyer, AVID Scholarship), Gabriela Palma-Orantes (Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts/Photography), Penelope Phan (World Language Dept.), Jay Maldonado Morales (Anex Brothers Science Dept.), Evaya McAfee-Coe (Social Studies Dept.), Kat Quach (English Dept.), Mitchell Gideon (McEachern Family Foundation Fine Arts Dept), Wren Bergin (Music Dept.), Chelsea Vorng (Uli and Gayle Chi, Mathematics Dept.), Michael Drake (Nancy Tully Memorial Business Dept), Jonathan Toledo Walls (Mavis Luksan Memorial Scholarship), Dalia Lopez Barraza (Mavis Luksan Memoria Scholarship), Aulona Hoxha (Roger and Linda Walsh Vocational), Payton Gaines (Roger and Linda Walsh Vocational), Erika Swim-Balcom (Roger and Linda Walsh Vocational), Valeria Villalon Tinoco (BECU Turnaround Scholarship), Matthew Perkins (BECU Turnaround Scholarship), Lily Duong (Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship),Miguel Estevez (Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship), Ashley Herrera (Donald Bunger Future Technology), Daniel Vuong(Harry E. Lemon Memorial Scholarship), Malakai Carter (John P. Ashley Family Scholarship), Chhy Chhy Yeak (Dr. Gunsul Memorial Community Service), Ishmael Togi (Gary Low Memorial Scholarship)
Dedicated Duo
Patti Stewart Burgess (for HHS Class of 1950’s 70th Anniversary) and Tricia Anderson (For the HHS Alumni Foundation) signing the beam to celebrate progress at the new HHS High School. This memorial beam is for the main structure. Stakeholders in this community-funded project were invited to sign, including our Alumni Co-Chairs.
Through these unprecedented times, the Highline High School Class of 2020 faced a challenging school year in an unfamiliar school setting as the new and improved building was under construction. As COVID-19 restrictions continue to unfold, there have been no traditional ceremonies or gatherings to celebrate their accomplishments. We were saddened to have to cancel our annual awards ceremony last June, where we would have presented the winners with their certificates and memorialized this event with a group photo.
The Alumni Foundation wishes to extend our gratitude to Mauricio Majano, HHS College & Career Access Specialist at Highline High School for his guidance to the students and his support and assistance with the awarding of our scholarships. We would also like express a special thank you to our steadfast Scholarship Foundation Co-Chairs, dynamic duo Patti Stewart Burgess and Tricia Anderson for their hard work, positive energy, dedication and flexibility!
Congratulations 2020 HHS Alumni Foundation Alumni of the Year -John and Nanci Leonard, Class of 1964!
From Grateful Scholarship Recipients:
Dear HHS Alumni Foundation, I am honored to have been chosen for the Roger and Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship from you all. I wanted to let you know, because of your kindness, I will be going to Central Washington University in the fall. With your help, I can confidently start my higher education because of your devotion to investing in Highline graduates like me. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I am filled with gratitude knowing you all contributed to that happening. Your generosity inspires me to give back and make others’ dreams come true. On behalf of my whole family and I, with sincere gratitude, we say thanks to you!
Best, Erika Swim-Balcom ~ Roger and Linda Walsh Vocational Scholarship
To the HHS Alumni Foundation:Through these trying times I had this to lighten my life up. I want to express my sincere gratitude and say thank you to everyone at the Highline High School Alumni Foundation for selecting me to receive the Nancy Tully Memorial Business Award. I was ecstatic to receive the good news. This will help my family and me in a profound way to help pay for college by reducing the burden of debt I will have to take on. I plan on pursuing a degree in finance upon graduating from UW Seattle. I hope I am able to carry on Nancy Tully’s legacy at the University of Washington and spread what I’ve learned at Highline High School. Although I never met her, I have heard a lot of great things. My counselor even told me I would have liked her a lot. I will do my best to honor her memory on whatever journeys I experience during my future education… Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community I was born and raised in . I hope one day I will be able to help students from Highline achieve their goals just as you have helped me… “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Michael Drake ~ Nancy Tully Memorial Business Dept. Scholarship
Dear Highline Alumni Foundation, Thank you so much for your generous community service scholarship and for investing your time and money into students. This scholarship will allow me to live at the University without having to worry about tuition costs while trying to feed myself. It will bring me great relief and it motivates me to work harder than ever in not only my academics, but also in my volunteer work for my community. In these hard times, you made my future brighter and I will take my gratitude and pass it forward with kindness and action. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your amazing work. Sincerely,Chhy Chhy Yeak ~ Dr. Gunsul Memorial Community Service
Dear Highline Alumni Foundation, Thank you so much for your generous community service scholarship and for investing your time and money into students. This scholarship will allow me to live at the University without having to worry about tuition costs while trying to feed myself. It will bring me great relief and it motivates me to work harder than ever in not only my academics, but also in my volunteer work for my community. In these hard times, you made my future brighter and I will take my gratitude and pass it forward with kindness and action. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your amazing work. Sincerely,Chhy Chhy Yeak ~ Dr. Gunsul Memorial Community Service
Why Community Service is Important…
Excerpts from essay by Chhy Chhy Yeak, 2020 Dr. Alan L.W. Gunsul Community Service Recipient
“Thank you.” These words have never meant so much to me… from an exhausted nurse at the end of her 12-hour shift… from the disabled veteran who lost his right eye and was able to get food without feeling judged, embarrassed, or unequal… from a grateful immigrant parent who barely speaks English and can’t support their child in their academics, much less read with them. You see, community service isn’t just about gaining experiences and meeting new people. It’s about touching the lives of the people we service and making them feel welcomed in a safe environment by those who care for them… I don’t have much to give… but I have the time. I have energy. I have the determination to learn and a cheerful personality to encourage the people I meet. Community service is helping those who can’t help themselves and while we may not think we have enough to give, our aid can mean the world to others. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of our time, effort, and presence to make the community a better place. A small action can change lives and a small “Thank you” echoes in our hearts forever.
Thanks to You… Our Membership Drive and Fundraisers for 2020 brought in $25,617!
In 1995, the fledgling non-profit Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to a graduating HHS senior. We currently provide scholarships in Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and Photography. We also award money to seniors with special needs, seniors who improved their success during high school, a student exhibiting exceptional citizenship, a 4-year college attendee in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) discipline, students pursuing vocational education, a future teacher, an engineering or business student, and an AVID student pursuing STEM studies. Our newest scholarship is the Gary Low Memorial Scholarship, a tribute to the best friend and loving husband of Cathy Low, our beloved and hard-working golf committee chairperson. This year our scholarships, gifted to 24 deserving students, totaled over $90,000! We wish to extend our gratitude for generous donations for specific scholarships: BECU $6,000, John P. Ashley Family Scholarship $2,000, Tom Sawyer Memorial Scholarship $2,000. Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, our annual Golf Day, the All-Class Reunion, plus donations, endowments, and memorial gifts. Please join us for $15 annually or become one of our 800 plus Lifetime Members for $100 total. Each year we also honor the Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year.
Please donate to this worthy cause!Make checks payable to:HHS Alumni Foundation, PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166Or pay by credit card on our website under the Contribute Now tabwww.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.orgLike us on Facebook!
Highline HS Golf Tournament Returns!
GOLF FUN DAY ALERT!Save the Date Friday, August 20, 2021Auburn Golf Course7:30 am Shotgun Start
Burien native Jack Thompson, WSU football star and NCAA passing record holder; later quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be joining us as a special guest. Email dexterdad1@comcast.net to place a bid to have Jack as your 5th golfer Minimum bid $500, maximum bid $2000 by your foursome (in addition to each golfer’s $99 golf fee). Team with the highest bid will be contacted by Marc on Monday, August 16th.The Pirate and his Lady will make a special guest appearance to encourage your participation and good scores for the Hole in One awards! Check our website or Facebook page for unfolding info coming soon! Register at www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.org or contact Cathy Low at cathylow@comcast.net or Larry Olson at 253-631-6466
Burien native Jack Thompson, WSU football star and NCAA passing record holder; later quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be joining us as a special guest. Email dexterdad1@comcast.net to place a bid to have Jack as your 5th golfer Minimum bid $500, maximum bid $2000 by your foursome (in addition to each golfer’s $99 golf fee). Team with the highest bid will be contacted by Marc on Monday, August 16th.The Pirate and his Lady will make a special guest appearance to encourage your participation and good scores for the Hole in One awards! Check our website or Facebook page for unfolding info coming soon! Register at www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.org or contact Cathy Low at cathylow@comcast.net or Larry Olson at 253-631-6466
Please note, our 17th ANNUAL HIGHLINE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION has been postponed again this year. Please see our website for updates about next year…
HHS Alumni Foundation Crew Needs You!
We welcome new volunteers with fresh energy and ideas. Watch our website for upcoming general meeting dates and events. We encourage your input for fundraising ideas, website updates, articles for our annual newsletter, and nominations for Alumnus of the Year and the Alumni Hall of Fame. Have some information to post about an upcoming Class Reunion? Let us know the details and we’ll share it on our website.
Interested? Have Info or Updates to Share? Contact:Gary Korsgaard, President, at grkgroup@hotmail.comMichele (Ham) Miller, Newsletter Coordinator, at millersailorlady59@gmail.comKevin Ostic, Webmaster, at dawgpa@msn.com
Interested? Have Info or Updates to Share? Contact:Gary Korsgaard, President, at grkgroup@hotmail.comMichele (Ham) Miller, Newsletter Coordinator, at millersailorlady59@gmail.comKevin Ostic, Webmaster, at dawgpa@msn.com
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 19 - 2020
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
HHS 2019 Scholarship Recipients
Front Row: L-RRay Levya (BECU Turnaround), Dai Le (Roger and Linda Walsh), Nasheli Ambrosio Juarez (Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts), Sierra Svetlik (Donald Bunger Future Technology), Iliana Rodas-Brito (Tom Sawyer AVID), Lily Luu (Nancy Tully Memorial Business Dept.), Jacqueline Mendoza (World Language Dept.)
Middle Row: L-RNoelia Miramantes (Mc Eachern Family Fine Art), Rodrigo Gallardo (Roger and Linda Walsh), Esmeralda Bonilla-Quijada (Mavis Luksan Memorial), Jessica Bedolla-Mendoza (Patti Burgess Future Teacher), Yesenia Bedolla-Mendoza, (Emily Nishimura Herod), Erica Reynoso-Andrade (Anex Brothers Science Dept.), Caylee Collins, (Harry E. Lemon Memorial), Ivy Reed (Music Dept.), Phuong Nguyen (Social Studies Dept.)
Back Row: L-RGabriella Rodriguez (BECU Turnaround), Amanda Short (John P. Ashley Family), Stella Fosberg (English Dept.), Nikola Roso (Donald Bunger Future Technology), Christina Cervantez (Dr. AlanGunsul), Brianna Pruitt (Mavis Luksan), Haley Riggs (Uli and Gayle Chi Mathematics), Helen Mattson (Roger and Linda Walsh)
Middle Row: L-RNoelia Miramantes (Mc Eachern Family Fine Art), Rodrigo Gallardo (Roger and Linda Walsh), Esmeralda Bonilla-Quijada (Mavis Luksan Memorial), Jessica Bedolla-Mendoza (Patti Burgess Future Teacher), Yesenia Bedolla-Mendoza, (Emily Nishimura Herod), Erica Reynoso-Andrade (Anex Brothers Science Dept.), Caylee Collins, (Harry E. Lemon Memorial), Ivy Reed (Music Dept.), Phuong Nguyen (Social Studies Dept.)
Back Row: L-RGabriella Rodriguez (BECU Turnaround), Amanda Short (John P. Ashley Family), Stella Fosberg (English Dept.), Nikola Roso (Donald Bunger Future Technology), Christina Cervantez (Dr. AlanGunsul), Brianna Pruitt (Mavis Luksan), Haley Riggs (Uli and Gayle Chi Mathematics), Helen Mattson (Roger and Linda Walsh)
From Grateful Scholarship Recipients
To the HHS Alumni Foundation:
I want to express my sincere appreciation for all the wonderful work that the Foundation… has done for Highline and its students. Highline High School has been my home for the last four years and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. Inspired by both the school and the foundation, I want to carry forward the Highline Spirit and work to empower future Pirates. -Phong Nguyen~Social Studies Dept. Scholarship
Dear Anex Brothers: First of all, thank you, Basil, George and Robert. I am honored to receive this scholarship, to have my hard work pay off and be acknowledged. I truly appreciate this recognition and your contribution to my academics. Science has always interested me, from the basics – biology and chemistry, to human anatomy and computer science. I am continuing my education at the University of Washington where I plan on majoring in Medical Lab Science, a STEM major. This is all thanks to you three, so once again, thank you. Sincerely, Erica Reynoso - Andrade
Anex Science Dept ScholarshipThank you for the award money. Your contributions make the future so much brighter, especially for those who felt like they didn’t have one. By Sierra Svetlik ~Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship
What Highline Means to Me
Excerpts from essay by Haley Riggs, 2019 Math Scholarship Recipient (written prior to demolition/rebuild)
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Sure, it’s cliché, but when it comes to Highline High School, this couldn’t be more true. If one were to absorb themselves with the falling ceiling tiles, chipping paint, and occasional rodent scurrying down its halls, they’d lose sight of the gem that Highline is. Highline is a place where faculty care about their students on a level that I have never experienced before. Students from all backgrounds, religions, ethnicities and passions are united under a common roof. I believe that Highline has brought out the best in me. I am incredibly thankful for my experience as a Pirate.
