From Ivy League colleges and vocational/trade schools to community colleges and military service, members of Sequim High School’s Class of 2015 have their sights set on a wide range of possible careers.
When they leave home, they’ll have plenty of support in their pocketbooks.
This year’s graduating class boasted about 235 students strong who walked in the school’s commencement ceremony on Friday, June 12.
At last week’s Scholarship Awards ceremony, the class was recognized for earning more than $3.3 million in scholarships — a school record, according to SHS career coordinator Mitzi Sanders — with more than $350,000 coming from local community groups and individuals.
“As I was putting the scholarship list together I was thinking, ‘What a diverse class,’” Sanders said. “It seems like their interests are all over the country. (We have) kids representing just about everything.”
Graduating Sequim High seniors look to pursue academic and vocational interests across the national map, from Tennessee (Shelby Lott, Lipscomb University) to Wisconsin (Will Bittner, University of Wisconsin), from Florida (Alex Bryant, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) to New Hampshire (Emily Carter, Dartmouth College), from Kansas (Josh Cibene, University of Saint Mary) to Illinois (Michael Cobb, North Central College; Samantha Cutlip, Columbia College of Chicago), from Texas (Katherine Stevenson, Baylor University; Caitlin Stofferahn, Austin College) to Missouri (Ali Thill, Cottey College).
Sequim grads are looking at vocational training, including fine arts (Falisha Dail, Northwest College of Art/Design; Daniel Willis, Cornish College of the Arts), massage (Yvonne Baskett, Port Townsend School of Massage) and linemen schools (Travis Gaumond, Northwest Lineman College). They’re also interested in seeing the world via serving in the U.S. military (Brandy Austin, Adrian Espinoza and Dustin Shoffstal, U.S. Army; Matthew Galasso and Christopher Torres, United States Marine Corps)
The Class of 2015 also sees several student-athletes prepping for collegiate sports careers along with their studies, including University of Washington crew recruit Elise Beuke, track and field star Alexander Barry — who’s headed to Western Washington University — and Kaylee Ditlefsen, signed on to wrestle at Warner Pacific University in Portland, Ore., among others.
“They’re shoppers — they applied to a lot of schools,” Sanders said. “They waited to see where they’d be offered admission.”
Sanders called SHS’s Class of 2015 “close-knit.”
“They’re pretty supportive of each other,” Sanders said.
Josiah Anastasi — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $3,000, Duncan Family Scholarship $1,000, Agnew Helpful Neighbors Club $4,000, SEF Jane Q Miller Memorial Scholarship $8,000, Albert Haller Foundation $8,000; Washington State University
Brandy Austin — United States Army, $120,000
Mikaele Baker — Sequim City Band $1,100; Undecided
Olivia Barrell — Sequim Pioneer Association $1,000, SEF James P Halloran Memorial Scholarship $2,000, Pride Foundation Scholarship $2,000, DigiPen Institute of Technology Grants $23,100, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Scholarship $68,000; DigiPen Institute of Technology
Holly Barrett — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, VFW Post #4760 $750; Peninsula College
Dani Barrow — SEA Future Teacher Scholarship $500, Chapman University Hesperian Scholar Award $30,000; Chapman University
Alexander Barry — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, VFW Voice of Democracy $1,675, Kelly Foundation of Washington $2,500, Clallam County Bar Association $750, WWU Academic Recognition Award $500, WWU Presidential Scholarship $3,000, WWU Track & Field Award $15,000; Western Washington University
Yvonne Baskett — United Steelworkers Philip Murray Memorial $1,500, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $1,500; Port Townsend School of Massage
Halle Beck — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Eastern Washington University Grant $5,500; Eastern Washington University
Eli Berg — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $5,000, Peninsula Tennis Club $500, Occidental Oxy College Merit Scholarship $124,000; Occidental College
Elise Beuke — Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, UW Husky Rowing Scholarship $78,504; University of Washington
Wyatt Billings — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Peninsula Rodeo Association $250, Douglas P. Cronin Welding Scholarship $2,500; Spokane Community College
Will Bittner — William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, University of Wisconsin Superior Grant $4,900, University of Wisconsin Superior NTW Award $30,000; University of Wisconsin
Tia Bourm — SSD Jeff Caterina Memorial Scholarship $500, Port Angeles Eagles Auxiliary #483 $1,000, Washington State Opportunity Scholarship $10,000, Sequim Volunteer Firefighters Association $1,000, Peninsula College Foundation Vocational Scholarship $1,000; Peninsula College
