Community Education

Heron’s Key scholarships awarded to 12 local high school seniors

Since 2018, residents of Heron’s Key senior living community have awarded scholarships to local high school seniors to continue their education.

This year, twelve students each received $1,500 scholarships. That’s up from $375 each for eight students when the program began.

Qualifications

This year’s recipients represent diverse backgrounds, interests and aspirations. They were honored at a luncheon Tuesday.

Heron’s Key scholarship committee chair Marilyn Colyar said the awards are based on more than just good grades. The committee also considers things like extra-curricular activities and  career plans.

“Basically, like all scholarship donors, we are looking for young people who have made a difference in their schools,” Colyar said.

“We look at academic records, at their involvement, at their potential. We subscribe to the idea that grades, though important, don’t tell the whole story. That involvement in their school — and in the world — is also very important.”

This year’s scholarship winners are:

Peninsula High

Cutline: Recipients of Heron’s Key scholarships this year are (front row, l-r) Emma Rosins, Avery DeMaine, Natalie Boded, Aspen Dyea and Micah Galeana. Back row (l-r) Tristen Reid, Kaylee Ferreira, Josie Behrens, Bella Grayson and David Takehara. Not pictured are Nichole Tian and Evante Hemming. Photo by Charlee Glock-Jackson

Josie Behrens was Peninsula’s ASB vice president and captain of the swim and dive team. She’s headed to University of San Diego to major in education. She plans to be a teacher.

David Takehara, who created a daily video broadcast at Peninsula and hosts a radio show, will go to either PLU or Missouri State to study journalism.

Evante Hemming, a talented musician who said that music has allowed him to “stretch his wings and fly,” wants to be a music educator and will be working toward that goal this fall at Tacoma Community College.

Natalie Boden is headed to Brigham Young University to major in exercise science. She wants to be a coach and a science teacher.

Avery de Maine leads the PHS Environmental Club and is captain of the school’s lacrosse team. She’ll attend University of Washington in Seattle this fall to work toward a law degree.

Kaylee Ferreira, who works part time in the Heron’s Key memory care/skilled nursing facility, will attend Boise State. She plans to be a labor and delivery nurse.

Emma Rosinski also works at Heron’s Key. She wants to own a bakery and will attend the American Culinary Institute in Napa Valley, California.

Gig Harbor High School

Tristen Reid is an Eagle Scout and an entrepreneur. While in high school, he started his own landscaping business. He’s headed to Washington State to major in accounting.

Nichole Tian has been active in the Interact Club and president of the GHHS National Honor Society and the school’s Speech and Debate Club. She wants to be a computer programmer and data scientist. She’ll be studying math at UW.

Bella Grayson is going to Texas A&M to study aerospace engineering. She hopes to join the Air Force ROTC program there and to eventually be an Air Force supersonic flight pilot.

Aspen Dyea, who loves math, ceramics and sculpting, and learning new languages, will study engineering at Tacoma Community College. She’s a proud member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe of New Mexico.

Micah Galeana made a name for himself on the track and cross country teams. He’ll attend WSU this fall.