SPS Shout Outs
Summary: Students continue to stand out for their curiosity, leadership, and determination.
Students Across SPS Recognized for Outstanding Achievements
Our students do remarkable work every day. From academic achievements and innovation to leadership, advocacy, and personal excellence, students across the district are being recognized for pursuing their passions and making a difference in their communities. Join us in celebrating these scholars whose dedication and drive reflect the very best of SPS.
2 SPS Seniors Earn Prestigious National Merit Scholarships
Alice Cottrell‑Steen, a senior at Lincoln High School, was selected as a National Merit Bristol Myers Squibb Scholar. Alice plans to pursue a career in chemical engineering and earned this award through her exceptional academic record and achievements.
Griffin J. Johnson, a senior at Cleveland STEM High School, received the National Merit Boeing Scholarship. Griffin intends to study nuclear physics and was recognized for his strong performance and commitment to STEM.
These awards are part of the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, in which corporate partners support students whose academic success, career interests, or community connections align with their missions. Scholarships are awarded to students who advanced to Finalist standing after a rigorous academic and application process.
Washington Middle School Student Inspires with Powerful Advocacy
Shea Lawson, a 7th grader at Washington Middle School, continues to inspire as an award-winning public speaker and straight‑A student.
On March 31, Shea was invited to speak at EduTalks at the University of Washington, delivering her speech, “Access is a Right: Disability Justice in our Schools.” Shea was the only student speaker at the event and received a standing ovation, along with special recognition from former Seahawks standout Doug Baldwin.
A young scholar with Speak With Purpose and a passionate advocate for inclusive education, Shea exemplifies leadership, resilience, and heart.
Jane Addams Shines at Major Science Fair
Curiosity, creativity, and a passion for discovery were on full display as the Jane Addams Middle School (JAMS) Science Fair Club competed at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair. The club brought 25 projects involving 34 students, exploring topics from behavioral science and physics to plant science and environmental engineering—and the results were impressive.
Thirteen projects earned first rank awards, while 12 received special awards recognizing everything from aviation and plant sciences to graphic design and enthusiasm for scientific research. Even more impressive, six projects received multiple awards, and one Jane Addams student was nominated to advance to the national Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
The success didn’t stop there. Three JAMS competed at the high school level, vying for a spot at the International Science and Engineering Fair. Two earned first rank awards, and one went on to finish as a top 15 finalist out of more than 600 competitors—a remarkable achievement and a testament to the strong foundation built at JAMS.
Seniors Take a Big Step Toward Tech Futures With $40K Amazon Scholarships
Five Seattle Public Schools seniors from three high schools received the surprise of a lifetime when they were awarded $40,000 scholarships toward their education.
The Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Scholarship is awarded to students who plan to study computer science or engineering after high school. The prize comes with a paid internship at Amazon after their freshman year of college.
Representatives from Amazon surprised the students at their schools. Most were stunned into silence before bursting into cheers.
The 2026 AFE Scholarship recipients are:
- Alex Wen – Cleveland STEM
- Bill Chen – Cleveland STEM
- Salah Kassim – Cleveland STEM
- Alan Yuan – Garfield
- Rumi Ince – Roosevelt High School
Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career initiative designed to inspire and educate millions of students each year from underrepresented and historically underserved communities to build life-changing skills that leverage computer science and coding to bring their dreams to life. Recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, and financial need.
Olympic Hills Fourth Grader Shines at State Chess Championship
Benjamin Brown, a 4th grader at Olympic Hills Elementary, had an impressive showing at the 2026 Washington State Elementary Chess Championships.
Competing against 195 4th grade students at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Benjamin scored 4 out of 5 points, placing 15th overall in his division. Benjamin has been playing chess since first grade and qualified for the state championship after competing in multiple tournaments this school year.
Benjamin was under the guidance of chess coaches Kyle Wasierski and Ray Easterday.
Hamilton Students Strike a High Note at Renowned Jazz Festival
Students from Hamilton International Middle School are celebrating after earning top honors at the renowned Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in April.
Hosted at the University of Idaho, the festival, is widely recognized as one of the largest and longest-running educational jazz festivals in the world.
The school’s jazz program, directed by Angela Pence, brought home two first-place trophies from the competition, which drew more than 3,800 student musicians from across the country.
Both Hamilton’s Vocal Jazz and Jazz Band combos took home first place trophies. The award-winning Vocal Jazz Combo featured Bea Haakenson, Annika Horner-Devins, Madeleine Pontz, Ava Ray, Aislynn Riffell, Mimi Schweikart, Ruby Spivak, and Althea Turkweiss.
Members of the winning Jazz Band Combo included Liam Dean, Derek Divakaruni, Pierce Iles-Shih, Cameron Lee, Rivers Longano, Mia Mizumachi, Jacoby Namkung, Lily Soliman, and Xander Tsao.
Students Esme Guist, Juliette Deux-Pancera, and Rivers Longano were individually recognized as Outstanding Musicians.
