Middle School Students selected for Mayor’s Scholars Awards
Winners receive $500 for school or for the charity of their choice

SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today the 26 outstanding middle school students who have earned this year’s scholar awards for service to their schools and their communities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Mayor’s Scholars Awards and in celebration, all 189 past award recipients will be honored.

Each of this year’s students will receive $500 that can be used for education or donated to a charity. Criteria for selection include overcoming obstacles or meeting challenges, giving back to the community, and maintaining good academic standing.

“With this award, we recognize Seattle’s next generation of leaders,” Nickels said. “Service to others is the foundation of a strong community, and I’m glad we can help these promising young people with their education and service goals.”

Students wrote short essays about how they contribute to their community and how they would use a $500 cash award. In addition, students were required to provide several recommendations from adults familiar with the students’ service work.

This year’s award recipients are:

Fati Abdi, Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center, 8th grade
Ramadan Ahmed, Meany Middle School, 8th grade
Luke Asatiani, Madison Middle School, 8th grade
Sidney Axtell, Salmon Bay School, 8th grade
Rataya Crenshaw, Madrona K-8, 7th grade
Gizelle Gando, Mercer Middle School, 8th grade
Taylor Gaston, Madrona K-8, 7th grade
Daniel Gonzalez, Mercer Middle School, 6th grade
Julie Hoang, McClure Middle School, 8th grade
Mohammed Jagana, Meany Middle School, 7th grade
Joseph Kane, Holy Rosary School Seattle, 7th grade
Finn Kelln, Madison Middle School, 6th grade
Tore Kelln, Madison Middle School, 8th grade
Emma Khan-Jones, Pathfinder K-8, 6th grade
Mariam Khodr, Madison Middle School, 7th grade
Keenan Leary, St. Joseph School, 7th grade
Mary McCambridge, Villa Academy, 8th grade
Adriana Meraz-Gonzalez, Mercer Middle School, 8th grade
Marie Claire Sbragia, St. Joseph School, 8th grade
Kassim Shaibi, Hamilton International Middle School, 8th grade
Lauren Shaughnessy, Madison Middle School, 8th grade
Maleika Thomas, Madrona K-8, 7th grade
Jesse Tibbits, Pathfinder K-8, 8th grade
Farhan Vohra, Denny Middle School, 8th grade
Jessica Walters, The New School @ Columbia, 6th grade
Dannaka Wylie, St. John Catholic School, 8th grade

Nickels will present the awards, along with a mayor’s scholar letterman jacket, to each of the students at a reception at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall on Tuesday, May 12. One of the 8th grade scholars will receive the mayor’s leadership award, a $2,500 scholarship for a four year university or community or technical college. In addition, Nickels will award the $1,000 Leighton Hilbert Scholarship for Native American students.

The awards are coordinated by the city’s Office for Education, a division of the Department of Neighborhoods, and funded entirely through private donations to the nonprofit Alliance for Education.

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Office of the Mayor