2025 Students of Distinction

Tallyia Wentlandt: A courageous voice reclaiming her future

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: Henderson Bay High School

Category: Overcoming Adversity

For Tallyia Wentlandt, the path to graduation has been more than a series of academic milestones – it’s been a personal reclamation of hope, healing, and possibility.

There was a time when school felt like a place she didn’t belong. Facing deep struggles with mental health, abandonment, and self-worth, Tallyia wrestled with periods of isolation, self-harm, and substance use that clouded her vision of the future. Yet somewhere within that darkness, she found the strength to ask for help – and everything began to change.

Tallyia Wentlandt

Her journey took a pivotal turn when she entered an intensive outpatient program, committing fully to the hard and honest work of emotional recovery. There, she began to build tools for managing pain, navigating relationships, and trusting herself again. That commitment was matched with a new academic environment at Henderson Bay High School, where she found what had previously been missing: connection, compassion, and a community that believed in her potential.

It was at Henderson that Tallyia discovered she was not only capable of succeeding – but thriving. From previously disengaged and uncertain to earning Student of the Month honors and maintaining a 3.7 GPA, she proved to herself and others what can happen when someone is given the space to be seen and supported. The girl who once questioned her future is now confidently preparing to attend Evergreen State College to study Creative Writing – a field where her voice, shaped by resilience, will undoubtedly be a powerful one.

Tallyia’s story is not defined by her past, but by the courage it took to rewrite it. Her journey stands as a reminder that healing isn’t linear, and that strength often reveals itself not in perfection, but in persistence. With each step forward, Tallyia continues to chart a new path – one built on self-belief, honesty, and a bold willingness to grow.