Highline means dedicated, caring faculty members who truly want the best for their students… Highline means diversity and inspiration. It is a place where every student is unique, a place where there’s something to learn from everyone… Highline means community…
Although Highline may not, at this point in its extensive career, look the prettiest, one thing it doesn’t lack is heart. From its extraordinary staff members to its diverse students to the community embedded deep within its culture, Highline is a school unlike any other. I’m thankful for all that Highline has given me and I’m extremely proud to be a Pirate.
Thanks to You - Our Membership Drive and Fundraisers for 2019 Brought in Over $42,000!
In 1995, the fledgling non-profit Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to a graduating HHS senior. We currently provide scholarships in Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and Photography. We also award money to seniors with special needs, seniors who improved their success during high school, a student exhibiting exceptional citizenship, a 4-year college attendee in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) discipline, students pursuing vocational education, a future teacher, an engineering or business student, and an AVID student pursuing STEM studies. Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, our annual Golf Day, the All-Class Reunion, plus donations, endowments and memorial gifts. Please join us for $10 annually or become one of our 800 plus Lifetime Members for $100 total. Each year we also honor the Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year.
Please donate to this worthy cause!Make checks payable to:HHS Alumni Foundation, PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166Or pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tabwww.HHSAF.orgLike us on Facebook!
Please note, our 16th ANNUAL HIGHLINE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION for 2020 as well as our ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT have been postponed until fall or next spring due to corona virus safety measures . Please see our website for any updates later this year.
Congratulations, 2019 HHS Alumni Foundation Alumnus of the Year
Clark County Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke, Class of 1973
We are proud to present our 2019 Alumnus of the Year, Daniel Stahnke, graduate of HHS class of 1973
Daniel started in 1981 as a Clark County Sheriff’s Office custody officer. He went on to graduate from law school via night school at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, while raising two kids and working the day shift in the jail. After that, he worked at the law firm of English, Lane, Marshall, Barrar, Stahnke & Vanderwood. He became a Clark County Superior Court Commissioner in 2007.
In 2011, then Governor Gregoire appointed Daniel Stahnke as Clark County Superior Court Judge. In a preference poll several weeks prior to that, the Clark County Bar Association overwhelming chose Stahnke over five opponents for the position. Candidates were voted on based upon legal ability, judicial temperament, integrity, and relevant law experience. Daniel has experience in family law, juvenile offenses, and domestic violence protection orders. Congratulations to Daniel Stahnke!
From Tremain Holloway - Dear HHS Alumni
Moving into our new school is presenting us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to be thoughtful and intentional in considering our identity and crafting it as a reflection of the past, present, and future. The symbol of who we are is our school’s logo, and a committee of staff and students, in partnership with a graphic designer, has worked with energy and enthusiasm to develop an updated logo for Highline High School.
We gathered input from students, staff, alumni and community so that the updated logo reflects today’s school community and honors Highline High School’s long and proud history. The logo update committee reviewed survey responses, hosted a family engagement night and engaged students in their classrooms. Themes that emerged included the importance of staying true to our pirate heritage and the desire to feel proud, safe and welcoming. Additionally, it was important to represent Highline High School in a way that is inclusive of all individuals and groups in our Highline community.
Today, we remain the Highline High School Pirates, proud as ever, drenched in gold and purple. I’m excited to unveil our updated logo The ship, which had the most favorable responses in the survey, symbolizes that we are all on this journey together. We’re adventurers and explorers on a safe vessel. The tall mast and sails show pride. The banner nods to nostalgia, and the “est. 1924” shows our history as the oldest high school in Highline. A complementary athletics logo with a strong “H” was also created for use in partnership with the school logo. This provides versatility and adaptability for our various sports, teams and extracurricular programs.
You’ll see these graphics in our new building, on our website, business cards and more. Thank you to our committee process. And thank you to the students in Ms. Umberger’s and Mrs. Stanfield’s class for your continued feedback, ensuring that student voice is front and center along the process. Thank you. ~Tremain Holloway, HHS Co-Principal
New Highline Head Football Coach Deontae Cooper Outlines Future Vision for The Pirate Football Team at HHS Golf Tourney
Deontae Cooper was the guest speaker at the Highline High School Alumni Foundation Charity Golf Tournament at Auburn Golf Course on August 16th. The HHSAF tournament is normally held every year on the 3rd Friday in August with all proceeds going towards scholarships for Highline seniors. This year’s tournament raised over $11,000 and was attended by 150 players and guests. Last year, the HHSAF provided 20+ scholarships valued at $90,000. Since 1995 the HHSAF has issued 341 scholarships totaling $618,000.
DEONTAE COOPER BIOGRAPHYCoach Deontae Cooper was recruited by Coach Steve Sarkisian at the University of Washington in 2010. At Citrus HS in California Deontae gained nearly 7,500 yards with 107 TD’s. He was rated as one of the 10 best running backs in the nation. During his freshman year Deontae tore his ACL and missed the entire season due to surgery and rehabilitation. Most unfortunately Deontae returned to the field only to reinjury his ACL again in 2011 and once more in 2012. Starting in 2013 Deontae played multiple years for the Dawgs and recorded 163 yards against Oregon State in one game averaging nearly 16 yards per carry. After Coach Sarkisian departed to become head coach for USC, Deontae transferred to San Jose State for his final year and then went on to the Oakland Raider training camp as a free agent. Deontae was an assistant coach for Bellevue HS prior to coming to Highline.During Deontae’s career at the UW he was elected as a team captain and was awarded the prestigious Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award in recognition for the impact he had upon his teammates and others in the community. A UW teammate commented that “Deontae set a real high bar for having a don’t quit, believe in yourself, kind of mentality”. UW sportswriter Adam Jude wrote that “During his perpetual rehabilitation, strangers wrote him supportive letters and posted appreciative messages on his Facebook page. Deontae gave talks to High School classes about not giving up. He found solace and service in that, in being an Inspirational Story for others” Adam Jude added the following quote from Greg Smith, Husky fan from Orting in his Seattle Times article. “I will truly miss Deontae. I watched his first spring training years ago and remarked that he was so quick and so smooth, I envisioned great things from him. And we did get great things from Deontae. He epitomized the concepts of hard work, dedication, and inspiration. Good luck to him. To me, he is a Husky legend.” FUTURE VISION FOR HIGHLINE PIRATE FOOTBALL TEAMCoach Cooper outlined the following vision for the future of the Pirate football team. Deontae wants to build a new culture of community and student support with improved academics. His goal is to develop outstanding students and model players leveraging a proactive football booster network. Deontae was an assistant coach at Bellevue and experienced the benefits of having strong community support. Deontae has also collected an incredible new staff of assistants that played college football for the UW and other college programs. He sees this as an important strategy to help mentor and motivate his players. Deontae desires to work with the HS counselors to increase academic proficiency and to develop a safe and positive place for kids to meet, develop, and work together. The team is currently raising funds to provide sports drinks and other essentials for the players team room. Coach Cooper mentioned that many of the great athletes in the Highline school district have shown a tendency to leave and attend other schools that are more competitive and have increased resources. Coach Cooper wants to build a strong alliance of community leaders and boosters to help him increase player retention and build a long- term sustainable competitive model
. HOW YOU CAN HELPTo help coach Cooper accomplish his vision you can join the Highline High School Pirate Booster Club. For more information, please contact Jessica Kido. Jessica’s email address is Jessica.kido7@gmail.com Jessica can be reached at 206-250-9891. Booster Club options include:Single person @ $25 with 1 booster T-shirtFamily @ $40 for 2 adults with 1 booster T-shirtSuper @ $60 with game punch card for 5 football games with 1 booster T-shirtMega @ $100 with game punch card, booster t-shirt and HHS Hoodie SweatshirtPlease send checks in care of Highline HS BOOSTERS (at Olympic Site). 615 So. 200th, Des Moines, WA 98198
website https://hhs.highlineschools.org/booster-club
Coach Cooper plans to distribute a newsletter every few months to outline his goals, and provide an assessment on the academic, financial, and player development progress of his team. Coach Cooper mentioned that given the current condition of the Highline football program it may take some time to achieve his overall vision, but he is fully personally invested for the long term. Judging by Deontae’s prior life achievements involving leadership, motivation, inspiration, and overcoming adversity, the Pirate program could not ask for a more qualified leader, coach, and mentor. Please help Deontae by volunteering to support these kids and your local high school!
Community Volunteer Bob Shaw (HHS Class of 1958) From Martha Brock
Meet the 80-year-old Vietnam veteran volunteering on the front lines of Seattle's COVID-19 fightSCOTT GREENSTONE, THE SEATTLE TIMES MAY 24, 2020 12:58 PM EDT
Bob Shaw was behind the welcome desk at the St. Martin de Porres shelter a few weeks ago when a 65-year-old guest fell and hit his head, hard. “Blood was coming out of his head like water,” Shaw said. “It just came back to me.” All of a sudden, Shaw’s head was back in Vietnam.Shaw, 80, served in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant and was stationed in Vietnam from 1967-’69. He was headquartered in and around Long Binh Post during the Tet Offensive, one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war. He’s seen things he says continue to haunt him. Half a century later, Shaw is on the front lines of a very different battle. Disabled from prostate cancer he says was a side effect of exposure to Agent Orange, Shaw is retired.He volunteers at shelters run by Catholic Community Services (CCS), primarily St. Martin de Porres near Seattle’s Coast Guard Base. He and the staff have borne the brunt of the novel coronavirus’ assault on local shelters: CCS’ three largest shelters in Seattle have had the largest clusters of cases, with nearly 100 at the three combined. And Shaw, who turned 80 last month, is in more danger than most: Even though cases among people older than 80 make up only about 9% of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington, more than half of all deaths are among people 80 and older, according to state data.All CCS’ other volunteers have gone home, helping by preparing food or organizing donations. Shaw’s family have asked him to consider lessening his hours, but he hasn’t. He’s been volunteering seven days a week, picking up food, moving mattresses to new shelter sites, taking people to doctors’ appointments, and doing whatever he can.“That’s what the man upstairs would want for me,” Shaw said. “I can’t just sit alone at home — that would drive me up the wall. … I just try to do what I can and try to be as safe as I can and keep going. “But there’s another reason Shaw gets up every day and goes to help homeless people — and the reason lies back in Vietnam. “We didn’t hear them scream or anything” Shaw returned to America in 1969 a much different man than when he’d left. He landed in Alameda County, California, carrying photos of bodies blown apart by satchel charges, and memories of bulldozers pushing dead Viet Cong fighters and their civilian shields into the same mass graves, he says.He was dressed in civilian clothes and had hidden his uniform; on a layover in St. Louis, he says he was attacked by anti-war protesters. When airport security chased them off, they told him not to wear it.“When I got home, my sister told me, the less people know about you being in Vietnam, the better,” Shaw said. “A lot of the stuff I had to hold inside of me.” That worked for years. Shaw transitioned into post-military life, working as a repo man, a truck driver and then a tugboat pilot.But more than a decade after his return, Shaw and his wife, Linda, were driving when Shaw started crying, out of nowhere. “It was just really scary,” Linda Shaw said. “Bob’s really a strong type of guy. All of a sudden he’s crying. And he goes, ‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’” It started happening once a week, Shaw said. And then, soon, it was a couple times a week. Mysterious things would trigger it; Linda Shaw said once, Bob saw a policeman and began crying. Seeing parents and children would trigger it; they reminded Shaw of the Long Binh ammunition dump in Vietnam, where he was assigned to the fire department. Shaw says one day, he and his team lit a controlled burn of an overgrown shrine near the berm, only to find after the blaze settled that two children — a boy and a girl — had been hiding inside, perhaps to steal ammo and sell it to the Viet Cong.