Rotary Club of Everett honors Students of the Month for the fall semester

Published 12:00 pm Monday, January 12, 2026

Each month during the school year, the Rotary Club of Everett recognizes and celebrates outstanding high school students in the city of Everett for their accomplishments and their promise.

Rotary Students of the Month for October

Everett High Student of the Month — Markeese Lyons

Kindness, dependability, enthusiasm and creativity make Markeese an invaluable member of his school community. At assemblies he has added sound effects, music and energy to make events memorable. As ASB Treasurer, Markeese helps ensure student government runs smoothly. His designs are now the official class T-shirt, and his innovative “event fair” idea helped students explore competitive opportunities in a fun, interactive way — showcasing both his imagination and his commitment to help others succeed.

Cascade High School Student of the Month — Jacob Hopkins

Jacob exemplifies resilience, leadership and commitment to both personal growth and helping others. He has balanced a 4.0 GPA with involvement in over a dozen extracurricular activities — including cross country, soccer, National Honor Society, HOSA, Math Team and more. He’s serving as vice president, secretary, board member and captain in various roles. Jacob brings passion, discipline and a strong sense of purpose. He hopes to earn a doctorate in biomedical science, where he aspires to research disease and save lives.

Sequoia High School Student of the Month — Cole Yama

Cole is a quiet yet impactful leader known for his calm presence and strong sense of responsibility. He has earned the respect of peers through his consistent dedication, thoughtful actions and integrity. His ability to lead by example makes him a trusted and admired figure and peer tutor serving his classmates. Cole plans to attend Everett Community College to pursue a future in fire science, hoping to be a fire investigator and make a meaningful difference through courage, discipline and public service.

Rotary Students of the Month for November

Cascade High School Student of the Month — Sophia Thigpen

Sophia exemplifies the ideal balance of academic excellence, leadership and service. She is a standout scholar with a 4.0 GPA and has completed nine rigorous AP courses, earning top scores. She serves as the President of the National Chinese Honor Society, Vice President of Band, and Secretary of Key Club, is active in several other clubs. She is a competitive tennis player and served as a multi-year team captain. Sophia hopes for a career in anesthesiology, where her excellence and care for others will continue to shine.

Sequoia High School Student of the Month — Sydney Baker

Sydney loves being involved and making things better for those around her. As ASB President, she balances leadership with teamwork, positivity, respect and humor. She is dependable, easy to talk to and someone who brings good energy to any situation. Her first leadership project was the annual spring fundraiser. “It shockingly went very well in terms of school-wide involvement, community engagement and overall revenue,” Sydney said, “and that success pushed me to want to take a more active role in leadership going forward.”

Everett High Student of the Month — Kalekidan Banti

Kalekidan has maintained a GPA of 3.9 while challenging herself with multiple AP courses. Her teachers describe her as the kind of student who elevates every space she enters. “She consistently creates spaces where everyone feels valued, actively seeks out student voice in decisions, collaborates with purpose,” said one, “and leads by example through her reliability and strong work ethic.” Another said “Kalekidan Banti is a delight—hard working, diligent, focused and kind. She is the kind of young woman who gives you hope about the future.”

Rotary Students of the Month for December

Sequoia High School Student of the Month — Vanessa Pivaral Covarrubias

Vanessa is a determined, hardworking and highly focused student who approaches every challenge with dedication and drive and holds herself to high standards both academically and personally. She is also a strong team player who enjoys contributing productive, thoughtful ideas when working with others. This year, Vanessa planned a schoolwide activity to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. A passionate advocate for Sequoia, Vanessa plans to attend Everett Community College for a degree in the health/science field.

Everett High Student of the Month — Sam Russell

Sam maintained a 3.98 GPA while taking almost every AP class. He is ASB President, often opening the main door with a morning welcome as students enter. In the musical Newsies he sang and danced to a standing ovation every night. He is multi-year letter winner in tennis and soccer, and founded the new Everett Empowered Club, where all students can play games, make friends and interact. Sam helped plan Everett High’s first Special Olympics Unified Sports program. As a teacher said, “He enriches every environment he enters.”

Cascade High School Student of the Month — Nathan Kim

Nathan maintains a 4.0 GPA and has taken 12 AP classes, all while tutoring peers and supporting their academic success. He is a leader in the Technology Student Association, competing at both state and national levels. As an Eagle Scout and Senior Patrol Leader he has led major Boy Scout service projects and guided younger scouts. In Tennis he earned the title of regional champion. Nathan is also active in Math Team, National Honor Society, Key Club, Link Crew, and the Everett Youth Advisory Board.

About the Rotary Club of Everett: Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and build goodwill and peace. Chartered in 1917, the Rotary Club of Everett is one of three Rotary clubs in Everett and a total of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in 182 countries.

In 2025 the Rotary Club of Everett provided $390,748 in scholarships to 61 students from the Everett area. The club also supports college-bound students in the Everett School District’s AVID program and organized a $107,000 program to fund gardens for low income residents in the Dominican Republic. Club members represent a broad spectrum of business, governmental, charitable and public service occupations and support service projects in the Everett community and around the world. The club meets in a hybrid in-person and online Zoom session at noon every Tuesday. For more information, visit the club website: www.everettrotary.com.