2026 Students of Distinction

Audrey McDermott: Forming connections across borders

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. Wednesday, May 20, at Ocean5, 5268 Pt. Fosdick Dr.

School: Peninsula High School

Category: Community service

For Audrey McDermott, service has always been rooted in connection. Through years of mentoring children, leading youth groups, tutoring students, and serving communities both locally and abroad, the Peninsula High School senior has discovered the power of showing up for others with compassion, faith, and consistency.

Over the course of high school, Audrey accumulated more than 500 hours of community service through tutoring, church leadership, mission trips, and volunteer outreach. But some of the most meaningful experiences came during annual trips to El Roble, Mexico, where she formed deep relationships with children and families in the community.

Audrey McDermott

“What started as simple interactions turned into real, lasting relationships,” Audrey says. “They truly became like family to me.”

One of those trips also became a turning point in Audrey’s personal journey. Shortly after being diagnosed with PTSD during her freshman year, she traveled to Mexico struggling with anxiety and feelings of self-doubt. During a Vacation Bible School event, Audrey quietly prayed for reassurance — and moments later, a young boy named José ran over to sit beside her and give her a hug.

“That moment changed how I viewed myself and my situation,” she says. “It reminded me that I wasn’t alone.”

The experience shaped both Audrey’s healing journey and her future goals. Inspired by the support she received through therapy and the relationships she built in Mexico, Audrey now hopes to become a therapist working with children who have experienced trauma.

After graduation, she plans to attend Eastern Washington University to study social work while minoring in Spanish. Earning her Seal of Biliteracy remains one of the accomplishments she is most proud of because it allows her to connect more deeply with Spanish-speaking communities and the people who have become so important to her life.

“I want to use my experiences and my Spanish to help children feel seen, valued, and supported,” she says.

For Audrey, service is ultimately about relationships — the kind that transcend language, distance, and circumstance, and leave a lasting impact on everyone involved.