2025 Students of Distinction

Emily Angell: A compassionate leader guided by service

Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles featuring the Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. Peers, teachers or parents nominate students, who must be a graduating senior at a Peninsula School District school. A panel of community leaders selects students to be honored in one of seven categories: academics; athletics; career and technical excellence; community service; music, arts and drama; overcoming adversity; and science and technology.

These students will be celebrated during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr.

School: Gig Harbor High School

Category: Community service

Emily Angell has always been drawn to the idea of helping others, but it wasn’t until she stepped outside of her comfort zone that she discovered just how transformative service could be. With a deep-rooted sense of responsibility and empathy, Emily has volunteered over 300 hours across a range of causes – from mentoring young students to supporting patients in hospital settings – all while balancing a rigorous academic and athletic schedule.

Her most impactful service experience came through Multicare’s COPE Junior Health Scholar Program, where she shifted across the MedOnco, MedSurg, and Postpartum floors at Tacoma General Hospital. Despite being a student volunteer with limited responsibilities, Emily found profound purpose in small moments of compassion. “Since I wasn’t confined by the same responsibilities as the RNs and CNAs, I had time to spend valuable one-on-one time with the patients,” she says. One particularly moving experience involved comforting a surgery patient who hadn’t eaten all day. Emily brought her food, sat with her, and offered kindness that made all the difference. “My favorite moments were the small ones…where I could see how my presence made a difference.”

Emily Angell

Her commitment to service doesn’t stop at the hospital doors. At her church, Anchor Tacoma, she helps lead the kids’ program, and she volunteers weekly at Discovery Elementary through Communities in Schools, where she works with students behind on reading benchmarks. She has also contributed to building a medicinal herb garden for local tribes through UW Tacoma’s Community Giving Garden, and served as a youth volleyball camp coach. Each opportunity has helped her grow in confidence and broaden her understanding of the world around her.

Academically, Emily has excelled with a 4.2 weighted GPA and challenging coursework that includes AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Psychology, and University of Washington English classes. She’s been a dedicated athlete on Gig Harbor’s volleyball team for four years and now serves as co-vice president of the Bible Study Club.

Through it all, Emily has emerged as a thoughtful and grounded leader, shaped by her experiences and fueled by a desire to make meaningful connections in every space she enters. As she heads to George Fox University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she carries with her not only the skills to thrive in health care – but also the heart to care.