“We didn’t hear them scream or anything,” Shaw said. “That still bothers me, when I see a parent hugging her kid. “Shaw eventually went to see a psychiatrist and got involved in a Black veterans’ support group. As a group activity, they would sometimes volunteer at the St. Martin de Porres shelter. Many of the men there, who are over 50, were veterans like him.That’s how Shaw first got exposed to life in a shelter, 17 years ago. He’s been volunteering ever since. “I got to where I know just about everybody here, and they know me, and they’ll talk to me,” Shaw said. “A veteran will talk to another veteran about problems, whereas they won’t just talk to anybody else. It makes me feel good to know that I can help somebody, and it helps with my post-traumatic stress. “Shaw’s been volunteering there longer than many of the staff, including the shelter’s director, Jennifer Newman.” This is a part of him now,” Newman said. When Zafu Aragai, a Catholic Community Services’ case manager, first met him on the second week of her job, she thought he was staff. “He was very friendly and very outgoing and liked to greet everybody and know everybody,” Aragai said. When she had a problem procuring furniture for men moving off the streets, Shaw managed to get some from the base at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Starting eight years ago, Shaw took it on himself to fix Thanksgiving dinner for the men in St. Martin de Porres shelter with the help of a few other volunteers, cooking 24 turkeys, a four-day undertaking each year. On Christmas, he makes the men shepherd’s pie. But as much as he helped before, when COVID-19 hit Shaw became indispensable, according to Newman. In mid-March, as it became increasingly evident that Seattle’s crowded shelters were susceptible to the spread of COVID-19, CCS staff at St. Martin de Porres were told by the county that they needed to move 100 men into new space on Airport Way. In 24 hours, Shaw and the staff moved 100 mats, 200 blankets, and set up everything needed to open a makeshift shelter. “Bob did all of those deliveries,” Newman said. “We would not have been able to open that in the time frame that we did without his help.” At the beginning of April, Newman asked any volunteers who were still coming in to help from their homes instead. But Shaw insisted on staying. “I’ve had to talk to him more than once about maybe not coming in so much — that the risk he’s putting himself in scares me, but he says this is where he wants to be, and he’s being careful, and he couldn’t imagine himself not being a part of it,” Newman said. “He wears a mask everywhere, he washes his hands constantly, he even carries bleach in the vehicles to wipe the steering wheel down.” Shaw is mostly a delivery man now, picking up food every week at Food Lifeline, dropping off excess donations at other shelters, transporting documents for shelter-stayers, or whatever he’s needed for. But what Shaw realizes, more than anything, is that he needs this too. “I could have been where a lot of these guys are, here, right now. But I had people that believed in me, and just gave me encouragement,” Shaw said. “And I think I turned out pretty good.” ©2020 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Bob Shaw was behind the welcome desk at the St. Martin de Porres shelter a few weeks ago when a 65-year-old guest fell and hit his head, hard. “Blood was coming out of his head like water,” Shaw said. “It just came back to me.” All of a sudden, Shaw’s head was back in Vietnam.Shaw, 80, served in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant and was stationed in Vietnam from 1967-’69. He was headquartered in and around Long Binh Post during the Tet Offensive, one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war. He’s seen things he says continue to haunt him. Half a century later, Shaw is on the front lines of a very different battle. Disabled from prostate cancer he says was a side effect of exposure to Agent Orange, Shaw is retired.He volunteers at shelters run by Catholic Community Services (CCS), primarily St. Martin de Porres near Seattle’s Coast Guard Base. He and the staff have borne the brunt of the novel coronavirus’ assault on local shelters: CCS’ three largest shelters in Seattle have had the largest clusters of cases, with nearly 100 at the three combined. And Shaw, who turned 80 last month, is in more danger than most: Even though cases among people older than 80 make up only about 9% of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington, more than half of all deaths are among people 80 and older, according to state data.All CCS’ other volunteers have gone home, helping by preparing food or organizing donations. Shaw’s family have asked him to consider lessening his hours, but he hasn’t. He’s been volunteering seven days a week, picking up food, moving mattresses to new shelter sites, taking people to doctors’ appointments, and doing whatever he can.“That’s what the man upstairs would want for me,” Shaw said. “I can’t just sit alone at home — that would drive me up the wall. … I just try to do what I can and try to be as safe as I can and keep going. “But there’s another reason Shaw gets up every day and goes to help homeless people — and the reason lies back in Vietnam. “We didn’t hear them scream or anything” Shaw returned to America in 1969 a much different man than when he’d left. He landed in Alameda County, California, carrying photos of bodies blown apart by satchel charges, and memories of bulldozers pushing dead Viet Cong fighters and their civilian shields into the same mass graves, he says.He was dressed in civilian clothes and had hidden his uniform; on a layover in St. Louis, he says he was attacked by anti-war protesters. When airport security chased them off, they told him not to wear it.“When I got home, my sister told me, the less people know about you being in Vietnam, the better,” Shaw said. “A lot of the stuff I had to hold inside of me.” That worked for years. Shaw transitioned into post-military life, working as a repo man, a truck driver and then a tugboat pilot.But more than a decade after his return, Shaw and his wife, Linda, were driving when Shaw started crying, out of nowhere. “It was just really scary,” Linda Shaw said. “Bob’s really a strong type of guy. All of a sudden he’s crying. And he goes, ‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’” It started happening once a week, Shaw said. And then, soon, it was a couple times a week. Mysterious things would trigger it; Linda Shaw said once, Bob saw a policeman and began crying. Seeing parents and children would trigger it; they reminded Shaw of the Long Binh ammunition dump in Vietnam, where he was assigned to the fire department. Shaw says one day, he and his team lit a controlled burn of an overgrown shrine near the berm, only to find after the blaze settled that two children — a boy and a girl — had been hiding inside, perhaps to steal ammo and sell it to the Viet Cong.“We didn’t hear them scream or anything,” Shaw said. “That still bothers me, when I see a parent hugging her kid. “Shaw eventually went to see a psychiatrist and got involved in a Black veterans’ support group. As a group activity, they would sometimes volunteer at the St. Martin de Porres shelter. Many of the men there, who are over 50, were veterans like him.That’s how Shaw first got exposed to life in a shelter, 17 years ago. He’s been volunteering ever since. “I got to where I know just about everybody here, and they know me, and they’ll talk to me,” Shaw said. “A veteran will talk to another veteran about problems, whereas they won’t just talk to anybody else. It makes me feel good to know that I can help somebody, and it helps with my post-traumatic stress. “Shaw’s been volunteering there longer than many of the staff, including the shelter’s director, Jennifer Newman.” This is a part of him now,” Newman said. When Zafu Aragai, a Catholic Community Services’ case manager, first met him on the second week of her job, she thought he was staff. “He was very friendly and very outgoing and liked to greet everybody and know everybody,” Aragai said. When she had a problem procuring furniture for men moving off the streets, Shaw managed to get some from the base at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Starting eight years ago, Shaw took it on himself to fix Thanksgiving dinner for the men in St. Martin de Porres shelter with the help of a few other volunteers, cooking 24 turkeys, a four-day undertaking each year. On Christmas, he makes the men shepherd’s pie. But as much as he helped before, when COVID-19 hit Shaw became indispensable, according to Newman. In mid-March, as it became increasingly evident that Seattle’s crowded shelters were susceptible to the spread of COVID-19, CCS staff at St. Martin de Porres were told by the county that they needed to move 100 men into new space on Airport Way. In 24 hours, Shaw and the staff moved 100 mats, 200 blankets, and set up everything needed to open a makeshift shelter. “Bob did all of those deliveries,” Newman said. “We would not have been able to open that in the time frame that we did without his help.” At the beginning of April, Newman asked any volunteers who were still coming in to help from their homes instead. But Shaw insisted on staying. “I’ve had to talk to him more than once about maybe not coming in so much — that the risk he’s putting himself in scares me, but he says this is where he wants to be, and he’s being careful, and he couldn’t imagine himself not being a part of it,” Newman said. “He wears a mask everywhere, he washes his hands constantly, he even carries bleach in the vehicles to wipe the steering wheel down.” Shaw is mostly a delivery man now, picking up food every week at Food Lifeline, dropping off excess donations at other shelters, transporting documents for shelter-stayers, or whatever he’s needed for. But what Shaw realizes, more than anything, is that he needs this too. “I could have been where a lot of these guys are, here, right now. But I had people that believed in me, and just gave me encouragement,” Shaw said. “And I think I turned out pretty good.” ©2020 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
HHS ALUMNI Crew Needs Your Help!
We welcome new volunteers with fresh energy and ideas. Watch our website for upcoming General Meeting dates. We also welcome your input for fundraising ideas, website updates, articles for our annual newsletter, and nominations for Alumnus of the Year and the Alumni Hall of Fame. Have some information to post about an upcoming Class Reunion? Let us know the details and we’ll share it!Interested? Contact:Gary Korsgaard, President, at grkgroup@hotmail.comMichele (Ham) Miller, Newsletter Coordinator, at millersailorlady59@gmail.comKevin Ostic, Webmaster, at dawgpa@msn.com
In Memoriam 2019 to 2020
Alan Lund
Alan Lund, age 81, beloved music teacher at HHS, passed away from complications of coronavirus in March of 2020. He contributed a great deal to Seattle’s music culture through the years, directing the Seattle Opera Chorus, the Eastside Cascadian Chorale, and the Boeing Chorale. He was renowned for his directorial leadership of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society. Mr. Lund was loved and respected by many a Highline High School music student throughout his tenure there. He inspired a tremendous appreciation of singing and performing in his choral students.
Doctor Basil Gideon Anex
Dr. Basil Gideon Anex, Anex Science Dept Scholarship benefactor, died 8/12/19 at age 88. Dr. Anex graduated from HHS in 1949, serving as class valedictorian. He attained his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Washington. He went on to Postdoctoral studies and a teaching career. We are grateful for the $5,000 donated by his wife, Gretchen, "In his memory and to help others at Highline to attend college"
Doctor Alan Gunsel
Alan Gunsul, MD passed away peacefully in Burien in March of 2020, just shy of his 94th birthday. Dr. Gunsul graduated from Highline High School and graduated from the U.W. School of Medicine in 1955. He spent his entire Family Medicine career in Burien and was one of the founders of Burien General Hospital, now Highline Medical Center. Our foundation awards a scholarship each year in Dr. Gunsul’s name for a graduating student who exhibits exceptional citizenship. thers at Highline to attend college".
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 18 - 2019
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
HHS 2018 Scholarship Recipients
Front Row, L-R Noel Rodriguez, Tramy Nguyen, Kim Ha, Haylee Beckham, Caitlynn Rahal
Middle Row, L-R Valerie Tran, Emmanuel Cruz Soria, Maria Arevalo Martinez, Minh Tu Huynh, Christine Nguyen, Michelle Lopez, Cathy Nguyen, Dennise Lopez Sanchez, Tsion Hailu
Back Row L-R Cesar Lopez, Ingrid Perce, Christian Hagler, Anita Chung, Nghi Lam, Erendira Mercado, Precious Gonzalez, Leann Barnes Not present: Daniel Villalon-Tinoco
Highline High School Alumni Foundation Awards 23 Scholarships for $67,000
Article By B-Town Blog Writer Shelly VoieOn Sunday evening, June 10, the Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded over $67,000 in scholarships to 23 graduating seniors of Highline High School. Families, alumni, staff, and honorees celebrated the students’ awards and accomplishments at the Highline ERAC Building. Foundation President Gary Korsgaard (Class of 1964) opened the evening with Pirate pride about how much the program has grown since 1995, when it awarded just a single $500 scholarship. Scholarship chair Patti Burgess (Class of 1950) shared a story about the namesake of the first scholarship, “a very precious teacher” named Harry Lemon. Mr. Lemon taught music and biology at HHS and later taught at Camp Waskowitz. While teaching names of trees and plants, he would joke with Waskowitz students, “I know you’ve heard of a fuzzy peach, but you probably haven’t heard of a hairy lemon!” Burgess then introduced the 2018 Harry E. Lemon Scholarship recipient, Ingrid Perce, and continued by highlighting information about each scholarship, its sponsor, and its winner. New this year is the Tom Sawyer AVID Scholarship, which is named for a former principal. Its recipient, Erendira Mercado, said “AVID has been really helpful. They helped me pay for three SATs and the ACT.” AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. In Highline, AVID is an elective class that students can join in middle and high school. When asked what they liked about HHS, some students answered the spirit, the people, the diversity, and those “who are trying to change the stigma of going to Highline High School,” explaining that the run-down building doesn’t represent the high quality of the students and teachers in it. More than one student thanked Sydney Williams, HHS College and Career Access Specialist, for her invaluable help with college and scholarship applications. University of Washington Seattle is the favorite choice of the graduates, with Western Washington University, Gonzaga University, Pomona College, Stanford University, Pacific Lutheran University, Colorado College, and George Fox University rounding out the list. The Foundation’s annual golf tournament funds some of the scholarships. Alumni and staff (living or passed), family members, and BECU round out the remainder of the donors and scholarship namesakes. The 2018 Highline High School Alumni Foundation Scholarship recipients are:§ Anex Brothers (Basil, George, & Robert) Science Department Scholarship: Cathy Nguyen§ John P. Ashley Family Scholarship: Christian Hagler§ Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship: Leann Barnes§ Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship: Valerie Tran§ Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Scholarship: Maria Arevalo Martinez§ Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts Scholarship: Tramy Nguyen§ Dr. Alan Gunsul Scholarship: Precious Gonzalez§ Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship: Michelle Lopez§ Harry E. Lemon Memorial Scholarship: Ingrid Perce§ Mavis Luksan Scholarship: Minh Tu Huynh and Anita Chung§ McEachern Family Fine Art Scholarship: Dennise Lopez Sanchez§ Tom Sawyer AVID Scholarship: Erendira Mercado§ Nancy Tully Memorial Business Department Scholarship: Emmanuel Cruz Soria§ Roger & Linda Walsh Scholarship: Caitlynn Rahal, Noel Rodriguez, and Nghi Lam§ The BECU Turnaround Scholarship: Daniel Villalon-Tinoco & Tsion Hailu§ English Department Scholarship: Cesar Lopez§ Music Department Scholarship: Haylee Beckham§ Social Studies Department Scholarship: Christine Nguyen§ World Language Scholarship: Kim Ha
Highline High School Alumni Foundation Awards 23 Scholarships for $67,000