Jerry Bryan — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; University of Washington
Alex Bryant — Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Grant $1,100, Embry-Riddle University Alumni Scholarship $4,000, Embry-Riddle Dean’s Scholarship $23,600; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
David Burgher — Sequim School Bus Drivers Scholarship $500; Peninsula College
Amanda Campbell — Sandra Bailey Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Montana State University
Emily Carter — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, SEF Dennis Sawby Scholarship $1,500, Dartmouth College General Scholarship $216,720; Dartmouth College
Josh Cibene — Lee & Betty Embree Memorial — Jr. Livestock Auction $500, University of Saint Mary $48,000; University of Saint Mary
Michael Cobb — Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, North Central College Founders Award $4,000, North Central Academic Grant $18,800, North Central College Honors Scholarship $68,000; North Central College
Alexis Cook — William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000; Everett Community College
Eduardo Cruz — Sequim Rotary Club $550, Ben & Myrtle Walkling Memorial $500, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000; Peninsula College
Victoria Cummins — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $3,000, PEO Chapters EP, FY & HM $2,250, Sunland Owners Association $3,000, Clallam County Bar Association $750, Gardiner Garden Club $1,000, University of Washington Seattle Grant $11,156; University of Washington
Samantha Cutlip — Peninsula Singers Denise Graham Memorial $500, Readers Theatre Plus Scholarship $800, Columbia College of Chicago Trustee Award $48,000; Columbia College of Chicago
Falisha Dail — BGCA Maytag Dependable Leaders Scholarship $1,500; Northwest College of Art/Design
Bernadette Dalm — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; University of British Columbia
Jordan Daracunas — Sequim Pioneer Association $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, VFW Auxiliary #4760 $500; Peninsula College
Kaylee Ditlefsen — SSD Rowland Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty Scholarship $750, Warner Pacific Wrestling Scholarship $2,000, Warner Pacific Trustees’ Scholarship $32,000; Warner Pacific College
Emily Dybedal — Sandra Bailey Memorial Scholarship $750; Unknown
Adrian Espinoza — United States Army, $120,000
Hannah Fritz — Gardiner Garden Club $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Cedarville University
Anthony Fudally — SSD Rowland Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Agnew Helpful Neighbors Club $3,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Peninsula College
Matthew Galasso — United States Marine Corps, $120,000
Lisette Garcia — William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Point Loma Nazarene Scholarship $46,000; Point Loma Nazarene
Reed Gates — WAVE BROADBAND Scholarship $500, Agnew Helpful Neighbors Club $3,000; Seattle Central Community College
Travis Gaumond — SSD Lyons Memorial Scholarship $500, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Northwest Lineman College
Hannah Gauthun — Sequim Elks Lodge $2,000, Peninsula Tennis Club $300, UI Achievement Award $8,000; University of Idaho
Shannon Gordon — Ben Merscher Memorial Scholarship $500, Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $6,000, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $2,500, SEF Dennis Sawby Scholarship $1,500, Mike Beery Memorial Children’s Fund Scholarship $1,000, SHS Honor Society Scholarship $500; University of Washington
Maeve Harris — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, International PEO Star Scholarship $2,500; University of Washington
Sydney Hastings — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Western Washington University Merit Scholarship $4,000; Western Washington University
Henry He — Sequim Rotary Club $550, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Shipley Senior Center $1,000; Western Washington University
Benjamin Heintz — Peninsula Singers Dewey Ehling Vocal Music Award $500, SEF Woodrow Ward Scholarship $2,000, Sequim High School Choir Boosters Scholarship $500, Readers Theatre Plus Scholarship $800, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $1,500, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Bremerton Valley Scottish Rite $1,000, BYU-Provo Brigham Young Scholarship $10,304; Brigham Young University-Provo
Kristina Holtrop — Washington High School Counselor Award $7,000, Evergreen Scholastic Achievement Award $600, Rhododendron/Sequim Prairie Grange Scholarship $1,000, Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty Scholarship $750, Sequim City Band $900; Evergreen State College
