SPS Shout Outs
Summary: SPS students are racking up scholarships and shining in STEM, finance, and beyond
Dollars for Scholars: SPS Students Score Big with Scholarships, STEM Wins, and Statewide Honors
Rainier Beach Seniors Earn Top Scholarships—Including Prestigious Gates Award
Rainier Beach High School seniors are celebrating an impressive year of scholarship awards, led by a standout achievement: M’Bouilee Sidibe has been named a Gates Scholar, one of the most selective scholarships in the nation, awarded to less than 1% of applicants.
Sidibe has excelled across academics, athletics, and community service—maintaining a high GPA, earning her associate degree from Seattle Central College, and competing in track and basketball. A dedicated advocate for food justice through the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, she plans to attend the University of Washington to study public health and continue her work advancing health equity locally and globally.
Rainier Beach students also secured a wide range of scholarships recognizing leadership, service, and academic achievement:
Leadership 1000 Scholarship: Aida Sarr
Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship: Aida Sarr, Kathy Ngo, Nisar Bahawi, and Barin Ahmadi
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship: Barin Ahmadi, Kathy Ngo, Miranda Santiago, M’Bouilee Sidibe, Nejema Mohamed, and Zoe Pineda
Costco Diversity Scholarship: Kathy Ngo and Nabay Zerazion
Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund: Jenna Niko, Barin Ahmadi, Jaren Regala, NadhjMychel Oyson, and Corey Morrow
Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship: Barin Ahmadi, Kathy Ngo, Lisette Malila, and NadhjMychel Oyson
BECU Foundation Scholarship: M’Bouilee Sidibe, Zoe Pineda
From statewide honors to community-based awards, these scholarships reflect the dedication, leadership, and resilience of Rainier Beach students. Congratulations to this remarkable group of scholars.
More SPS Seniors Earn National Merit Scholarships
Four SPS seniors are being recognized for their academic excellence as 2026 National Merit Scholarship winners.
Nico Santa Lucia and Aureole Chang of Lincoln High School were selected for $2,500 National Merit Scholarships, while Cecilia Fontana of Garfield High School (Tufts University Scholarship) and Evan Mitchell Barnhardt of Ballard High School (St. Olaf College Scholarship) earned college-sponsored awards.
Chosen from a highly competitive pool of finalists nationwide, these scholars were recognized for their strong academic records, leadership, and potential for success in college.
Nico plans to pursue chemistry, Aureole biology, Cecilia social science, and Evan mathematics.
Franklin Student Awarded Museum of Flight Scholarship
Yededeya Assefa, a junior at Franklin High School, has been awarded a 2026 Frank “Sam” and Betty Houston Flight Training Scholarship through the Museum of Flight. The scholarship provides up to $14,000 toward earning a Private Pilot License and supports students pursuing careers in aviation.
Assefa, who participates in the Museum’s Aeronautical Science Pathway program, hopes to attend Central Washington University and major in Professional Pilot studies before pursuing a career as a commercial pilot.
The Museum of Flight scholarships recognize outstanding students who have participated in Museum education programs or attend Raisbeck Aviation High School, helping aspiring aviation and aerospace professionals pursue post-secondary education and flight training opportunities.
Lincoln, Roosevelt Shine at Regional Envirothon Competition
SPS students showcased their environmental knowledge and teamwork at the Northwest Regional Envirothon competition in March. Eight teams from five SPS schools competed in this hands-on academic event focused on environmental science.
Lincoln High School earned an impressive 2nd place overall finish—just one point behind first—and took 1st place in the Aquatics category. The team advanced to the Washington State Envirothon in May.
Roosevelt High School also delivered a strong performance, placing 3rd overall and earning first place in the Soils category.
This marks the third year that Career and Technical Education (CTE) AP Environmental Science teams from SPS have competed at Envirothon. In that time, SPS teams have consistently placed among the top three at regionals and advanced to the state competition each year—including a standout showing in 2025, when teams placed first and second at state, and Roosevelt represented Washington at the international competition in Calgary.
WSHS Unified Team Headed to the USA Games 2026
West Seattle High School’s Unified Basketball team has been selected to represent Washington state at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis this month. It is a remarkable honor that reflects the team’s dedication, teamwork, and inclusive spirit.
As the first SPS school recognized as a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School, the Wildcats continue to lead the way in building a culture of belonging, bringing students of all abilities together and showing what’s possible when every student is valued.