Article By B-Town Blog Writer Shelly VoieOn Sunday evening, June 10, the Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded over $67,000 in scholarships to 23 graduating seniors of Highline High School. Families, alumni, staff, and honorees celebrated the students’ awards and accomplishments at the Highline ERAC Building. Foundation President Gary Korsgaard (Class of 1964) opened the evening with Pirate pride about how much the program has grown since 1995, when it awarded just a single $500 scholarship. Scholarship chair Patti Burgess (Class of 1950) shared a story about the namesake of the first scholarship, “a very precious teacher” named Harry Lemon. Mr. Lemon taught music and biology at HHS and later taught at Camp Waskowitz. While teaching names of trees and plants, he would joke with Waskowitz students, “I know you’ve heard of a fuzzy peach, but you probably haven’t heard of a hairy lemon!” Burgess then introduced the 2018 Harry E. Lemon Scholarship recipient, Ingrid Perce, and continued by highlighting information about each scholarship, its sponsor, and its winner. New this year is the Tom Sawyer AVID Scholarship, which is named for a former principal. Its recipient, Erendira Mercado, said “AVID has been really helpful. They helped me pay for three SATs and the ACT.” AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. In Highline, AVID is an elective class that students can join in middle and high school. When asked what they liked about HHS, some students answered the spirit, the people, the diversity, and those “who are trying to change the stigma of going to Highline High School,” explaining that the run-down building doesn’t represent the high quality of the students and teachers in it. More than one student thanked Sydney Williams, HHS College and Career Access Specialist, for her invaluable help with college and scholarship applications. University of Washington Seattle is the favorite choice of the graduates, with Western Washington University, Gonzaga University, Pomona College, Stanford University, Pacific Lutheran University, Colorado College, and George Fox University rounding out the list. The Foundation’s annual golf tournament funds some of the scholarships. Alumni and staff (living or passed), family members, and BECU round out the remainder of the donors and scholarship namesakes. The 2018 Highline High School Alumni Foundation Scholarship recipients are:§ Anex Brothers (Basil, George, & Robert) Science Department Scholarship: Cathy Nguyen§ John P. Ashley Family Scholarship: Christian Hagler§ Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship: Leann Barnes§ Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship: Valerie Tran§ Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics Scholarship: Maria Arevalo Martinez§ Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts Scholarship: Tramy Nguyen§ Dr. Alan Gunsul Scholarship: Precious Gonzalez§ Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship: Michelle Lopez§ Harry E. Lemon Memorial Scholarship: Ingrid Perce§ Mavis Luksan Scholarship: Minh Tu Huynh and Anita Chung§ McEachern Family Fine Art Scholarship: Dennise Lopez Sanchez§ Tom Sawyer AVID Scholarship: Erendira Mercado§ Nancy Tully Memorial Business Department Scholarship: Emmanuel Cruz Soria§ Roger & Linda Walsh Scholarship: Caitlynn Rahal, Noel Rodriguez, and Nghi Lam§ The BECU Turnaround Scholarship: Daniel Villalon-Tinoco & Tsion Hailu§ English Department Scholarship: Cesar Lopez§ Music Department Scholarship: Haylee Beckham§ Social Studies Department Scholarship: Christine Nguyen§ World Language Scholarship: Kim Ha
What Highline Means to Me - Michelle Lopez
Excerpts from essay by Michelle Lopez, 2018 Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship Winner…In a heartbeat, I could tell you Highline is merely a school, a place I go every day to learn, just a building made of bricks. Now if you asked me about what do the people of my school mean to me? Well, they mean a lot and have helped shape who I am today. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a school where every individual is made of different interests and cultures… …Carrying a banner while bleeding purple and gold wherever I went, I took pride in my school and the people that reside in it. I began to care about how people only saw Highline as a building constantly deteriorating rather than the character of the students. No longer letting rumors dictate the rich spectrum of colors every individual brings to the school, I became a captain for both swim and gymnastics as well as an officer of the National Honor Society…Through sportsmanship and having good relations with others, I can let the community and those around it know that Highline is more than its structure. … I can’t say they were the best years of my life, since there’s so much life ahead of me, but they were years where I learned beyond the classroom. …I’ve experienced more about the real world in these four years than if I’d gone to any other school. Through the diverse pool of people who vary in race, gender, sexuality, and religion, as well as my own experiences, I’ve learned what family, love, betrayal, law and life mean. My identity has become a tapestry of different views, perspectives and interests…
Scholarship Feedback
Dear Alumni Foundation,
Thank you so much for providing the means for all Highline Students to go to college! It’s very reassuring to see community members involved in a cause that does not immediately seek results; but will soon in the future. I am very gracious for your overwhelming generosity that’s making my, and many other past, current and future students’ access to education feel attainable. Again, thank you! Wishes, Haylee Beckham
~Music Scholarship Recipient, Attending Seattle Pacific UniversityTo the Family of Roger and Linda Walsh, and the Highline Alumni Foundation, The scholarship you have given me means more than just a scholarship. It’s hundreds of hours of hard work, it’s money for me to achieve my dreams and focus on my education. It’s money that I cannot thank you enough for. My mother has worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for the past 7 years for me to be able to get to this point and this money will help my mom continue her education because she won’t have to work as much, and me explore the unknown in college. ~Nghi Lam, Roger & Linda Walsh Recipient
Mike Walsh Sponsors Four Scholarships Including New Donald Bunger Future Technology Award
Front Row: L-R Leann Barnes (Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship), Caitlynn Rahal, Nghi Lam, Noel Rodriguez (Walsh Family Scholarships)Back Row: Sponsor Mike Walsh
Mike Walsh & Donald Bunger & Future Technology Award Winner Leann Barnes
Ashley Family Scholarship - Christian Hagler
2018 Membership Drive Information
Thanks to You… Our membership drive for 2018 brought in $32,074.00! In 1995, the fledgling non-profit Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to a graduating HHS senior. In 2018, we gave scholarships in Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and Photography. We also awarded money to seniors with special needs, seniors who improved their success during high school, a student exhibiting exceptional citizenship, a 4-year college attendee in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) discipline, students pursuing vocational education, a future teacher, an engineering or business student, and an AVID student pursuing STEM studies. “It’s the best feeling in the world to give back to others,” says Michael Walsh, a ’77 grad and 2017 Alumnus of the Year. He will donate $100,000 per year for 5 years beginning in 2019. This in addition to the $20,000 he already gives annually. The entire amount will be used for college scholarships for Highline seniors and has allowed us to increase the amount of many of our scholarships. A grateful thank you to Michael!
Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, our annual Golf Day, the All-Class Reunion, plus donations, endowments and memorial gifts. Please join us for $10 annually or become one of our 824 Lifetime Members for $100. Each year we also honor the Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year.
Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Make checks payable to: HHS Alumni Foundation, PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166Or pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tab.www.HHSAF.orgLike us on Facebook!
Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Make checks payable to: HHS Alumni Foundation, PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166Or pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tab.www.HHSAF.orgLike us on Facebook!
Event Calendar
UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2019
Monday March 4th 2018 - 7 PM - Highline High School Alumni Foundation General Meeting
May 18th - 11 am to 2 pm - All Class Reunion - No Host Luncheon at Angelo's in Burien
May 18th - 1 pm to 4 pm - Highline High School Open House - Group Photo on Front Steps at 3 pm
May 19th - 6 to 8 pm - Highline High School Alumni Foundation Scholarship Reception - ERAC
June 15th - 11 am Highline High School Graduation at Highline Memorial Stadium
June 25th - Celebration of Last Day of School - Students, Alumni, and Community Members - Assembly in the Gym to Celebrate the Past, Parade thru the HS lead with the HHS band, then enjoy the party on the front lawn with a cake to celebrate the future.
July 4th - Burien Parade - Bring your classic car and join other HHS Alumni in the parade
Monday March 4th 2018 - 7 PM - Highline High School Alumni Foundation General Meeting
May 18th - 11 am to 2 pm - All Class Reunion - No Host Luncheon at Angelo's in Burien
May 18th - 1 pm to 4 pm - Highline High School Open House - Group Photo on Front Steps at 3 pm
May 19th - 6 to 8 pm - Highline High School Alumni Foundation Scholarship Reception - ERAC
June 15th - 11 am Highline High School Graduation at Highline Memorial Stadium
June 25th - Celebration of Last Day of School - Students, Alumni, and Community Members - Assembly in the Gym to Celebrate the Past, Parade thru the HS lead with the HHS band, then enjoy the party on the front lawn with a cake to celebrate the future.
July 4th - Burien Parade - Bring your classic car and join other HHS Alumni in the parade
Athletic Hall of Fame - Coach and Teacher Dave Stark, Anthony Watkins (2007), and Kaitlyn (Heinsohn) Watkins (2007)
Left to Right - Kaitlyn's mom, Anthony Watkins, and Coach Dave Stark
Mr. Dave Stark, 2018 inductee, was a teacher and coach at Highline High School for 40 years (in the same classroom). He graduated from the purple and gold of North Kitsap High in 1965 where he played football and wrestled. He attended Olympic College (AA degree), served four years in the Air Force, another three years in the Air National Guard, and earned a BA in Science and an MA in Educational Technology from Western Washington University. Mr. Stark has five children and 14 grandkids, dome of which he coached at Highline, including 3 state qualifiers in wrestling. He coached football, wrestling and girls’ softball and was head coach of all three sports at one time. One of his softball teams finished fourth at stated, his wrestling teams won 5 league championships and with the advent of women’s wrestling, had a second place winner at state. Enjoyment of student successes is a highlight of his career. His advice for you…”Don’t listen to people who say you can’t do it.”Dave and wife Amy enjoy their large and extended family. He has been active in auto racing throughout the area and can be seen rolling multiple times in one event. Congratulations to longtime teacher and coach. Coming from a family of nine children, including twin brother Brian, 2007 grad Anthony Watkins competed in football, basketball, and track while at Highline. His advice to current students is to “do everything 120%, the best that you can do.” Living this advice, he became 1st team quarterback, 1st team defensive back and MVP of the Seamount League. Participating in basketball (3 years) and running track were all other accomplishments. Running both hurdle events and all sprint races, he cruised to a best time of 49.8 in the 400 at state. He was offered several football scholarships, eventually selecting Oregon State University, playing 4 years and earning a degree Exercise Science with options in nutrition and fitness. Anthony was student of the year and voted best physique for his class. He enjoyed history in Mr. Dave’s class. He is currently working on a Master’s degree at the University of Washington and works in the fitness and strength program with the UW football team. He is involved in fitness and other ventures here in Burien and is the husband of our other inductee, Kaitlyn. We are happy to have him accept for her today and welcome 4 year old Kameron and their families.
This 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee and 2007 grad set the Washington State 3A soccer scoring record with 105 goals. Kaitlyn (Heinsohn) Watkins also ran a leg of the 2007 4 x 100 relay. Her accomplishments in soccer earned her 1st team All-State, plater of the week, MVP Seamount Player of the Year, and district championship. While attending the University of Montana in Missoula for four years, her honors in soccer included Rookie of the year as a freshman, and player of the year as a sophomore. Kaitlyn lives in Burien with husband Anthony and four year old Kameron. She is actively employed by the Disney Corporation seeking advancement in the Tech talent area. Her motto for each of you, “Do not be afraid of failure, rely on self-esteem use your qualities, capabilities and remember, age doesn’t matter.'"
Alumnus of the Year - David Sabey
Highline grad David Sabey reminisces about his school daysBy Dave Sabey
As someone who has built and managed critical infrastructure for decades, I can appreciate the need to look forward and construct something new.After all, perhaps the most critical infrastructure we have is our schools, where we teach children needed skills and also connect them with their friends and neighbors within the walls of a community asset. The next generation deserve the best investment we can provide, and that begins with a high-quality school building.
As someone who has built and managed critical infrastructure for decades, I can appreciate the need to look forward and construct something new.After all, perhaps the most critical infrastructure we have is our schools, where we teach children needed skills and also connect them with their friends and neighbors within the walls of a community asset. The next generation deserve the best investment we can provide, and that begins with a high-quality school building.
But as a graduate son of another Highline High School grad (my Dad, Harold Sabey graduated in 1938), I can't help but look back and reflect on the history of the school and my own experiences there. I was in the Highline school district from Sunnydale Elementary on Des Moines Way where Mrs. Freit was my First-Grade teacher (I fondly remember each and every one of my elementary school teachers they were so remarkable), to Sylvester and then on to Highline High School. But it was at Highline High, in particular, where I learned the importance of community, met many good lifetime friends and where I received the inspiration to build my career and create something the community could be proud of. It's no accident that Sabey Corp. is headquartered right down the street in Tukwila, because I wanted this company and the jobs we create to be right here in the southend where I grew up. I love going around the country and jokingly saying that I didn't get very far in life, since my office is a very short distance from where I grew up.
It was at Highline High School where I met Lou Tice (my Highline Football Coach), who made an indelible impact on my life and helped me identify the tools I needed to build my career. He taught me the importance of teamwork and that no one person is bigger than the greater goal. He gave me the important tool of how to set very bold and high goals and then he gave me the confidence and the humility to believe that there were "moonshot" experiences in my future, "...if you can dream it, you can accomplish it. Seldom do you exceed you own expectations, so you better dream big" he would say. And then he would go on to say that the world belongs to the implementers. You must work hard and long with good people to accomplish great goals. Lou also taught me that in all good endeavors, there should be no losers. I have never forgotten those ideals.
Because what I learned at Highline impacted my life so positively, I've tried my best to pass that forward and promote and invest in K-12 schools and universities throughout the state. We all need to do everything we can to invest in kids, family, and healthy communities so that the next generation can develop strong local roots and the skills needed to thrive in this world - which then stimulates the cycle of reinvestment back into the community indefinitely.Unfortunately, at 90 years old the Highline High School Building wasn't in the best shape internally or externally to serve the community any longer. We still take pride in all that the original school provided to generations of high schoolers and at the same time we can be excited for what the new buildings will provide going forward. I am pleased to see that some of the historic look will continue on.It is my hope that the newly built school will foster an environment that promotes learning, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and serves as a source of innovation and excellence for this generation of kids. Outstanding schools have the potential to inspire young learners to grow into big thinkers and innovators.This community and South King County have changed much over the decades. We are a transportation and trade hub, we have some of the brightest minds and global leaders in healthcare, technology, data, retail and right in our backyard. This region is at the forefront of the new global economy and it is up to those future generations to continue and grow that success. As a second generation Highline Graduate, it is my dream that this new facility will continue to provide the young men and woman that the world most needs now.