Donika Huls — AAUW Clallam County Branch Scholarship $1,000, Story People of Clallam County Scholarship $1,250, Cyril F. McFrederick Memorial Scholarship $2,000; Peninsula County Scholarship $1,250, Cyril F. McFrederick Memorial Scholarship $2,000; Peninsula College
Sarah Isenberger — William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000; Undecided
Kaitlyn Jackson — WAVE Broadband scholarship $500, Glenda Clark Memorial Scholarship $1,500; Peninsula College
Makayla Jacobsen — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Northwest University
Logan Kelbel — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Sequim Arts $400; Peninsula College
Brianna Kettle — WSU Cougar Commitment Award $50,000; Washington State University
Olivia Kirsch — VFW Auxiliary #4760 $500; Peninsula College
Victor Lam — Sequim Elks Rousch Family Scholarship $2,000, Peninsula Tennis Club $250, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $1,500, Bremerton Valley Scottish Rite $1,000, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Sequim Schools Alumni Scholarship $1,500, SEF Jane Q Miller Memorial Scholarship $8,000; University of Washington
Katherine Landoni — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $3,000, SEF Robinson STEM Scholarship $10,000, Sunland Owners Association $3,000, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $2,500, Len Assante National Ground Water Research $2,000, The Academy of Applied Sciences $1,500, Bremerton Valley Scottish Rite $1,000, Washington State Elks $1,000, SEG Keith Wrolstad Memorial Scholarship $617, Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award $500, Sons of Norway, $400, OSU Non-Resident Academic Excellence $20,000, OSU Provost Academic Award $22,000; Oregon State University (Honors)
Alexander Law — VFW Voice of Democracy $500, Rhododendron/Sequim Prairie Grange Scholarship $1,000, SEF Robinson Journalism Scholarship $10,000; Western Washington University
Emma LeBlanc — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $5,000, Sequim Sunrise Rotary $2,500, SEA Future Teacher Scholarship $500, VFW Auxiliary #4760 $500, SPU Alumni Scholarship $12,000, Seattle Pacific University President’s Scholarship $84,000; Seattle Pacific University
Hailey Lester — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Peninsula Youth Equestrian Foundation $100; Eastern Washington University
Jocelyn Lopez — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Gardiner Garden Club $1,000; Peninsula College
Sarai Lopez — Clallam County Bar Association $750, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Sequim Arts $500; Peninsula College
Shelby Lott — Lipscomb University Provost Scholarship $56,000, Coast Guard Foundation $5,000, Post 9-11 GI Bill, $114,500; Lipscomb University
Rebecca Lewis — SEF Alternative Learning Scholarship $500; Peninsula College
Mesa Maddux — Sequim Prairie Garden Club $1,000, Blue Whole Gallery Shirley Foss Art Scholarship $500, Sequim Arts $600, Sierra Nevada College Alumni Scholarship $12,000, Sierra Nevada College Scholarship $58,000; Sierra Nevada College
Joshua McConnaughey — BGCA Maytag Dependable Leaders Scholarship $1,500; Olympic College
Jayme McIntyre — Rhododendron/Sequim Prairie Grange Scholarship $1,000; Peninsula College
Katelyn McWilliams — SSD Rick Kaps Memorial Scholarship $500, SEF James P. Halloran Memorial Scholarship $2,000, Seattle University Grant $4,000, Seattle University Bellarmine Scholarship $60,000; Seattle University
Dylan Miller — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; University of Washington
Miguel Moroles — SSD Rowland Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, WSU University Achievement Scholarship $4,000, WSU Dean’s Engineering Award $2,000; Washington State University
Karina Morris — Biola University Grant $18,500, Biola University Lead Scholarship $24,000, Biola University Dean’s Academic Scholarship $32,000; Biola University
Maegan Myers — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; University of Nevada Las Vegas
Sydney Negus — Westminster College Dean’s Scholarship $60,000, Westminster College Grant $12,000, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Sequim High School Choir Boosters Scholarship $500; Westminster College
Peter Ohnstad — University of Idaho — Discover Idaho Scholarship $20,000, SEF Engineering Challenge Award $500; University of Idaho
Rikki Parr — Port Angeles Eagles Auxiliary #483 $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Sequim Soroptimist $2,000, Sequim Rotary Club $550; Peninsula College
Kailee Price — SSD Student Representative Scholarship $500, Gonzaga University Regents Scholarship $66,000; Gonzaga University
Travis Priest — Helen Haller Elementary PTO Scholarship $500, Shipley Senior Center $1,000, Agnew Helpful Neighbors Club $4,000, UW Bothell Undergrad Award $4,000; UW Bothell
Eric Prosser — Queen Ann HS Alumni Association $500; University of Victoria
Rory Roberts — Richard Meyers Memorial Scholarship $750; Peninsula College
