Edmonds School District High School Students of Month for April 2023

Edmonds eLearning Academy

Marques Mallety

Edmonds Heights K-12

Gem Arbogast

Parents’ names: Jennifer Nielsen and Darin Arbogast

Clubs & Activities: My poetry has been published in Hooligan Magazine and Spindrift Art and Literary Journal, and my creative nonfiction can be found in Muted Mirror Magazine and my personal Substack newsletter. I’ve recently had the honor of becoming part of the Luminaries poetry workshop community. Over the past two years, I’ve released songs for charity with Scotland-based label Heavenly Creature Records. Through Running Start at Shoreline Community College, I’m a member of the Queer Collective and Salsa Club.

Honors: I’m a member of the Honors College at Shoreline Community College.

Community Service; I have volunteered for concerts at local music venue The Vera Project, and worked as a teaching assistant for Guitar Building and French classes at Edmonds Heights K-12.

Significant School Project: Through the Honors College at SCC, I am working on a yearlong research project called “OCD in Fiction Saves Lives” on the portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder in literature. I’m writing a literature review and will present my findings at the University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium this May. I’m bilingual in English and French.
Employment: Literary Editor for Spindrift Art and Literary Journal, and Sales Associate at Edmonds Hero Ace Hardware.

Educational Goals: I am currently deciding between the University of Washington and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to pursue a BA or BFA in Creative Writing.

Anything else we should know? I’ve recently organized and hosted open mic events for the local community at Lake City HeartSpace and SCC. I am currently working on an Extended Play (EP) of original songs that I hope to release this summer, and I am always writing.

Veronica Unger

Edmonds-Woodway High

Hailee Park

Parents’ names: Esther Shin, Young Park

GPA: 3.96

Clubs & Activities: Tri-M president; Key Club; Concertmaster, Philharmonic Orchestra; President, Camerata; Public Relations Officer, Chinese Club, National Honor Society.

Significant School Project: I played violin in the pit orchestra for the school’s production of “The Addams Family” musical.

Employment: Retail sales associate, instructor-assistant at Kumon

Career Goals: To be a psychiatrist.

Edgar Cabrera

Parents’ names: Edgar and Melina Cabrera

GPA: 3.0

Clubs & Activities: DECA, Latino Student Union

Athletics: Varsity soccer

Educational Goals: To attend a university.

Lynnwood High

José Rodrigo Coronado Pena

Parents’ names: Esther Peña Mata, Trinidad Coronado Becerra

GPA: 2.411

Elijah Trimble

Parent’s name: Yahnique Neal

GPA: 3.2

Clubs & Activities: BSU

Educational Goals: To graduate and get ready for college.

Career Goals: To be an architect or rich enough to enjoy life.

Meadowdale High

Jordan Leith

Parents’ names: Brian and Patricia Leith

GPA: 3.99

Clubs & Activities: MHS Link Crew, NHS treasurer, UNICEF

Athletics: Varsity girls Basketball, Varsity Cross country

Honors: Captain of varsity girls basketball and cross country teams.

Awards: All Wesco conference second team for girls basketball

Community Service: Training youth girls basketball players

Educational Goals: I will attend Whitman college, major in neuroscience, and play for their women’s basketball team next year

Career Goals: To become a neuroscientist.

Josh Kretz

Parents’ names: Amy and Bryan Kretz

GPA: 3.93

Clubs & Activities: Drama Club, play production as one of the heads of Front of House/Promotions; writer/director for Meadowdale High’s upcoming DramaFest 2023; acted in several plays and musicals during high school.

Honors: Member of the National Honor Society, and the International Thespian Honors Society; MAMBO Student of the Month in November 2022.

Community Service: Volunteering for the Meadowdale Middle School musical in February, and for MCT my freshman year. I participated in a live charity event creating art commissions for a charity fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Center in 2021 as well. I have done volunteer work for my school through making various posters for events and working concessions at some school events.
Significant School Project: The lead role of Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in the winter, which challenged me mentally, emotionally, and physically. This role allowed me to be an advocate and a representative of autism and neurodiversity while also being able to grow and test my skills as an actor.

Educational Goals: To attend Western Washington University and study to become a performing arts teacher and be an advocate for neurodiversity.

Career Goals: To become a performing arts teacher with a Master’s degree in education. I hope to continue working in theater and acting as well.

Anything else we should know? I have ADHD, Autism, and SPD.

Mountlake Terrace High

Nick Sylvester

Laraine Sims

Parents’ names: Joshua and Lindsey Sims

GPA: 3.11

Clubs & Activities: Speech and Debate

ASB: Executive President

Athletics: This year: football, wrestling, track and field. Past years, I played soccer and basketball as well.

Awards: I have gotten a few awards for speech and debate even making it to the state championships with my partner Asenat Ghebru our first year competing. I also placed second at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair for my project.

Community Service: I helped run the food drive at my school as well as participated in both school-run blood drives. Outside of school I volunteer as well with many different organizations.

Significant School Project: My senior stem project. It focused on preventing kinking in insulin pump tubing. It showed that there is promise with preventing kinking in the tubing with pressure.
A significant project I completed for the school was helping run the food drive. Our ASB runs a food drive every year and this year it was very important with recovery from the pandemic and a lot more people needing access to food.

Employment: I am currently a private soccer coach, soccer referee, and babysitter.

Educational Goals: My goal is to major in political science and go to law school.

Career Goals: My goal is to go into law and politics.

Project SEARCH

Dakota Cook
Parent’s name: Heather Cook

GPA: 3.5

Athletics: Volleyball

Employment: Working at McDonald’s

Educational Goals: To be successful.

Career Goals: To work at McDonald’s

Scriber Lake High

Christopher Murphy

Jordan Sayre

VOICE Transition Program

Jennifer Nguyen

Parents’ names: Lieu Nguyen, Tina Nguyen

GPA: 4.0

Employment: Jennifer has had four successful vocational internships. Her current internship is at Chase Lake Elementary School in the cafeteria.

Educational Goals: Jennifer will graduate from VOICE Transition Program this year and prepare for life after school.

Anything else we should know? Jennifer is BTS’ number one fan and an amazing dancer.

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