Renn Novak received a thunderous standing ovation after delivering a powerful speech to the crowd in the packed Mercer Island High School (MIHS) gymnasium on the morning of April 25.
A few minutes earlier, the MIHS student was introduced as the winner of the 2023 Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF) Penny Yantis Senior Scholarship during the foundation’s Breakfast of Champions fundraiser.
Joe Bryant, general manager of the student-run KMIH 88.9 The Bridge radio station, brought his broadcaster to the stage by noting that Novak emanates kindness, care and inclusivity and is admired by their teachers and peers. The $3,000 from the scholarship will soon be in the hands of Novak, who is the goalkeeper for the state-champion girls lacrosse squad.
“As most have, I struggled immensely with my identity at the beginning of high school. Growing up as a queer student and trying to navigate mental health issues proved challenging,” said Novak, adding that they wanted to produce a KMIH radio show that was immersed in kindness and spotlighted LGBTQ+ resources.
“To be up front, I was extremely nervous about putting this raw version of myself on the air. KMIH showed me what it was like to do just that: pursue authentic and genuine media for digestion,” Novak added about The Tides Show podcast, which delves into the student’s life as they educate others about advocacy and mental health.
After unveiling The Tides Show, listeners have spread encouragement Novak’s way and the senior has realized the importance of their message and challenging “what our broader society has told us to keep under wraps.”
MISF’s goal is to raise $800,000 this year for school programs, which include KMIH, a component of the MIHS campus where students learn the art of conversation and the skill of broadcasting, Bryant said.
“The dollars we raise here will ensure your students are provided the absolute best education possible and I hope that we leave today inspired and motivated and excited about the future of our schools,” said Tammy Shoop, MISF executive director. A previous Reporter article noted that MISF has raised more than $26 million for Mercer Island public schools since the foundation’s inception in 1981.
The robust breakfast program also featured Mercer Island School District Pathfinder Award recipient Joan Vetto Papasedero; the elementary schools IDEA Project, which focuses on interactive disability education awareness, via a Jennifer Crespi presentation; a Your Impact Realized mathematics video; We Can All Be Authors and Ready for Tomorrow talks; and performances by the MIHS drum line and Bel Canto Choir. Cliff Sharples and Hilary Benson ran the show in their co-hosting roles.
With five of her fifth-grade students by her side, West Mercer Elementary instructor Kirsten Bourke highlighted the authors program. Over a six-week period, third- through fifth-grade youngsters meet with writing teacher Roz Ray to create a novel that is eventually printed and sold to families through Amazon.
“I have to say, truly, in my class library, some of the most frequently read books are the class novels that have been written in the past,” said Bourke, whose students spoke about the meaningful project at the breakfast and one of the girls read an excerpt from the current novel.
On the Ready for Tomorrow front, parent Emily Thompson said that her kids have acknowledged that Island schools prepared them well for college. Both students have garnered dean’s list honors and her boy — who struggled with reading as a youngster — will graduate with honors from the University of Washington and enter law school this fall.
“This morning is a celebration. It’s a celebration of our school district, it’s a celebration of our students, our staff and others,” said school district Superintendent Fred Rundle.
For more information, visit: MISF.com.
Clockwise from upper left: Mercer Island School District Superintendent Fred Rundle; Mercer Island School District Pathfinder Award recipient Joan Vetto Papasedero; attendees visiting after the breakfast; and West Mercer Elementary fifth-grade instructor Kirsten Bourke with some of her students during the We Can All Be Authors presentation. Staff photos by Andy Nystrom