For these student-athletes, the USA Games mark a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on a national stage. The school will recognize the team at its end-of-year assembly on June 12.
Join us in celebrating this incredible achievement and cheering on our West Seattle High School Unified team as they represent our district, city and state with pride!
Cascadia Elementary Excels in Math Competition
Cascadia Elementary students are celebrating impressive success in MathLeague.org competition! Of the seven students who advanced to the state championship, five earned spots at the national level, with one student scoring high enough to pre-qualify for the international competition.
The team also took home 1st place in the team round and secured a top individual finish in the fourth-grade category—an outstanding achievement across the board.
Seattle Public Schools Students Complete Washington Aerospace Scholars Program
SPS is proud to celebrate the students who have successfully completed Phase One of the prestigious Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) program. This rigorous online curriculum connects high school juniors with real-world opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The Washington Aerospace Scholars program is designed to inspire and prepare the next generation of STEM leaders. In November 2025, these scholars joined approximately 300 students statewide to begin an intensive five-month course featuring nine lessons developed by NASA and the University of Washington. Students who successfully complete the curriculum may earn five UW credits in Aeronautics & Astronautics.
Completed WAS Phase One
The following SPS students demonstrated dedication and academic excellence in completing the WAS online curriculum:
- Ethan Rowe, Ballard High School
- Henry Thomas, Ballard High School
- John Vo, Cleveland STEM High School
- Avery Choy, Cleveland STEM High School
- Justin Li, Cleveland STEM High School
- Jason Kuang, Cleveland STEM High School
- Luke Truong, Cleveland STEM High School
- Steven Feng, Franklin High School
- Marvin Dao, Franklin High School
- George McReynolds, Garfield High School
- Devani Parker, Lincoln High School
- Gil Pitts-Reynolds, Lincoln High School
- Roman Semenovich, Lincoln High School
- Jake Brown, Lincoln High School
- Ryder Graham, Lincoln High School
- Audrey Hays, Lincoln High School
- Daminika Kourakh, Lincoln High School
- Alex Stoll, Lincoln High School
- Jay Rangel, Rainier Beach High School
- Harry Greenstein, Roosevelt High School
- Ilo Chiu, Roosevelt High School
Selected for WAS Summer Residency (Phase Two)
Based on their performance in the online program, the following students have earned a spot in the highly competitive WAS Summer Residency:
- John Vo, Cleveland STEM
- Avery Choy, Cleveland STEM
- Justin Li, Cleveland STEM
- Jason Kuang, Cleveland STEM
- Marvin Dao, Franklin
- George McReynolds, Garfield
- Devani Parker, Lincoln
- Roman Semenovich, Lincoln
- Harry Greenstein, Roosevelt
- Ilo Chiu, Roosevelt
This summer, students advancing to Phase Two will take their learning to the next level during the immersive WAS Residency experience. Working in teams, scholars will design a human mission to Mars with guidance from professional engineers, scientists, university students, and educators.
Green Lake Educator Named Regional Teacher of the Year
Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) has named Lisa Merlin the 2027 Regional Teacher of the Year, recognizing her exceptional commitment to students, leadership, and community impact.
Merlin has taught for more than 24 years, including the last 14 at Green Lake Elementary in Seattle Public Schools, where she is known for building inclusive classrooms centered on kindness, connection, and student engagement.
Learn more about Lisa Merlin and the award
Washington’s Teacher of the Year program honors outstanding educators who inspire students, support colleagues, and strengthen their communities. Regional recipients are selected through a nomination and evaluation process and advance to consideration for Washington State Teacher of the Year, with the potential to move on to the National Teacher of the Year program.
Ballard Team Wins Washington State Stock Market Game
A team of students from Ballard High School’s Academy of Finance earned the top spot in the Washington State Stock Market Game for the 2025–26 school year. Team members Asher Dvorkin, Wesley Manger, Henry Patterson, and Solomon Secor finished first out of 481 teams statewide, demonstrating strong teamwork, strategy, and financial knowledge.
The students used a long-term “buy and hold” investment strategy, focusing on technology companies benefiting from the growth of artificial intelligence. One of their key investments was Micron (MU), a major supplier supporting technology infrastructure that experienced significant growth during the competition.
The Ballard team showed impressive depth across the competition, with seven teams finishing in the top 50 statewide. This marks the second time Ballard has captured the state title, highlighting the continued success of the school’s Academy of Finance program and its students’ skills in business, investing, and financial decision-making.
