Graduation announcements
Jason Chong, son of Taek and Hyuna Chong, received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Hamilton College, located in Clinton, N.Y.
Christina Culver, daughter of Peggy and Gilbert Culver, received a Bachelor of Arts in world politics, cum laude, from Hamilton College, located in Clinton, N.Y.
Mariel Hayes, daughter of Mark and Peggy Nast Hayes, received a Bachelor of Arts in special studies from Franklin and Marshall College, located in Lancaster, PA.
Brian Bligh earned an associate degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, N.Y.
Andrew Kaestle earned a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, cum laude, from the University of San Diego with a minor in International Business. He will be moving to La Jolla, California in September to begin a career with Ernst & Young.
Olivia Rosane graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and English with a minor in Spanish, summa cum laude, from Barnard College, in New York, N.Y.
MIHS ’77 grad wins law award
Page Henkel Chance has been awarded the 2009 Liberty Bell Award by the Whatcom County Bar Association. The award is given each year on Law Day in May by bar associations to acknowledge exceptional community service from non-lawyers for their commitment to education, civil liberties and civic responsibility under the law. Chance is an advocate for disabled homeless community members and works with LAW Advocates, a nonprofit legal aid office, to coordinate its Homeless Disability Program. Chance graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1977 and earned a degree from Western Washington University. She has worked as a paralegal in Bellingham since 1984.
Yeshiva students earn state academic honors
Three Northwest Yeshiva High School seniors from Mercer Island received Washington State Honors awards, ranking among the top 10 percent of the state’s class of 2009. The winners are Grant Blumenstein, Avraham Young and Leslie Golden. The ranking was based on an indexed score from the students’ grade point averages and SAT scores. Each recipient will receive a certificate for presentation at his or her graduation ceremony.
Zhang’s ‘got milk’ and a $7,500 scholarship
Mercer Island High School senior Inar Zhang was awarded the Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache Athlete of the Year (SAMMY) Award by The National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign and USA TODAY.
The SAMMY Award provides $7,500 in college scholarships to high school senior athletes who are top performers in the classroom, in their respective sports, communities and also include milk as part of their daily routine. This year, the winners were selected from nearly 55,000 applicants.
In addition to the scholarship, Zhang will attend an awards weekend at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., with his family. SAMMY winners will don the famous Milk Mustache in its Body By Milk ad that will appear in USA TODAY on June 26.
“I am so impressed by all 25 of the extremely talented SAMMY winners this year. I’m thrilled that we can continue to recognize and reward students like Inar Zhang for making smart choices both in and outside of the classroom and for continuing to make milk a part of their path to success,” said Vivien Godfrey, CEO of the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign.
The award panel cited Zhang’s commitment to academics, athletics, leadership and community service — including all-conference swim honors, publication in the Journal of Neuroscience and competing as a finalist at the Chemistry Olympiad National.
MIHS alum Peru-bound on Fulbright grant
Barbara Rosen, a 2001 Mercer Island High School graduate, has received a Fulbright Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year to conduct research in Peru in the field of economic development.
Her experience will be funded by an international research grant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. She will depart for Lima, Peru, in September and will be based at the Instituto de Estudios Peruanos, a renowned South American social science research institution.
“My research will explore how the rural poor benefit from saving in financial institutions,” she said. “This is a particularly relevant time to research this issue.”
Rosen graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005, majoring in Diplomatic History and Urban Studies. For the past three years, she has worked for the Corporation For Enterprise Development (CFED), an economic development think tank and policy development organization based in Washington, D.C.
The Fulbright program, created by the U.S. Congress in 1946, operates in more than 155 countries around the world. Candidates are chosen on the basis of academic merit and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Participants are provided with the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants.
Rosen is the daughter of Deborah and Doug Rosen.
