MONROE — The Monroe School District took the top honors in this year’s vocational excellence awards.
The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) is a merit-based scholarship honoring the state’s top career and technical students. More than 250 high school seniors and community college students applied this year; 108 were selected. Among the winners were five Monroe students, the most from any area this year, according to the Workforce Board, which administers the award.
Recipients can receive up to $5,200 a year, for a maximum of two years. The grant can be used to cover tuition and other expenses at Washington colleges, universities and private career schools.
In all, $1.1 million in scholarships were awarded.
Scholarship winner Calvin Cha, who graduated this month from Monroe High School, plans to attend Western Washington University this fall and study engineering.
Winners discuss their accomplishments with the school board and district staff. (Photo credit Monroe School District)
He will receive between $4,200 and $5,200 a year, funds that will help him cover college costs, he said.
“It definitely helps,” said Cha, 18.
Cha studied aerospace manufacturing at Monroe High School. The hands-on program engaged his creative and technical skills, he said.
This summer he plans to work and prepare for college in the fall.
A committee of business, labor and education leaders select the winners.
“For too long our country ignored the needs of businesses that are engaged in manufacturing,” said Larry Brown, co-chair of the Workforce Board.
Workforce Board Co-Chair Larry Brown congratulates 2023 WAVE winners from Monroe. (Photo credit Monroe School District)
The award “removes barriers to education and living wage jobs,” Brown said. “The WAVE program is an outstanding public investment in middle class jobs and Washington’s future.”
“I think it’s a smart move by the state Legislature to fund these WAVE scholarships,” Brown said.
The WAVE award was established by the Legislature in 1984 to help emphasize the importance of career and technical education. The award was suspended in 2010 due to budget cuts during the Great Recession but was revived last year by the Legislature.
“The Workforce Board is proud to support the many outstanding opportunities offered by career and technical education,” Workforce Board Co-Chair Gary Chandler said in a statement. “This is a great program that directly impacts the many Washington employers facing labor shortages. We look forward to working with the Legislature to increase next year’s funding.”
The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is a partnership of business, labor and government helping Washington residents succeed in family-wage jobs and helping meet employer needs for skilled workers.
To view this year’s winners, go to https://tinyurl.com/mr3trnry
Back row, from left, Larry Brown, Co-Chair, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Shannon Tarrach, Director of College and Career Readiness, Monroe High School. Front row of students, from left, Boramy Sam, Calvin Cha and Amor Ayala Luna. (Photo credit Monroe School District)
Local Winners:
Arlington High School: Isabella Hassa
Everett Community College: Kylie Aschenbrenner, Robert Abbett
Kamiak High School: Nathan Pao
Marysville Getchell High School: Dante Rieger
Monroe High School: Amor Ayala Luna, Calvin Cha, Boramy Sam, Abigail Van Hook, Patrick Vigus
Mountlake Terrace High School: Olivia Campanario
Shoreline Community College: Nathanel Blood, Svitlana Kryshtanovska, Christian Mariano
Stanwood High School: Audrey Miller, Aidan Munson, Darlena Schmitt
Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com;
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