About the Sabey CorporationSabey Data Centers is one of the oldest and largest privately owned multi-tenant data center operator/developers in the world. Being privately-owned may mean that ours is never a household name, but to us, it means a complete focus on building value by serving one customer at a time.Sabey Data Centers grew out of Sabey Corporation’s forty year history as a designer, builder and operator for leading innovators of the day: Boeing Electronics’ clean rooms, ADP’s first data center, McCaw Cellular’s first cell phone switches, and Exodus Communications, provider of the world’s first internet colocation services —all were breaking new ground in industries of world-wide importance.
Today, with more than two million square feet of mission critical space and another one and a half million under development, Sabey Data Centers continues to serve the world’s most exciting and exacting enterprises and institutions with customized data center solutions that are efficient, reliable and quick to market.And trusted. Our clients’ satisfaction is our most prized asset; we’re committed to it from the beginning with design/build through construction into commissioning and operations with our superb critical environment management team. Our clients think of us as a trusted partner.
Thanks To Our Golf Tournament Sponsors
Sunrise Financial Services - Madeline KisslerVision Collision - Justin KnowlesThe Ashley Family - Jeff Ashley c/o 1977Proficio Financial Services LLC - Mark D. Flaten c/o 1977Class of 1945 - Betty CarterClass of 1955 - Linda & Alden EspingSabrina Mandich DDSClass of 1967 - Nancy Raume CarrThe Tin Room - Dan HausClass of 1972 - Marc AndersonSpecial Products - Scott Salzer c/o 1971Class of 1950 - Patti Stewart BurgessClass of 1957 - Howard & Jackie CallPancake Chef - Loren SisleyPape Machinery - Scott Benham c/o 1987Burien Trophy - Angie Coy-JacksonClass of 1964 - Gary KorsgaardClass of 1971- Kevin & Beth OsticClass of 1960- Larry & Dian OlsonLinn, Schisel & DeMarco - Julie SchiselHawthorne & Co. Inc. - David HawthorneClass of 1957 - Jack Kalina & classmatesBECUMike Scarff Subaru of Auburn - Jim ReadRay Conner - c/o 1973Barry Rodda, Class of 1963
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 17 - 2018
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98106 - www.HHSAF.org
2017 Scholarship Recipients
The Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to Pirate seniors this year. Here are this year’s recipients, honored June 4, 2017:
Top row, left to right: Joey Swim-Balcom (English Department Scholarship), Amir Shazaad (Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics), David Dinh (Nancy Tully Memorial—Business), Chelsi Haskins (Music), Kathleen Silvernale (Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts), Jenna Wydick (R. & L. Walsh), Benji Box (Harry E. Lemon Memorial), and Carson Torres (McEachern Family Fine Arts).
Middle Row, left to right: Miriam Alkorashy (Emily Nishimura Herod), Lauren Powers (Donald Bunger, Future Technology), Tara Nester (Anex Brothers—Basil, George, & Robert, Science), Alyda Marincovich (Patti Burgess Future Teacher), Natalie Ha (Steve & Candy Eyler-Irwin), Rasha Barem (Social Studies), and Madison Hall-Lambert (Dr. Alan Gunsul).
Front row, left to right: Dominic Quiroz (Turn-around), Jason Luna-Posadas (Patti Burgess Future Teacher), Stephanie Menka (R. & L. Walsh), Katherine Montenegro-Blandon (R. & L. Walsh), and Tseyon Nurilegn (Mavis Luksan). Not pictured: Debbie Acheampong (Mavis Luksan), Miquela Wallace (Turn-around), and Nayeli Quiroz-Torres (World Languages).
Photo by Marc Anderson.
Ray Conner 2017 Alumnus of the Year
Congratulations, Ray Conner, Class of 19732017 HHS Alumni Foundation Alumnus of the YearRecently retired Boeing Vice Chairman Ray Conner, who was previously President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The second highest ranking executive in the company, Conner started out as a mechanic on Boeing’s Renton factory floor building 727s. Yet another Highline High School Alum success story. Learn more about Ray in the Alumni Of the Year Tab
2017 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Kriksten Rodal - Class of 2013 State Champion Gymnastics (left)
Mike Ewwaliko - Class of 1990 - Football (middle)(Played 4 Years at University of Washington)
Mark Buckingham - Class of 1963 4 Time State Champion in Gymnastics (right)
Mike Ewwaliko - Class of 1990 - Football (middle)(Played 4 Years at University of Washington)
Mark Buckingham - Class of 1963 4 Time State Champion in Gymnastics (right)
HHSAF GOLF TOURNAMENT DATE SET FOR 2017 Friday, August 18th, 20177:30 am shotgun start Returning to Auburn Golf CourseThe 2016 Golf Tournament was a great success! Thanks to all that attended and our golf hole sponsors displayed below!
WHO? All Highline Alumni, family, friends or anyone who enjoys a day of golf! WHERE? Auburn Golf Course 29630 Green River Road SE Auburn, WA 98092
WHEN? Friday, August 18, 2017 7:30am Shotgun start. Please arrive by 7:00am PRICE? $90 per player. Includes: Green fee, golf cart, buffet lunch and prizes! No Host Bar. OPTIONAL: Mulligans may be purchased prior to beginning your round for $10 each. Limit (8) per foursome. RAFFLE: Raffle Tickets may be purchased for $1 each at all par three holes. Buy one (or more) and get double the number if you hit the green on your tee shot. Drawing for prizes will be at lunch! CONTEST: Hole in One Contest on Holes #4, 8, 14, and 16. Win up to $15,000 Cash. 4 prizes $15 fee to enter for all 4 holes—purchase tickets at Registration FORMAT: SCRAMBLE: Mens, Womens, or Mixed Foursomes. Singles, doubles or threesomes will be paired with others. QUESTIONS: Larry Olson @ 253-631-6466 or Cathy Low @ 206-244-3044 REFUNDS: No refunds for cancellations will be given after August 4, 2017
WHO? All Highline Alumni, family, friends or anyone who enjoys a day of golf! WHERE? Auburn Golf Course 29630 Green River Road SE Auburn, WA 98092
WHEN? Friday, August 18, 2017 7:30am Shotgun start. Please arrive by 7:00am PRICE? $90 per player. Includes: Green fee, golf cart, buffet lunch and prizes! No Host Bar. OPTIONAL: Mulligans may be purchased prior to beginning your round for $10 each. Limit (8) per foursome. RAFFLE: Raffle Tickets may be purchased for $1 each at all par three holes. Buy one (or more) and get double the number if you hit the green on your tee shot. Drawing for prizes will be at lunch! CONTEST: Hole in One Contest on Holes #4, 8, 14, and 16. Win up to $15,000 Cash. 4 prizes $15 fee to enter for all 4 holes—purchase tickets at Registration FORMAT: SCRAMBLE: Mens, Womens, or Mixed Foursomes. Singles, doubles or threesomes will be paired with others. QUESTIONS: Larry Olson @ 253-631-6466 or Cathy Low @ 206-244-3044 REFUNDS: No refunds for cancellations will be given after August 4, 2017
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 16 - 2017
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
2016 Scholarship Recipients
What Highline Means To Me
The winners and their scholarships are, left to right in the top row. Kayla Brower (Turnaround Scholarship); Rachel Brazil (English Department); Saint Williams (The Turnaround); Joe Kenta Niizuma (Donald Bunger Future Technology); Hansol Kim (Emily Nishimura Herod); Carissa Merkel (McEachern Family Fine Arts); Allen Braun (Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics); Robert Bilic (Social Studies); Han Luc (Nancy Tully Memorial Business).
In the middle row left to right are Rachael Tang (Dr. Alan Gunsul Scholarship); Karina Marroquin (World Language Department); Celestina Adu (Mavis Lukson); Rachel Myers (Patti Burgess Future Teacher); Nomandeep Kaur (The Anex Brothers (Basil George, & Robert) Science Department); Trang Minh Khuc (Roger & Linda Walsh); Ailed Gomez (Roger & Linda Walsh); and Som Subba (Roger & Linda Walsh).
In the front row left to right are Gavin Mosier (Mavis Lukson Schoarship); Jose Bermudez (Music Department); Lodrigo Omar (Harry E. Lemon Memorial); and Yohannesabeb Belay (Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts).
In the front row left to right are Gavin Mosier (Mavis Lukson Schoarship); Jose Bermudez (Music Department); Lodrigo Omar (Harry E. Lemon Memorial); and Yohannesabeb Belay (Dick Dahlgard Visual Arts).
By Roberta Bilic, winner of the 2016 Social Studies Scholarship
High School is a sentimental four years of every student’s life. For me, the period of time I spent at Highline High School challenged me to meet new people, expand my leadership skills, and take courses that would help me in my future. Highline is a home away from home where I spent the majority of my last four years. It was a short period of time where I enjoyed my last few moments as a teenager and made memorable experiences with friends that I will always treasure.
Highline isn’t merely a school that I attended from early in the morning to later in the afternoon. Our school challenged me to meet new people, not only in my classes, but in all of the extracurricular activities that I participated in. I developed skills that I will hold dear to my heart for the rest of my life. I have learned how to create relationships with my peers, run meetings, and become a leader for all of the underclassmen that look up to me. I have learned how to be an excellent representative of what education and personal commitment is about – by becoming a lifelong learner with a high moral character and civic competencies. Highline has helped shape me into the person I am today.
Highline provided me with rigorous academic courses and college prep work that made me aspire to become a high-achieving hard worker, leader, and well-rounded human. Consequently, all of the staff members, teachers, counselors, and students played a vital role on how I came about to be who I am today. My teachers provided moral support during times where I was stressed because of the workload and many responsibilities that I had to withhold. The values that Highline High School engraves in every student will be carried with me for the rest of my life.
I have received so much from others and strive to always give back. Senior year has been hectic trying to balance being in four clubs with leadership positions, taking two Advanced Placement classes, working part-time, and trying to complete all the scholarships and college applications. Through the process I found myself to be constantly stressed and overwhelmed. At times, I even doubted my capabilities as I was trying to balance everything with only a little bit of rest in between. The program College Access Now helped me through this rough time. Ms. Caroline was our advisor who was there from day one. With her motivation and help I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Her thoughtful words of encouragement were exactly what I needed. Having someone acknowledge all of the hard work and dedication one has put into something only brings about positive energy. Her presence alone made the room much more propitious. Because of people like her at Highline, I was able to develop many amazing relationships that have contributed to my success today.
I believe that success can be formed through teamwork and not only one person’s independent work. Highline gave me the opportunity to take lead in events such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Penny Drive. For the past two years, I have taken lead in hopes of raising enough money to help the organization find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. Being a student who is highly interested in the medical field and has had close family friends diagnosed with various cancer types, I was given this opportunity through the hopes of contributing to many communities. This effort wasn’t solely based on my own work, I had many students from different grade levels come out and sign up for committees that I had created. And through our team effort we were able to raise a sufficient amount of money.
Overall, if I had to describe Highline High School in three words, I would say it is a positive, encouraging and challenging environment that has given me opportunities that I will always be thankful for.
- Inspirational words from Roberta, Class of 2016, 4.0 GPA at HHS, attending U.W.
Thanks to You... Our Membership Drive Brought In $32,057!
In 1995, the fledgling non-profit Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to a graduating HHS senior. This year, we are proud to award 22 scholarships in the following categories: Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and Photography, Seniors with special needs, seniors who made great strides to improve their success during their high school years (Turnaround), seniors who are exceptionally involved in school/community/volunteerism (citizenship), a future technology scholarship for a student who intends to enroll in a 4-year college in one the STEM disciplines, and for students who are pursuing vocational education.
A new scholarship, the Steve and Candy (Eyler) Irwin Memorial Scholarship, funded by their family and the classes of 1960 and 1961, will be awarded to a student pursuing a career in education or a trade. Special thanks for a generous donation of $10,000 from Basil Anex, class of 1949, for our science department scholarship! Thanks also to the Class of 1976. In 2016, they donated remaining reunion funds of $250 to support our scholarships.
Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, plus generous donations, endowments and memorial gifts. Join us for $10 annually or become one of our 748 Lifetime Members for $100. We raise scholarship funds at our annual Golf Day and the All-Class Alumni Reunion and it is our privilege and honor each year to award the Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year. Please consider donating this year to this worthy cause.
From Alumni President Gary Korsgaard (right)
…Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers we have that help every year. And to the rest of you - sometimes volunteering can be as simple as helping at the golf tournament, the all class reunion, joining the 4th of July parade, or suggesting nominees for the athletic hall of fame or alumnus of the year. Or how about one or two meetings a year as your class rep? Not that hard.
Alumni Board Members
Introducing Our Current Board Members:President – Gary Korsgaard 1964Vice President - Joanne Bakken Pease 1970Treasurer - Scott Salzer 1971Secretary - Martha Brock 1958Member At Large - Sally Newton 1970, Tricia Anderson 1977Alumni Soundings Coordinator – Michele Ham Miller 1978Golf Day – Kevin Ostic 1971, Larry Olson 1960 Scholarships - Patti Burgess 1950, Tricia Anderson 1977 Membership - Cathy Low 1967Website - Kevin Ostic 1971Facebook Manager – Marc Anderson 1972Athletic Hall of Fame – Howard Call 1957
Michael Walsh 2016 Alumnus of the Year (1997 grad)
Congratulations, Michael Walsh, Class of 19772016 HHS Alumni Foundation Alumnus of the Year
Michael Walsh was born in Burien in 1959 and graduated from Highline High School in 1977. His further education included earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 1981, and a MS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University in 1983. Michael left Northwestern University in 1985 to pursue a career in software engineering. In 1998, Michael co-founded a company that eventually became Quotient Technologies. Its consumer brand, Coupons.com, is the leading provider of digital coupons and online offers. Michael is extremely grateful to the many opportunities provided by Highline High School. Highline High leaders pointed Michael toward his eventual very successful career.
