Everett Elks gift $2k; WWU honors 2 residents from Lynnwood

Everett Elks donate $2,000 to food bank

On July 10, Jocelyn Sievers-Bailey, exalted ruler of the Everett Elks, delivered a $2,000 check to the Volunteers of America to purchase food for the organization’s food bank.

This is the Elk’s second donation to the Volunteers of America this year to support the pandemic relief needs of the local community. In April, the Everett Elks donated $1,466.66.

Five students earn multi-year scholarship from Trinity Education Foundation

The Everett-based Trinity Education Foundation awarded five $40,000 scholarships through its Trinity Scholar Program, a multi-year scholarship initiative providing financial support, vocational guidance and professional coaching.

Laurel Bice, Sitate Gelgelu, Sophia Kormarek, Grace Livingston and Emma Rodriguez will each receive $10,000 in need-based support per academic year, access to an award-winning online vocation assessment program and personalized professional coaching. All five women are attending George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon.

The Trinity Education Foundation is a Christian scholarship fund that provides financial support, professional coaching and guidance for students attending accredited Christian colleges or universities in the Northwest.

Two Lynnwood residents honored at Western Washington University

Recent Western Washington University graduates Gabriela Guedea and Holly Lund received recognition as outstanding graduates by university faculty. Each spring, each department chooses one graduating student as its Outstanding Graduate.

Guedea graduated from Lynnwood High School and Edmonds Community College before earning her bachelor’s degree in operations management with a minor in business analytics from WWU. She was a member of the Professional Women’s Association and volunteered for the Whatcom Women in Business’s Annual Professional Women Awards Gala & Auction while at Western.

She plans to work and travel before attending graduate school.

Also a Lynnwood High School graduate, Lund earned her bachelor’s degree in German and linguistics with minors in Russian and Eurasian studies at Western. She graduated summa cum laude and with honors in March.

Lund had work published in Western’s academic journal, Occam’s Razor, and showcased during Scholars Week. She also was a teaching assistant in linguistics and German.

In her future is a move to Austria where Lund plans to teach English through the Fulbright U.S. Teaching Assistant Program.

Duo of Mukilteo teachers earn award for mentorship

Eighth-grade English, Language Arts, and Social Studies block teachers Erik VonGohren and Scott Gallagher of Olympic View Middle School in Mukilteo received recognition from Washington State University for being outstanding mentors to student teachers.

Both men earned the Miller-Manchester Mentor Teachers of the Year award. This is the college’s first time having co-winners of the award as the two of them shared a student teacher. Described as a “Dream Team,” the educators were praised for their thoughtful approach to mentoring interns in addition to their exemplary teaching, professionalism, dedication and generosity. As winners, each teacher earned a cash award in the amount of $1,500 as a token of gratitude for their service to WSU students and are honored at the Scholarship & Excellence Awards event, which will take place during homecoming on Oct. 3.