The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a meeting online on May 24, 2021.
Attending were James Nevers, Dave Aubry, Joanne Primavera, Mike Hunter, John Woodbery, Brandon Honcoop, George Anderson, Rich Bergdahl, Gary Cohn, Patti Smith, Bob Auslander, John Pruitt, Margie Glenn, Dwight Olson, and Scott Becker.
President James Nevers rang the bell at 6:15 p.m.
Mike Hunter recited the Pledge.
Gary Cohn introduced the Scholarship Night program and recognized the winning students and their parents/guardians. He thanked the interview teams, club fund-raiser volunteers, especially retired Head Duck Patti Smith, President James Nevers, current Head Duck Amy Mutal, and President-Elect Dave DeBois.
Kayla Huff is a senior at Juanita High School. She grew up and has lived in Kirkland’s Kingsgate area all of her life. Kayla attended Robert Frost Elementary School, then went on to Kamiakin Middle School. She lives with her parents and older sister, who has moved out and now is in college. Since Kayla’s been five, she has played soccer, basketball, and softball, and has attended Holy Family Church. At Juanita, Kayla says she’s pushed herself academically and physically. She is a two-sport, varsity athlete and captain of the high school’s girls’ basketball and soccer teams. She’s received an Honorable Mention Award four times, as well as been named to the All-KingCo Second Team. Kayla serves in Juanita’s ASB, is a member of National Honor Society, and serves on the leadership team of the Kirkland Youth Council. At Juanita, she has taken a total of eleven Advanced Placement and Honors courses, and earned a 3.8 GPA. In the fall, Kayla plans on continuing her studies at the University of Washington to pursue her dream of studying biochemistry in order to become a forensic scientist. Kayla was awarded a Kirkland Rotary Scholarship.
This was the speech Lucia gave at her fifth grade graduation: “I am currently living in an apartment with a roommate near the University of Washington, where I am also finishing my medical degree. I will be a neonatologist when I graduate. I chose this dream job because I want to help premature babies, as I once was, to go home to their families. My residency and studies keep me very busy. During my spare time I still play soccer once a week with a group of friends.” Over the past seven years Lucia’s vision has not wavered. Although she is not completely sure she wants to become a neonatologist, Lucia says she is still very passionate about helping people. Seeing all the hardships that her family and others have experienced with COVID has strengthened her motivation to enter the medical field, and reinforced her hope to help people all over the world. Lucia was awarded a Kirkland Rotary Scholarship.
Naomi Kern is a senior at Juanita High School, who, throughout high school, focused on academics and service through activities including Safe Schools Ambassadors, Welcome Team, Earth Corps, Japanese National Honor Society, Key Club, and tutoring. These activities allowed Naomi to foster positivity throughout the Kirkland community. At school, she participates in the Cambridge program, is the concertmaster for the JHS orchestra, and is captain of the varsity volleyball team. Naomi says studying for Cambridge exams, preparing for concerts and competitions, and playing in volleyball games have taught her about discipline and teamwork, skills that will serve her well through university and into the workforce. Joining Juanita's Earth Corps, taking AS/A Level Chemistry, and helping her teacher develop organic chemistry curriculum helped her develop her career goal: to become a green chemical engineer. During her career, Naomi hopes to collaborate with business professionals, policymakers, and community members to develop inclusive green technologies. Because of her experiences with community service throughout high school, she hopes to explore the intersection of green chemical innovation and altruism to improve the lives of communities throughout the world. Naomi was awarded a Kirkland Rotary Scholarship.