Having had great business years and a long-lasting memory of how his parents helped fund their children's college studies, Michael was interested in providing others the same opportunity to begin their college, professional, or vocational training. The Alumni Foundation wishes to gratefully acknowledge Michael Walsh’s generous donations for the past three years, of over $60,000. Thank you!
… to read more about Michael, please see our website…
HHS Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
2016 HHS Athletic Hall of Fame
The following are the new inductees into the Highline High School Hall of Fame for 2016.
Tim Crawley - Teacher and Soccer Coach
Tyler Geving, Class of ’91 Basketball)
Alejandra Roncancio, Class of ’98 (volleyball, basketball,and softball) Learn more in the Athletic Hall of Fame Section
Tim Crawley - Teacher and Soccer Coach
Tyler Geving, Class of ’91 Basketball)
Alejandra Roncancio, Class of ’98 (volleyball, basketball,and softball) Learn more in the Athletic Hall of Fame Section
ALL CLASS REUNION
13th ANNUAL HIGHLINE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION 2017Highline High School Cafeteria, Saturday, May 13, 2017, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm$25.00 PER PERSON: Includes catered lunch, rental of school, meet & greet NAME: Last ____________________________ First ___________________________ Maiden _____________________________ Year Graduated_______________ ADDRESS___________________________CITY __________STATE __ZIP _________ E-MAIL ADDRESS _________________________PHONE _______________________Checks payable to HHS All Class Reunion. Send to Joanne Pease: 130 South 108th Pl., Seattle, WA 98168 New! Pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tab! Contact Joanne Pease at 206-244-2248 or Peezpod@gmail.com or Michele Miller Memill59@comcast.net for more info or to donate auction items. Early registration is encouraged! Join us with your reunion group! DONATIONS OF NEW ITEMS WELCOMED FOR SILENT AUCTION. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 15 - 2016
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien WA, 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
2015 Scholarship Recipients
Left to right, top row: Olivia Beckham (Uli & Gayle Chi Mathematics), Julissa Gallegos (Donald Bunger Future Technology), Yusuf Ali-Halane (World Language Department), Citlaly Ramirez (Roger & Linda Walsh), Jacob Hines (Mavis Lukson), Hai Quang Le (Harry E. Lemon), Fredy Galpani (Roger & Linda Walsh), Nizama Djuderija (English Department) and Sydney Williams, Highline High college and career access specialist
Second row: Rodha Sheikh (Social Studies Department), Katie Gatto (Emily Nishimura Herod), Faith Todd (Science Department), Shelbianne Figgins (McEachern Family Fine Art), Cassidi You (Roger & Linda Walsh), Diana Algomeda-Villada (Dr. Alan Gunsul), and Adanech Makey (Mavis Lukson)Front row are Jonathan Soledad (Dick Dahlgard Photography), Kodie Frankele (Patti Burgess Future Teacher), Kyle Pitz (Music Department) and Kelvin Herbruger (Nancy Tully Memorial Business Department)
Not pictured: Tajinique Ruffin (The Turnaround) and Alexiz Gomez (The Turnaround)
What Highline Means to Me by Katie Gatto winner of the 2015 Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship
After spending the last four years of my life here at Highline, it’s hard to think of going anywhere else. This is the place where I’ve attended all four years of high school. Starting out my freshman year, I wasn’t really sure this is where I wanted to go. I was tempted to attend Aviation or Mount Rainier. However, now I can proudly say I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. After freshman year, my involvement sky rocketed and I’ve considered Highline a second home. Whether it was attending cheer practice in the morning at 5:45 am or missing dinner because I stayed late at gymnastics practice or had an ASB activity to help with, I enjoyed every second of being here. The staff and students are like family to me and I would go up to bat for any of them.
I know in June I will have to say goodbye, and it saddens me. I have invested so much time at Highline, I’m not sure what I’ll do when I leave. Though college will bring new experiences and relationships, I don’t want to lose the ones I have created here. My gymnastics coaches are like my best friends and second parents. Ms. Valu, my counselor, has answered countless questions about college, school and life. Ms. Box has had my back for everything imaginable. I wouldn’t have had such a blessed experience without any of their support. Everyone from my 9th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Binns, to my advisor, Ms. Johnson, who’s been with me all four years, have impacted me and influenced the person I am today. These aren’t just people I go to see every day to turn in assignments, they’re people I treasure. Even though most of them probably don’t know what kind of impact they’ve left on me, I can tell you what I’ve learned from each of them. When I’m surrounded by these teachers and staff, I always feel at home.
Within my four years of high school I have found many ways to help the students and staff at Highline. Whether it was coming in before school one day to clean Ms. Hinderlie’s classroom after she’d been gone, or picking up trash under the bleachers after all the basketball games I attended, I never hesitated to help. I found enjoyment in keeping my school clean, because it reflected the amount of pride I have in being a Pirate. As my senior project, I chose to redo the Seamount school banners hanging in the gym because it would help give a minor face lift to the place, and it would let everyone know what this school has meant to me. Being a part of leadership has also given me many opportunities to show my dedication and love for Highline. I have planned, executed, and been a part of all of the ASB events and assemblies Highline has put on the past three years. I was filled with excitement when Ms. Box chose me to plan LASC, a Seamount League leadership conference this year at Highline, because it gave me an opportunity to showcase our leadership class and the students. I believe Highline has many wonderful students, volunteers, and staff, so any chance I get to brag I’ll take.
From the start, Highline has taken hold of my heart, and I love being a Pirate. It’s no coincidence that alumni who pursue to be teachers come back here for a job. I’m not sure I could really describe how much Highline has meant to me, and the only word I can think of to sum it all up is home, but I hope I’ve given enough of a glance at what this school has done for me.
From the Pres - Gary Korsgaard Class of 1964
Another successful year, with our very well-attended All- Class Reunion, our fun Annual Golf Tournament, and the Burien 4th of July Parade. Another very generous contribution of $20,000 from Michael Walsh, class of 1977, towards our scholarship fund, helping Highline seniors with $53,200 in scholarships. And I made it through my first year as President.
My personal goals for the Foundation are to see more alumni and friends of Highline step forward with more contributions of money and time, to see more corporate contributions from local, national or international business.
On another subject, what I keep hearing more and more is the condition of our beloved Highline High School is deteriorating at a rapid rate. Many students, faculty and staff are very proud of Highline, but no longer proud of the building they must be in daily. So for those who still live in the District - the next time there is a bond issue regarding rebuilding the school - please vote yes.
Scholarship Awards
In 1995, the fledgling Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one annual $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to one HHS graduating senior. This year, we will award 21 scholarships awards at $3000 each:One each year per department, determined by the HHS Faculty, for seniors in the following nine subjects: Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and PhotographyThree each year for seniors with special needsTwo each year for seniors who started ninth grade without much success, then turned around and were prepared for college by their senior yearThree each year for seniors who are exceptionally involved in school, community, volunteerism- citizenshipOne $5000 scholarship, in honor of an outstanding teacher at HighlineThree scholarships for students who are pursuing a vocational education Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, plus generous donations, endowments and memorial gifts. Please consider donating this year to this worthy cause. We also raise scholarship funds at our annual Golf Day and the All-Class Alumni Reunion. It is our privilege and honor each year to award the Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year. Last year’s Alumnus of the Year was Gary Ohrt, 1964. See our website for more information about Gary and our Hall of Fame Honorees. Volunteer with us! We would welcome a little bit of your time, your energy and your ideas.
2015 Membership Drive Results
One Year Dues - $1,530
Lifetime Members - $2,900
Member Donations - $13,665
Other Donations - $15,770
Golf Day Proceeds - $8,034
TOTAL DONATIONS = $41,899
Thank your for your generous donations for HHS Scholarships
Gary Ohrt 2015 Alumnus of the Year (Class of 1964)
Some words from Gary Ohrt, ’64, 2015 Alumnus of the Year (middle)
“I actually think Boy Scouts did more to impact my life than high school. I was not a great student, very average, but scouting taught me values and positive thinking where I believed I could achieve anything that I set my mind to. I enjoyed my years at Highline and had some great teachers, but did not have the best study habits so cannot think of any one thing that impacted my life from Highline. I was in Boy Scouts until I was 16 or 17 and was an Eagle Scout which inspired to do the best I could in everything I attempted.
When I was 28 years old, I was passed over for an office manager position at US Steel Supply where I worked for 10 years. I do not have a college education, so this was part of the problem and my age was the other part. I was too young in their thinking to handle the position. This made me think that if I wanted to be really successful, that I needed to have a business of my own. I became acquainted with two guys that were in the stainless steel business who lived in Canada and we started PAC Stainless Ltd in Seattle when I was 29. The next year we started PAC in Canada and both of the Canadians were my partners for the next 36 years. We had offices in Vancouver and Toronto in Canada and Seattle, Houston, Baton Rouge and Atlanta in the USA. We are one of the largest distributors of stainless steel tubing in the USA and Canada.
We sold PAC Stainless in September of 2012 and I continued working for PAC until April of 2015 when I retired from the day to day business. I am still one of the owners and Chairman of the Board, and work from home 10 to 15 hours per week for PAC. I have also been a real estate investor since I was 25 years old. I started out buying & building apartments and then moved to building industrial and commercial warehouses. I continue to build and lease warehouses in the Houston market. This keeps me very busy.
My wife Susan and I believe we have been very fortunate and blessed so we want the funds that we contribute to directly affect the local community. For this reason, we have chosen to support the Highline Hospital, local YMCA, local schools and other South End Charities. At this stage in my life, my wife, children and grandchildren are my greatest joys.
When I started out in real estate, I met Vince Varacalli who was a local real estate agent and investor. I learned a lot from Mr. Varacalli, who unfortunately has passed away, but was a huge influence on me when I started. Duane Stober, who was a past President of the Highline Hospital Foundation, encouraged me to be philanthropic towards the Hospital and the YMCA. Susan and I made the decision to support these local charities because we felt so strongly that we wanted our gifts to stay locally and directly help family and friends as well as everyone in the community.
I feel very proud of starting PAC Stainless Ltd and building it into one of the largest distributors of stainless steel tubing in the USA. Starting out with just Susan and me the first year, and building it into 4 locations in the USA with 65 employees is a very good feeling”.
Join UsFor only $10 annuallyOr become a Lifetime Member for $100We currently have 748 Lifetime Members!Checks payable to: HHS Alumni FoundationPO Box 66647, Burien, WA 98166Pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tab
2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
2015 Hall of Fame InducteeBob Jones - Class of 1975 Football and Wrestling (not pictured)Peter Fewing Class of 1981 - Soccer & Cross Country (pictured above)
2011 & 2012 Track 1600 M State Champions:Breezy Brookbank - Class of 2013Michelle Stolz - Class of 2012Tracy Stolz - Class of 2012Whitney Diggs - Class of 2013Colleen Pacholski - Class of 2013
Reunion Information
Class of 1956 - 60th Reunion August 20th, , 2016 at Glen Acres Club - 4 to 7 pm Contact: Shirley Vanasse FlahertyPhone #: 253-332-1867
Class of 1966 - 50th Reunion September 24th, 2016 at Normandy Park Cove from 4:30 – 9:30. Website Link http://www.highlinehighschool1966.com/class_classmates.cfm Class of 1976 - 40th Reunion Reunion Info Pending - Check Back Soon
Class of 1986- 30th ReunionJuly 22nd 2016 TBAJuly 23rd Bison Creek PizzaJuly 24th Seahurst BeachContact Berta Keller -Bertako9@msn.comPhone: 206-233-6093
Class of 1996- 20th ReunionJuly 9th, 2016 at Rhein Haus from 7:00 to 10:00 PMWebsite LinksContact highline1996reunion@gmail.com for any questions
Golf Tournament
ANNUAL HHSAF GOLF TOURNAMENT ALERT!Save the Date - Friday, August 19, 20167:30 am shotgun start Auburn Golf CourseCheck our website for more info!
12th Annual Highline High School Class Reunion
FEATURING THE HHS JAZZ BANDHighline High School Cafeteria, Saturday, May 14, 2016 11:00 am – 2:00 pm$25.00 PER PERSON: Includes catered lunch, rental of school, meet & greet & music NAME: Last ____________________________ First ___________________________ Maiden _____________________________ Year Graduated_______________ ADDRESS___________________________CITY __________STATE __ZIP _________ E-MAIL ADDRESS _________________________PHONE _______________________Checks payable to HHS Alumni Foundation. Send to Joanne Pease: 130 South 108th Pl., Seattle, WA 98168 Pay by credit card on our Website under the Contribute Now tab! Contact Joanne Pease at 206-244-2248 or Peezpod@gmail.com for more info or to donate silent auction items. Early registration is encouraged! Consider joining us with your reunion group!
