'The best and brightest': Annual Spokane Scholars banquet highlights region's top-performing high school seniors

Researching cancer, solving math equations at the snap of a finger, inventing a bionic arm and learning eight languages are just some of the accomplishments Spokane-area seniors were celebrated for on Monday at the annual Spokane Scholars Foundation banquet.

The Spokane Scholars Foundation celebrated 165 seniors, nominated by their schools for their prowess in one of six academic categories: English, fine arts, math, science, social studies and world languages. The foundation hosted its 34th annual Spokane Scholars Banquet where 30 of those seniors earned a scholarship ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Among the students, 34 public, private and charter schools from the greater Spokane area were represented.

Panels from the foundation judge each school's selections solely on the student's academic performance, evaluating a portfolio with transcripts, test scores, teacher testimony and other achievements, said Justin Boteju, vice president of the foundation's board. Five from each of the six academic categories were surprised Monday night with a scholarship, which a number of universities around the state will match with the winning student.

"Each of you has achieved something remarkable, and we want you to truly own this recognition," Boteju told the room full of scholars, staff and beaming parents. "You're not nominees, nor are you finalists, and this is not simply a one-time recognition during your senior year. You are the best and brightest of our community. You are Spokane Scholars now and always."

A national merit scholar, 4.0 student with a perfect SAT score Anna Garriques earned the top award for achievements in math. The Oaks Classical Christian Academy senior is the "most intelligent and strongest mathematics student I've had in 27 years," her teacher wrote in a letter of recommendation.

Since 8th grade, she breezed through math subjects from algebra to Advanced Placement Calculus and is now studying differential equations.

She plans to attend school for biochemistry and earn a Ph.D. to conduct research.

When he was a junior at Ferris High School, Brayden Martin combed through 12,000 data points to find what he thought could be a pulsar star emitting radio waves detectable from Earth. The discovery earned him first place at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

On Monday, his whole academic portfolio earned him the top award in Science and the accompanying $5,000 scholarship from the foundation.

Martin didn't stop with astrophysics; he created his own internship at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy in which he detects toxins in freshwater systems.

The big winner in English was Ferris' Sally Peterson. With a perfect 4.0 grade point average and a collection of top scores in AP English tests, she's also the founder and president of her school's book club. Peterson's school nominated her for her aptitude with the written word.

"This scholar's ability in writing to inform, persuade, reveal platitudes of life and make us laugh really show her ability to use words to connect to others," her teacher wrote.

Gavin Ahumada of University High School is "the best of us," one teacher wrote in his nomination. He earned the top award in social studies and the $5,000 scholarship.

"In 25 years of teaching, I have never had a student with his academic acumen, gift for communications, depth of empathy, boundless optimism, coupled with a laser like dedication to civic engagement," wrote the school's social studies department head.

Ahumada is also University's Associated Student Body President and district governor for service-based Key Club International. There, he oversees six states and providences.

Winner of $2,000 in social studies, Ava Swigart knows exactly how old she was when she first caught the bug for political advocacy: 361 days.

At not quite a year old, her family's church began volunteering at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco. They returned each month to fundraise and help with events until she was about 8 years old, when her family moved from the Bay Area.

"I've been an activist all my life," the Lewis & Clark High School senior said.

Swigart's academic success in social studies comes from those early years, she said. It's easier to excel in school when she's so personally invested in the subject area, which encompasses history, government, politics and economics.

Though it's her favorite subject, Swigart never pictured herself working in politics until the past couple of years. Medicine was always allured to her, specifically working to advance healthcare access and equity.

"I realized my passion for medical care and medical policy reform was more based around my passion for justice," she said.

Now with health care on the back burner, though she still interns with the Spokane Regional Health District, Swigart has her sights set on politics and government. She's bound for the University of Nevada in Reno, which she's researched is located in the only congressional district represented by a Republican set to retire.

"I get there in August, midterms are in November, so I have a good three to four months to intern on a campaign, and I think that would be awesome," she said.

Swigart plans to study political science and public health while competing with the Division I swim team there.

Lewis & Clark's John Ko was raised in a bilingual household speaking Korean and English. He earned his seal of biliteracy in Korean without much schooling, but didn't stop there.

In his high school career, he also took up Spanish, Japanese and French, excelling at all three with the grades, test scores and use of the language to prove it.

His teachers said he is "highly driven and intellectually curious with a strong commitment to mastering complex materials."

The $5,000 winner in the fine arts category, Jessica Morozov, from Ferris, has been playing with the Spokane Symphony since she was 15, beating out professional adult musicians with her talents on the violin. She's also the concert master of the Spokane Youth Symphony and the Idaho State Orchestra.

Spokane Symphony Director James Lowe said she "represents the very highest level of achievement for a young artist."

Ridgeline's Troy Slack was also honored as a Spokane Scholar. He's been playing his cello since he was 12, relishing the range and emotion he can illicit from the instrument.

He said playing the instrument has taught him how to come back from failure. A cellist with the Spokane Youth Symphony, he earned himself a coveted solo performance with the orchestra, but not before he endured his fair share of unsatisfactory performances.

"Even if something's hard at first, you should always keep pushing through it," he said.

Slack didn't earn a scholarship on Monday, but said he was honored with the designation as a Spokane Scholar and presence of other high achievers on Monday night.

"This banquet is something more, something where we can appreciate all the hard work everyone else has done as well," Slack said.

Since 1993, The Spokane Scholars Foundation has doled out more than $1.6 million in scholarships to over 4,300 students in the Spokane area.

Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.

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