In a tradition that began seven years ago, the residents of Herons Key senior living community recently awarded scholarships to 16 local high school seniors, acknowledging their academic accomplishments and community service. The scholarships ranged from $1,250 to $2,500. The residents also renewed the $2,000 scholarship to a previous recipient who is completing his first year at Evergreen State College.
Education Sponsor
Education stories are made possible in part by Tacoma Community College, a proud sponsor of Gig Harbor Now.
The scholarship program was the brainchild of Herons Key resident Peter Bulkely, who wanted to help local students further their education. The first year – 2018 – the residents contributed enough to fund eight scholarships of $375 each.
The program has grown by leaps and bounds since then. On June 5, it awarded $39,500 in scholarships was awarded.
This year’s honorees include seven students from Gig Harbor, six from Peninsula and two from Henderson Bay. Another recipient, a Head Start student who attends North Mason High School in Belfair and Tacoma Community College, works part time at Herons Key.
Back row, left to right: Dylan Shipman, Oakley Crabtree, Kyle Floberg, Brooklyn Krause, Jayce Corley, Tyvin Gilooly. Front row, left to right: Marilyn Colyar, Hope Taylor, Amelia Lindberg, Gwyndlyn Ciota, Josie Cockayne, Audra Wade, Frankie Ren Meachem, Brooke Graves. Scholarship recipients not pictured include Catherine Hardaway, Isabella Rosenberger, Hailee Gloria. Photo by Charlee Glock-Jackson
Hope Taylor is president of Henderson Bay’s Interact Club and helped organize a fundraiser to provide gifts for less fortunate teens. She plans to attend Olympic College in Bremerton and follow her mom’s footsteps with a career in nursing.
Amelia Lindberg is ASB vice president and represents Henderson Bay at Peninsula School Board meetings. She received the Betty Boyd Theater Award for Excellence for her work with Peninsula High School’s theater program and plans to take a gap year to study stage management with Bremerton’s Admiral Theater, where she’ll work on two live productions. Then she’ll attend Cornish College.
Oakley Crabtree is in Running Start at Peninsula and also takes classes at Tacoma Community College. She plans to transfer to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma to study nursing for a career as a pediatric nurse. She volunteers at Mary Bridge Hospital. A budding thespian, Oakley performed in PHS’s recent production of “Oliver!”
Gwen Ciota has a black belt in karate and a green belt in Japanese karate. She was born with a hearing loss, so a big part of her life is volunteering with people who have disabilities. She’ll attend Tacoma Community College this fall to pursue a career as a sonographer.
Dylan Shipman’s passions are music and the outdoors. He was the drum major at Peninsula, and he’s been a volunteer for Harbor WildWatch for seven years, where he also had an internship. He plans to continue playing saxophone and clarinet at Oregon State University while he majors in wildlife and fisheries conservation.
Brooke Graves loves horses and basketball. She’s been on the Seahawks basketball team every year. She wants to develop solutions that make a difference in people’s lives, so she’s headed to Olympic College and then to WSU, to pursue a career in engineering.
Catherine Hardaway is an avid backpacker and an Eagle Scout. While she works on a degree in Environmental Science at the University of Washington, she plans to join the Air Force ROTC program and eventually become a pilot.
Isabella Rosenberger is an honor student at PHS and an aquatics coach. This fall she’ll enter the honors program at Western Washington University to study neuroscience and business.
Audra Wade is a Running Start student at Tacoma Community College and Gig Harbor High School. She’s a musician and a cross country runner, and she volunteers at a thrift store. She’ll study electrical engineering at Gonzaga University.
Frankie Ren Meacham volunteers with Northwest Wag Rescue and coaches kids gymnastics at the YMCA. She plans to study radiation therapy at Southern Illinois University
Art is more than just a hobby for GHHS senior Josie Cockayne, it’s “her identity.” She’s headed to Western Washington University to study studio art and business. She presented one of her stained glass artworks to Herons Key as a thank you gift.
Jayce Corley is co-captain of the GHHS baseball team and plans to play ball this fall at Lassen College in California. He loves just about every kind of outdoor activity, from skiing to wakeboarding. His teachers describe Jayce resilient, hardworking and determined.
Kyle Floberg played football for the Tides, but had to switch to golf after a serious injury. That taught him that adversity often leads to growth. He’s headed to Washington State University this fall where he’ll study entrepreneurship.
Brooklyn Krause has been working at Heron’s Key while also being involved in a variety of school activities from tennis and hiking to snowboarding and watercolor painting. She’ll attend the University of San Diego this fall to major in architecture and business.
Tyvin Gilhooly will receive his AA degree from TCC and his high school diploma from GHHS before he heads to the University of Arizona this fall. He’s worked at Herons Key, and also as a ski instructor, and he plays trumpet at jazz festivals.
Hailee Gloria works part time at Herons Key while she attends Running Start at TCC and North Mason High School. She’ll get her AA degree and her high school diploma simultaneously. She’s headed to Olympic College and then to the University of Washington to study English literature, poetry and the classics.
Gig Harbor High School student Josie Cockayne presents one of her stained glass artworks to Marilyn Colyar, chair of the Herons Key scholarship committee. Photo by Charlee Glock-Jackson
Mayor Mary Barber and Sen. Deb Krishnadasan (26th District Democrat) were among the guests at the awards luncheon. In a follow-up email, Barber wrote, “The scholarship luncheon at Heron’s Key is so inspiring to me because it really shows the impact of individuals and the collective. The young people receiving the scholarships have already done more than I could imagine, and are poised for even more goodness. And the generosity of the Heron’s Key residents is so inspiring. Every contribution combined to make a larger and larger impact. Another reason to love our community.”
Krishnadasen expressed similar appreciation to Herons Key for hosting the event and added, “It’s inspiring to see our local seniors investing so generously in the future of our high school seniors.”
We can’t do it without you. Public service news requires community support.
Sign up now for the Gig Harbor Now weekly newsletter to stay abreast of everything that’s happened in the past seven days.
P.O. Box 546
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
(253) 357-5588