Reunion Pictures
Alumni Board and Committee Members
Introducing Our Current Board Members
President – Gary Korsgaard 1964Vice President - Joanne Bakken Pease 1970Treasurer - Scott Salzer 1971Secretary - Martha Brock 1958Director At Large - Sally Newton 1970Director At Large – Tricia Anderson Crozier 1977Alumni Soundings Coordinator – Michele Ham Miller 1978Golf Day – Kevin Ostic 1971, Larry Olson 1960Scholarships - Patti Burgess 1950Membership - Cathy Low 1967Website - Kevin Ostic 1971Parliamentarian - Betty Carter 1945
Have inquiries, articles, pictures, ideas, updates, reunion info for our website?Want to volunteer with our Alumni Foundation Team?Contact Michele (Ham) Miller ’78 at Memill59@comcast.net
President – Gary Korsgaard 1964Vice President - Joanne Bakken Pease 1970Treasurer - Scott Salzer 1971Secretary - Martha Brock 1958Director At Large - Sally Newton 1970Director At Large – Tricia Anderson Crozier 1977Alumni Soundings Coordinator – Michele Ham Miller 1978Golf Day – Kevin Ostic 1971, Larry Olson 1960Scholarships - Patti Burgess 1950Membership - Cathy Low 1967Website - Kevin Ostic 1971Parliamentarian - Betty Carter 1945
Have inquiries, articles, pictures, ideas, updates, reunion info for our website?Want to volunteer with our Alumni Foundation Team?Contact Michele (Ham) Miller ’78 at Memill59@comcast.net
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 14 - 2015
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien WA, 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
Scholarship Recipients
2014 HHS Alumni Scholarship WinnersWinners of the 2014 Highline High School Alumni Association scholarships were honored at a reception on June 8, 2014. Back row, from left: Andrea Mandt (Mavis Lukson Scholarship), Harry Schwendemann (McEachern Family Fine Arts Scholarship), Jonathan Mantello (Music Scholarship), Disney Vorng (Dr. Alan Gunsul and Dr. Uli and Gayle Chi Math Scholarships), Patricia Ruelas-Tejeda (Mavis Lukson and Patti Burgess Future Teacher Scholarships), Daisy Cortez-Arevalo (Roger and Linda Walsh Scholarship), Ben Myers (Nancy Tully Memorial Business Scholarship), and Kamal DeCampos (Turnaround Scholarship) Front row: Langh Mang (Roger and Linda Walsh Scholarship), Hanbit Kim (Emily Nishimura Herod Scholarship), Ashleen Kumar (English Scholarship) Alyxis Burks (Harry E. Lemon Memorial Scholarship), Thais Pedro-Trujillo (Roger and Linda Walsh Scholarship), and Hoda Ibrahim (Science Scholarship)
Not pictured: Dario Castellon (Social Studies Scholarship), Khaliq Shahzaad (World Language Scholarship), Dominique Thomas-McCollum (Dick Dahlgard Photography Scholarship), and Elizama Aguilar (Turnaround Scholarship) Photo by Eric Mathison ‘65
What Highline Means To Me…
By Disney Vorng, winner of the Uli Chi Math and Dr Alan Gunsul Volunteerism Scholarships 2014, 4.0 student, attending Stanford University Four of the best years of my life came from my high school experience at Highline. For me, a big part of who I am and what I believe in comes from what I learned and discovered while attending Highline and interacting with all the wonderful staff and student body. Walking onto campus for the first time as a freshman, I didn’t know what kind of person I was going to be as a Pirate. I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate myself through four years of high school or prepare myself for when I graduated. I didn’t know anything about what my next step was going to be.
Highline was the best place for me. It was because of Highline that I had the time and resources to figure out how to answer all of these questions and figure out how to map out goals that I want to set for my life. There is such a diverse range of cultures that all accumulate to create the culture of Highline High School that no one can really feel excluded. Highline is a place where students are free to experience and experiment everything, to find their passions and talents among peers who can help them see through a new perspective and staff that help guide them through the various paths that students may want to take. It is where I felt supported the whole way as I began planning out what I wanted to get out of my education. Highline is where I found out where my passions lie and had the opportunities to pursue these passions. It is also where I got to get involved in new activities and interests that I would have never even thought of trying had I not been emboldened by peers and encouraged by the spirit of the school. For me, Highline meant a chance to try.
Walking out of Highline as a senior will absolutely have a striking difference to when I first walked in as a freshman. I now have a sense of direction in my life, and a lot of experiences that I can refer back to under my belt. Through various activities and subjects that I have been interested in, I found what kind of person I am and how I handle certain situations. Everything that I’ve done throughout high school has made me into the person I am today, and there’s nothing that I’d change about that. I am proud to be who I am because of Highline and the amazing experience it holds for everyone, no matter who anyone is. High school is usually seen as being filled with trials and tribulations, but Highline takes trials and makes them worth trying for and the tribulations become trivial with everything learned. Highline is where I became me though everything I’ve experienced.
In 1995, the fledgling Highline High School Alumni Foundation awarded one annual $500 Harry Lemon Memorial Citizenship scholarship to one HHS graduating senior. This year, we will award 21 scholarships in the following categories:
One each year per department, determined by the HHS Faculty, for seniors in the following nine subjects: Science, Mathematics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts and Photography.Three each year for seniors with special needs.Two each year for seniors who started ninth grade without much success, then turned around and were prepared for college by their senior year.Three each year for seniors who are exceptionally involved in school, community, and/or volunteerism (citizenship).
This year, we will offer exciting new scholarships:One $5000 scholarship, in honor of an outstanding teacher at Highline, The Donald Bunger Future Technology Scholarship, for students who intend to enroll in a four-year college program in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines, Mr. Bunger was an outstanding teacher at HHS from 1966 to 1981. In his English courses, including communication, film, graphics and yearbook, he challenged his students to be creative by integrating science and humanities. He created the Futuristics Club, whose members built models of space stations and were encouraged to think through the steps man needed to take towards the stars. It may seem unusual to name a Technology scholarship after someone who taught in the humanities, but Mr. Bunger inspired his students to "think outside the box" on a regular basis. To be successful in the sciences requires more than numbers and facts, it requires the unusual perspective that leads to the next great discovery or the must-have product.
Honoring Roger and Linda Walsh, we will be awarding three $2500 scholarships for students who are pursuing a vocational education. Many thanks to Michael Walsh, class of ‘77 for a generous donation of $20,000 matching funds last year. Our total donations for 2014 – $42,000 and change! Our main funding sources are your Alumni memberships, plus generous donations, endowments and memorial gifts. Become a member for $10 annually or a Lifetime Member for $100. We currently have 719 Lifetime Members! Or simply donate to this worthy cause! We raise additional scholarship funds at our annual Golf Day and the All-Class Alumni Reunion. It is also our privilege and honor each year to award the Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees and the HHS Alumnus of the Year.
For the Outgoing Pres… Howard Call, Class of ‘57
In October, 2014, after 10 years of service, President Howard Call stepped down, providing, as he describes, “…an open door to the next generation.”
“Howard Call was the perfect leader to guide us through our fantastic growth years. He was so very organized and prepared that it was easy for the rest of the alum organization to get the job done! Thanks so much, Howard,” says Patti Burgess, board member.
Sally Carey Newton recalls, “Howard Call is a man of several talents and energy. After taking over the role of HHSAF President, he continued to be very involved with our annual golf day event from choosing the venue to being the master of ceremonies. His leadership has helped grow our scholarship awards from under ten, to now 21 recipients. He serves on the Athletic Hall of Fame selection committee; he started our HHASF Alumnus of the Year Award; he has been a major contributor of articles to our annual Foundation newsletter. It has always been a treat reading his article “Through the Spyglass” where he recounted snippets of a year’s worth of observations at Highline High, at events with other alums, and within the Burien and Highline community. Howard has worked endlessly at bringing awareness to the community of our Alumni Foundation. He has done this by appearing in the Burien 4th of July parade with his old car cohorts; manning a HHSAF booth at the Burien Market, making contacts with class reunions, appearing at the Homecoming assembly; working at the high school track events. Wherever there is an event involving the high school or an opportunity to highlight the Foundation, you can usually always find Howard. We will miss his leadership, though knowing Howard, he will still be there “off stage” lending a helping hand. THANK YOU, HOWARD, for your years of leadership; you are leaving big shoes to fill!”
Howard will be serving on the alumni board at Seattle Pacific University, working at the golf course, managing a couple of rental properties, enjoying some classic cars, playing more golf, softball and racquetball, and trying to squeeze more travel into each year. Howard will not be forgotten and he will certainly not be gone, as he will continue to assist the Highline High School Alumni Foundation.
Girlie Luncheon and Guy After Party for the Class of 60 Highline/Mt. Rainier and Friends, to be held Sept 17th, 2015 at Angelo's Restaurant in Burien!
2014 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
2014 Hall of Fame Inductees
Breck Ivy- Class of 1995 - Track, Football, Basketball
Carol Clingan-Class of 1951 - Soccer, Basketball, Softball, Tennis
Dave Larson- Class of 1969 - Baseball Coach
Breck Ivy- Class of 1995 - Track, Football, Basketball
Carol Clingan-Class of 1951 - Soccer, Basketball, Softball, Tennis
Dave Larson- Class of 1969 - Baseball Coach
HHS Alumni Foundation Board
Introducing Our Current Board Members:Acting President – Gary Korsgaard 1964Vice President - Joanne Bakken Pease 1970Treasurer - Scott Salzer 1971Secretary - Martha Brock 1958At Large – Sally Carey Newton 1970Alumni Soundings Publisher - Michele Ham Miller 1978Golf Tournament – Kevin Ostic 1971, Larry Olson 1960, Patti Stewart Burgess 1950, Cathy Hughes Low 1967, Sally Carey Newton 1970, Gary Korsgaard 1970, Advisors: Howard Call 1957, Jack Kalina 1957 Scholarships - Patti Stewart Burgess 1950Membership - Cathy Hughes Low 1967Website - Kevin Ostic 1971
GOLF TOURNAMENT ALERT!Save the Date -Friday, August 21, 2015 7:30 amAuburn Golf CourseCheck the 2015 Golf Tournament webpage for more info!
11th ANNUAL HIGHLINE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION 2015
FEATURING THE HHS JAZZ BANDHighline High School Cafeteria Saturday, May 16, 2015 11:00 am – 2:00 pm$25.00 PER PERSON: Includes catered lunch, school rental, meet & greet & musicCome help us raise money for Highline High School Student Scholarships! NAME: Last ____________________________ First ________________________ Maiden _____________________________ Year Graduated_______________ ADDRESS___________________________CITY __________STATE __ZIP _________ E-MAIL ADDRESS _________________________PHONE _______________________ Checks payable to HHS All Class Reunion. Send to Joanne Pease: 130 South 108th Pl., Seattle, WA 98168 New! Pay by credit card on our Website www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.orgContact Joanne Pease at 206-244-2248 or Peezpod@gmail.com or Michele Miller Memill59@comcast.net 206-718-0648for more info or to donate auction items.Early registration is encouraged! Class of 1950 will be holding an informal 65 year reunion at this event. Consider joining us with your reunion group! DONATIONS OF NEW ITEMS WELCOMED FOR SILENT AUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HHS ALUMNI FOUNDATION 2015 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE For the year March 1, 2015 to February 28, 2016 Last Name _____________ First Name ______________ Maiden Name _____________ HHS Year Grad ______ Street Address City State Zip_________________________ ___________________ ______ ________
Phone Number _____________ E-Mail Address ________________ Spouse Name and HHS Year Grad ____________ Annual Dues: $10 per person _____ Lifetime Dues: $100 per person_____ Contribution: ___$25 Freshman ____$50 Sophomore ____$75 Junior ___$100 Junior ___Already a Lifetime Member but am enclosing a donation to the Scholarship Fund. Total Enclosed: $ ____________ Please return this form in the reply envelope to: HHSAF P.O. Box 66647 Burien, WA 98166 New! Pay by credit card on our website: www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.org
Phone Number _____________ E-Mail Address ________________ Spouse Name and HHS Year Grad ____________ Annual Dues: $10 per person _____ Lifetime Dues: $100 per person_____ Contribution: ___$25 Freshman ____$50 Sophomore ____$75 Junior ___$100 Junior ___Already a Lifetime Member but am enclosing a donation to the Scholarship Fund. Total Enclosed: $ ____________ Please return this form in the reply envelope to: HHSAF P.O. Box 66647 Burien, WA 98166 New! Pay by credit card on our website: www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.org
Highline High School Alumni Soundings Newsletter - Volume 13 - 2014
Annual Publication - Highline High School Alumni Foundation - PO Box 66647, Burien WA, 98166 - www.HHSAF.org
Back row from left: Stephanie Anderson (Dr. Alan Gunsul - Volunteerism), Tyler Moiser (Mavis Lukson Scholarship), Kaitlin Pitz (Music Department), Brandy Teigen (Mavis Lukson Scholarship), Quang Lam (Harry Lemon - Citizenship).
Middle row: Breana Brookbank (English Department), Mackenzie Allen (Emily Nishimura-Herod - Citizenship), Brenda Robles (Science Department and McEachern Family Fine Art Department), Tran Lam (Uli and Gayle Chi Mathematics Department).
Front row: Losa Berhane (Patti Stewart Burgess - Future Teacher), Madalynne Gatto (World Language Department), Chelsea Thompson (Nancy Tulley - Business Department and Dick Dahlgard Photography). Briana White (Social Studies Department), Fredy Hernandez (Turnaround Scholarship).
Not pictured: Jazzmyn Lee-Dowers (Turnaround Scholarship).
From the Pres… Howard Call, Class of ‘57
HHS GRAD OFFERS MATCHING FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS!
Alumni Foundation President Howard Call recently enjoyed lunch with a Highline Graduate who had contacted our Foundation concerning a donation to the scholarship fund. Having had a good business year and a long-lasting memory of how his parents helped fund their children's college studies, he was interested in providing others the same opportunity to begin their college, proffessional, or vocational training. The goal is to make funds available for students whose families may not be able to provide a start for advanced education, leading to a livelihood for the future of our country.
