The News Tribune asked South Sound high schools to nominate up to three of their best and brightest students for the newspaper’s 2009 All-Star Graduates team, the 12th year we’ve given the honor. Students were nominated for their academic achievement, school leadership, community involvement and/or special talent or ability. The 42 participating high schools nominated a total of 113 students. A panel of six community judges selected 12 All-Star Graduates from among those nominees.
The judges were:
Phil Chang, former executive director of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center.
The Rev. Gregory Christopher, president of the Tacoma branch NAACP and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church.
Lt. Gen. Bill Harrison, former Fort Lewis commander and Lakewood mayor, for whom Harrison Preparatory School in Lakewood was named.
Judy Jones, South End Branch director, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.
Judy Nelson, youth services director, Pierce Library System.
Sue Piotrkowski, News Tribune marketing.
The nominees were:
Auburn Riverside High School: Christopher Jaques, Cale Skagen.
Todd Beamer High School, Federal Way: Linda Diep, Joshua Mussa.
Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma: Victoria Fragoso, Julia Freeburg, Rajiv Iyengar*.
Bethel High School, Spanaway: Shelley Brewer, Amber Dickson, Teniya Lacy.
Bonney Lake High School, Bonney Lake: Marika Barnes, Theresa Edwards, Danika Wilcoxson.
Cascade Christian High School, Puyallup: Kristen Morgan, Devin Ossman, Hannah Velling.
Clover Park High School, Lakewood: Jordan Dacres*, Leesandra Moore, Airol Mae Salanga.
Curtis High School, University Place: Maria Dogero, Tyler Smelt, JohnMark Taylor*.
Decatur High School, Federal Way: Lindsey Estes, Megan Hestir, Cameron Schilling.
Emerald Ridge High School, Puyallup: Kyndell Andrews, Nicholas Bleich, Jolessa Moore.
Enumclaw High School: Joshua Jirava, Kaitlin Norton.
Federal Way High School: Paige Edmiston, Tamina Mahdi, Kevin Singh*.
Fife High School, Fife: Antonio Aldrick, Jennifer Castro*, Tierney Kuhn.
Foss High School, Tacoma: Anna Chow*, Shablee Sipes, Stanislov Walmer.
Gig Harbor High School: Allyson Gibson, Rachel Seibert, Alexander Sundell.
Graham-Kapowsin High School: Leah Addison, Pauline Blount, Autumn Knutson*.
Harrison Preparatory School, Lakewood: Michelle Barreto, Sydney Connell, Brian Hoffmeister.
Henderson Bay High School, Gig Harbor: Brandon Balogh, Maria Fechko.
Thomas Jefferson High School, Auburn: Jessica Oscoy, Alexa Tavasci.
Lakes High School, Lakewood: Jessica Edgecomb, Kaitlyn Kessel, Nnadozie Okoroafor.
Life Christian Academy, Tacoma: Olivia Knesal-Meininger, Andriana VanderGriend.
Lincoln High School, Tacoma: Mikela Moore, Carlos Olivares, Abigail Smith.
Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma: John Barr, Anna Le*, Thu-Ha Truong.
North Thurston High School, Lacey: Elliott Appel, Loc Hua, Ana Ordonez.
Orting High School: Su Hyun Jung, Alison Williams.
Peninsula High School, Purdy: Hanna Broback, Gene Lee, Alex Winter.
Franklin Pierce High School, Tacoma: Grace Pak*, Alicia Peebles, Rachel Wilder.
Puyallup High School, Puyallup: Jung Yun Choi, Karl Heinz, Danny Serna, Hien Vu.
River Ridge High School, Lacey: Bethany Jensen, Cody Miller, Jessica Tarvin.
Rogers High School, Puyallup: Chelsea Allen, Eugene Cheng, Zachary May*.
Spanaway Lake High School: Jonghyun Thom, Olivia Thomas.
Stadium High School, Tacoma: Luke Kneeshaw, Eduardo Vega.
Steilacoom High School: Brandon Lawton, Khanh-hoa Luong.
Sumner High School: Sarah Josten, Brittany Fulton, Delaney Knottnerus*, Jody Petitt.
Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma: Ruth Nalty, Asia Tail, Ellington Tynes.
Vashon Island High School: Clarissa Boyajian, Calen Winn.
E.B. Walker High School, Puyallup: Asacia Thompson.
Washington High School, Midland: Christy Suelki Lee, Saige Jennings*, Cheline Schroeder.
White River High School, Buckley: Victoria Marsh, Brandon Skyles.
Wilson High School, Tacoma: Becca Christenson, Laura Kjellesvik, Hyeyoung Lee.
Annie Wright School, Tacoma: Kyra Mungia, Maya Pisel.
Charles Wright Academy, University Place: Xavier Al-Mateen, Jacqueline Bolt, Wenxin Shen.
* All-star winner.