Ryan Root — Port Angeles Association of Realtors $1,500, WSU Achievement Scholarship $4,000, WSU Engineering Scholarship $2,000, Visit WSU Award $4,000; Washington State University
John Ryan — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $3,000, Quinten & Elsie MacDougall Memorial Scholarship $2,000, UW University Undergrad Grant $11,156; University of Washington
Katie Schade — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Richard Meyers Memorial Scholarship $750; Pikes Peak Community College
Rebecca Schroepfer — Sequim Elks Lodge $2,000, Rhododendron/Sequim Prairie Grange Scholarship $1,000, Agnew Helpful Neighbors Club $3,000; Laramie Community College
Dustin Shoffstal — United States Army, $120,000
Jacob Smith — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Gardiner Garden Club $1,500, VFW Post #4760 $750; Peninsula College
Cheyenne Sokkappa — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, SHS Honor Society Scholarship $700, Albert Haller Foundation $8,000, Washington NASA Space Grant $12,000, Washington State Opportunity Scholarship $10,000, University of Washington Seattle Scholarship $16,000, UW Husky Promise Scholarship $68,000; University of Washington
Katherine Stevenson — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, Baylor University President’s Gold Scholarship $64,000, Baylor University Award $51,100; Baylor University
Caitlin Stofferahn — Austin College Community Scholarship $12,000, Austin College Grant $12,000, AC J.D. Moseley Alumni Scholarship $500; Austin College
Alexandra Stuart–Lovell — SSD Wright Memorial Scholarship $500, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; University of Washington
Riesa Sumida — SSD McDonald Memorial Scholarship NA, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Sequim Elks Lodge $2,000, $1,000; University of Washington
Katey Tapia — SSD Rowland Memorial Scholarship $500, Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty Scholarship $1,000, Sequim Rotary Club $550, SEF Woodrow Ward Scholarship $2,000, WAVE Broadband scholarship $500, WSU University Achievement Award $4,000, WSU University Grants $5,700, WSU Cougar Commitment Award $44,176; Washington State University
Ali Thill — Washington PEO Edith Markham Wallace Scholarship $5,769, PEO Chapter HM/WA Foundation Scholarship $2,500, Cottey College Achievement Scholarship $4,000, Cottey College Grant $2,700, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000; Cottey College
Sarah Thomas — SSD Rowland Memorial Scholarship $500, Sequim Soroptimist $2,000, Albert Haller Foundation $8,000; Peninsula College
Karla Tinoco — St. Joseph’s Catholic Church $2,500; Peninsula College
Itzel Tinoco–Vazquez — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Peninsula College
Christopher Torres — United States Marine Corps, $120,000
Tenille Tosland — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, SEF Film Festival Award $1,250; Peninsula College
Lauren Traczyk — Baldwin Wallace University $48,000, BW Residency Award $16,000; Baldwin Wallace University
Siana Turner — Charlotte Kirby Memorial Scholarship $1,000, North Arizona University Founders Gold Scholarship $12,000, NAU University Grant $16,000; North Arizona University
Nessa Urban — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, WWU President’s Scholarship $3,000, WWU Opportunity Pathway Scholarship $2,000; Western Washington University
Emily Van Dyken — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $3,000, Sunland Owners Association $3,000, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church $2,500, Sequim High School Choir Boosters Scholarship $500, Gonzaga University Grant $4,600, Gonzaga University Music Department Scholarship $6,000, Gonzaga University Dean’s Scholarship $60,000; Gonzaga University
Heidi Vereide — Northwest University Silver Academic Scholarship $40,000; Northwest University
Judithayn Villella — Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty Scholarship $750, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500; Undecided
Emily Wallner — Gardiner Garden Club $1,000, Shipley Senior Center $1,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Washington State Opportunity Scholarship $2,500; Peninsula College
Jack Williams — Sequim Masonic Lodge $1,500, Gardiner Garden Club $1,000; Washington State University
Daniel Willis — Peninsula Singers Dewey Ehling Vocal Music Award $500, Readers Theatre Plus Scholarship $800, William & Esther Littlejohn Foundation $1,000, Cornish Housing Scholarship $4,000, Cornish College of the Arts Scholarship $40,000; Cornish College of the Arts
Vance Willis — Virginia Nitterhouse Foundation $4,000, Sequim Masonic Lodge $6,000, Washington State Elks $2,000, National Elks Association $4,000; Undecided
Zavier Zarit — SEF Film Festival Award $1,000, Western Washington University Merit Scholarship $1,000; Western Washington University
Total: $3,245,877