The proposal put before our President, Scholarship Chairman and Treasurer, was to provide a matching funds, up to $20,000, for all donations contributed between January 1, 2014 and June 1, 2014. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Alumni Foundation to double the amount of donations given by Alumni and friends. Please seriously consider a tax deductible donation before June 1, 2014 to take advantage of this very charitable offer.
This also opens another means of funding scholarships in the years to come. If you or your employer have the wherewithal to provide matching funds, feel welcome to contact the Highline High School Alumni Foundation.
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to enhance our scholarship fund!
Alumni Foundation President Howard Call recently enjoyed lunch with a Highline Graduate who had contacted our Foundation concerning a donation to the scholarship fund. Having had a good business year and a long-lasting memory of how his parents helped fund their children's college studies, he was interested in providing others the same opportunity to begin their college, proffessional, or vocational training. The goal is to make funds available for students whose families may not be able to provide a start for advanced education, leading to a livelihood for the future of our country.
The proposal put before our President, Scholarship Chairman and Treasurer, was to provide a matching funds, up to $20,000, for all donations contributed between January 1, 2014 and June 1, 2014. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Alumni Foundation to double the amount of donations given by Alumni and friends. Please seriously consider a tax deductible donation before June 1, 2014 to take advantage of this very charitable offer.
This also opens another means of funding scholarships in the years to come. If you or your employer have the wherewithal to provide matching funds, feel welcome to contact the Highline High School Alumni Foundation.
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to enhance our scholarship fund!
A Historical Review of Alumni Scholarship Awards
By Patti Burgess '50 Scholarship Chair
In 1995, the Highline High School Alumni Foundation started awarding one annual $500 Harry Lemon Citizenship scholarship to one HHS graduating Senior. We now award 17 $2,500 scholarships each year in the following categories: One each per year per department, determined by the HHS Faculty, for seniors in the following nine subjects: Science, Mathmatics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts, and Photography.
Three each year for seniors with special needs.
Two each year for seniors who started ninth grade without much success, then turned around and were prepared for college by their senior year.
Three each year for seniors who are exceptionally involved in school, community, and/or volunteerism (Citizenship).
Our main funding sourses are the Alumni memberships, plus generous donations, endowments, and memorial gifts. We also raise scholarship funds at our annual Golf Day and the All-Class Reunion. Please consider donating this year - matching funds are available.
New Scholarship AnnouncementPatti Stewart Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship
In 2013, a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to a graduating HHS Senior who is interested in pursuing a career in education
In 1995, the Highline High School Alumni Foundation started awarding one annual $500 Harry Lemon Citizenship scholarship to one HHS graduating Senior. We now award 17 $2,500 scholarships each year in the following categories: One each per year per department, determined by the HHS Faculty, for seniors in the following nine subjects: Science, Mathmatics, Business, English, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Fine Arts, and Photography.
Three each year for seniors with special needs.
Two each year for seniors who started ninth grade without much success, then turned around and were prepared for college by their senior year.
Three each year for seniors who are exceptionally involved in school, community, and/or volunteerism (Citizenship).
Our main funding sourses are the Alumni memberships, plus generous donations, endowments, and memorial gifts. We also raise scholarship funds at our annual Golf Day and the All-Class Reunion. Please consider donating this year - matching funds are available.
New Scholarship AnnouncementPatti Stewart Burgess Future Teacher Scholarship
In 2013, a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to a graduating HHS Senior who is interested in pursuing a career in education
What Highline Means to Me
By Stephanie Anderson, Dr Alan Gunsul Scholarship for Volunteerism Winner
My time at Highline High School has been a very significant time of transition. I entered high school not knowing who I was or what I was passionate about, and I am leaving with a plan of action.
Highline has allowed me to discover my passions. I have been involved in different clubs, sports and activities enough to get to know a little bit more about myself. My passions lie in the ways I have been involved here at Highline: I’ve played trumpet in the symphonic and jazz bands for four years, I played tennis for four years, and I am the resident expert of the Lord of the Rings. In my unique way, I did not just become a part of the craziness of Highline, but added to it.
My sophomore year is a prime example of a learning experience I had at school. I went through a stereotypical phase called the Sophomore Slump. After a relatively simple start to high school, I got to feeling that I could slide by doing a minimal amount of work while still getting straight A’s. After receiving less than perfect grades, I realized that I would have to put in time, effort and organization to my learning. This is also when I realized that school is more about gaining the knowledge than the perfect grades. This realization turned around my performance in high school with close-to-perfect junior and senior years.
In addition to learning who I was becoming as a student, I was gaining a significant amount of confidence. Highline completely surpassed my High School Musical and Mean Girls expectations of high school. I found that the “popular” kids at Highline were the people who stopped to pick up the litter from the hallways, or ate with the special needs students instead of the pretty girls with attitude. This environment really allowed me to open up to my fellow classmen.
High school is a ladder to climb. As a freshman, I started at the bottom of so many things: The trumpet section, the tennis team, and my reputation/relationships with the school staff members. After four years of hard work here at Highline, I have become confident that this work really pays off. There were so many times through the years when I felt like I could never improve. When I started to assume more leadership roles, I would doubt that I could be as good and inspirational as the people who led me.
Looking back at freshman orientation I can remember being extremely nervous. My parents felt that Highline may not be the best thing for me, and I didn’t know if I could succeed there. My time at Highline has proven to me that I can accomplish anything if I put in the effort and take advantage of the opportunities presented to me. My parents and I could not be more grateful that my high school experience has prepared me for whatever lies ahead.
Results From The 2013 Membership Drive
$13,770.232 One Year Memberships = $2,32013 New Lifetime Members = $1,300Other Donations Totaling = $10,15017 scholarships of $2,500 were awarded in 2013.Since 1995 the Alumni Foundation has provided over $500,000 in scholarships!
Letter Of Gratitude from 2003 Scholarship Recipient, Katrina Morgan Captain USAF
August 13, 2013 Katrina M. Morgan Dear Highline High School Alumni Foundation! Go Pirates! I am sorry that I am not able to express my thanks and to encourage you all to support the Highline Alumni foundation in person. In 2003, as a senior at highline, I was humbled to receive a generous scholarship from the Highline High School Alumni foundation. This scholarship helped me achieve a lofty goal of graduating from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. I received a few scholarships upon graduation from Highline. While none of these were full rides or completely covered my expenses, their impact on my capacity to dream bigger was critical!
Just by knowing that there was funding available, I was not led to cut short my dream. This dream was well out of reach financially for my family and I. And the Alumni Foundation had a lot to do with helping me reach my goals. I have encouraged a number of high school students that I now mentor to not give up on their dreams, no matter what the cost. The cost of giving them up is much greater. Thanks to the Highline Alumni Foundation, who want to see Highline students succeed, those students are able to think and achieve things much larger than they may have ever imagined. Unfortunately, not every high school is so blessed to have an Alumni Foundation like Highline’s. It is a rare gem to have an active and beneficial high school association like the Highline High Alumni Foundation.
In 2008, I graduated Embry Riddle University with a 4.0 GPA in research Meteorology and received the chancellor’s award for my graduating class as well as a commission into the United States Air Force. After graduation, I was competitively selected to attend Euro NATO Joint Jet pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. I am currently an Air Force Captain flying C-17’s out of McChord Air Force base to places as diverse as Germany, Afghanistan, Korea, Israel, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan.
Thank you for helping to make my life’s dreams become achievable goals and now a reality! I mean it when I get to say I am living the Dream! Thank you to all the golfers and benefactors for helping to support this remarkable foundation.
With sincere appreciation and gratitude, Katrina M. Morgan, Capt, USAF
Donations Via Credit Cards Now Available!
Before the end of April the Alumni Foundation shall be installing a safe and reliable ecommence solution on the website so you can simply donate by using your credit or debit card. The Alumni Foundation hopes that our current donors shall embrace this system to help us reduce our administrative requirements and enable us to reach out to a wider network of former alumni and friends directly through our website. Our system will be available for annual donations, special events, the annual golf tournament, and reunions and you will immediately recieve a tax deductable receipt!
UPCOMING 2014 SPECIAL EVENTS
Monday, March 3: HHAF Executive Meeting – Select Alumnus of the Year
Early March: Alumni Soundings mailed and posted to website
March 31-April 4: Scholarship Applications Due
May 5-9 (TBD): Scholarships reviewed and selections made
Saturday, May 17: All Class Reunion/Silent Auction HHS Cafetorium,
June 2-6 (TBD): Athletic Hall of Fame selection meeting
Sunday, June 8: (Tentative) 2014 Scholarship Recipients Reception
Thursday, June 12: (Tentative) Senior Celebration, Alumnus of the Year Awarded
June 13/14: (Tentative) Class of 2014 Graduation
Friday, July 4: Burien Parade - Classy Grads in Classic Cars!
July 7-11: Athletic Hall of Fame forms sent out
Friday, August 15: Annual Golf Tournament, Allenmore Golf Club, Tacoma 7:30 AM
Early March: Alumni Soundings mailed and posted to website
March 31-April 4: Scholarship Applications Due
May 5-9 (TBD): Scholarships reviewed and selections made
Saturday, May 17: All Class Reunion/Silent Auction HHS Cafetorium,
June 2-6 (TBD): Athletic Hall of Fame selection meeting
Sunday, June 8: (Tentative) 2014 Scholarship Recipients Reception
Thursday, June 12: (Tentative) Senior Celebration, Alumnus of the Year Awarded
June 13/14: (Tentative) Class of 2014 Graduation
Friday, July 4: Burien Parade - Classy Grads in Classic Cars!
July 7-11: Athletic Hall of Fame forms sent out
Friday, August 15: Annual Golf Tournament, Allenmore Golf Club, Tacoma 7:30 AM
Reunion Information
Picture of 2011 All Class Held May 21st
ReunionBack row: Joanne Bakken Pease, Chuck Tucker, Mike and Gretchen Selivanoff, Bob Rosenburger, Susan Steele McEwen, John, Mel McClure, Jon Adams, Barbara Weber Reamer
Second row: Barbara Musselman Ward, Steve VanGasken, Mark and Margaret Van Gasken, Patty Stewart Burgess, Joan Stewart Dehn, Ella Carlson Christophersen, Peggy Russell Snell, Basil and Gretchen Anex, Jim Lingwood, Barbara Bensen Nist, Sharon Dadder Chambers
Front Row: Rosalyn Remick Malinoski, Jackie Steele, Herbert Leake, Earlene Henniger Rice and Fred Rice, Luella Joote Ortiz, Tudy Foote Lingwood, and Bettie Bradshaw
Second row: Barbara Musselman Ward, Steve VanGasken, Mark and Margaret Van Gasken, Patty Stewart Burgess, Joan Stewart Dehn, Ella Carlson Christophersen, Peggy Russell Snell, Basil and Gretchen Anex, Jim Lingwood, Barbara Bensen Nist, Sharon Dadder Chambers
Front Row: Rosalyn Remick Malinoski, Jackie Steele, Herbert Leake, Earlene Henniger Rice and Fred Rice, Luella Joote Ortiz, Tudy Foote Lingwood, and Bettie Bradshaw
UPCOMING 2014 REUNIONS
Class of 195460thAugust 2, 2014, 5:30 PMRainer Golf and Country ClubGordy and Dana Turcott253-839-4699turcott.d@gmail.com
Class of 196450thSeptember 27, 2014, 6 PMDoubletree Suites SouthcenterGary Korsgaard206-300-8529www.highlinehighschool1964.com
Class of 197440thSaturday August 30th, 2014, 6 - 11 PMThe Cove$40 TicketContact- nlpappas@aol.comhhsreunion1974@gmail.comor Join Facebook page - Highline High School Class of 1974 1960 Annual Girl's LuncheonWedneday September 17, 2014More Info to Follow!
Alumnus of the Year for 2013 - Dan Satterberg Prosecuting Attorney
Dan Satterberg, 54, was elected King County Prosecuting Attorney in November 2007 to succeed his longtime friend and mentor, the late Norm Maleng. He was re-elected in 2010 without opposition.
Dan served as Chief of Staff for Norm Maleng for 17 years, and was responsible for the management and operation of the Prosecuting Attorney's Office, including budget, human resources, technology, legislative and policy matters. The Prosecuting Attorney's Office employs more than 225 attorneys, 240 staff, and has a budget of nearly $62 million.
Before 1990, Dan was a trial attorney in the Criminal Division, where he spent rotations in the Special Assault Unit, Drug Unit, and served as the office's first gang prosecutor in 1988.
Dan was born and raised in South King County and attended Highline High School. His father was a lawyer in White Center and his mother was a nursing instructor at Highline Community College. He graduated from the UW undergraduate school (Political Science and Journalism) and the UW Law School, where he met his wife Linda, a corporate lawyer.
They live in Normandy Park with their two children, ages 22 and 18. Dan's hobbies include his rock band, "The Approximations" where he plays bass and sings, hiking, running, and traveling with his family.
Mike Buckingham - Making a Difference In The Community - Gone But Forever Giving!
Class of ’71 Loses One of Its Finest Former Washington State Trooper Mike Buckingham died on January 2, 2014 after battling cancer. His life was celebrated in a memorial service on January 16th. Severely burned in a fiery collision with a drunk driver he was pursing in 1981, he was forced to retire from active duty. After a long and agonizing recovery, he dedicated himself to public safety. He was active with the Kent Fire and Police Departments’ programs to combat drunk driving. He had a successful career as a motivational speaker, and had a profound impact on those who were privileged to hear this courageous man. In 2001, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. An award in his name has been created by the Washington State Patrol to celebrate the survival of employees involved in a critical incident who have suffered significant physical injuries.