2025 Scholarship recipients

2025 Scholarship Recipients

Meet The Scholarship Recipients

This year’s graduating class is notable for strong academic achievement and serious ambitions. Inspired by new classes offered this year and a partnership with Jefferson Health Care, several are choosing to go into nursing, while others hope to express their passion for music by teaching and composing. Science, technology, and, in true Chimacum fashion, a love for animals, are also very important factors for these students in choosing their future careers.

We are delighted to help make our students’ dreams come true. With the generous support of our caring Chimacum community, we are awarding $66,125.00 to this year’s graduates, as well as continuing scholarships to students currently in college, for a grand total of $105,725. We congratulate these amazing students and wish them all the best as they begin this exciting new chapter of their lives.

Here are our winners from the class of 2025:

KEAHLI FHY

Keahli’s goal is to become an ultrasound technician at Jefferson Healthcare. She will attend Peninsula College in the fall and take the pre-requisites for their transfer nursing degree before focusing specifically on ultrasound technology. Described by her teachers as a gentle, kind person, Keahli wrote in her portfolio that “Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to do something that would help people. Now that I’m older I know that I want to play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating patients. I’m excited about continuing to learn and pursue my dreams.” Keahli will receive the $500 AKG Carpenter’s Son Scholarship and $500 from the Quilcene Lions.

TAYLOR FRANK

Inspired by her mom and aunt, Taylor is excited to begin her journey to pursue a career in nursing that will allow her, like them, to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Taylor has been accepted into the nursing program at Peninsula College, where she will study to become an RN. She then hopes to transfer to either Washington State University or the University of Washington, where she will work towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Proud of her selection as Rhody Queen shortly after moving to this community, Taylor consistently connects with others and is admired for her positive personality. She is the recipient of the $1000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, the $2000 renewable Duke and Jeanne Shold Scholarship, and the $1000 Marjorie and Henry Rogers Memorial Scholarship.

LAYLA FRANSON

Growing up surrounded by animals, Layla has always appreciated the companionship and comfort they have provided her. Long intrigued by the field of medicine, Layla hopes to help animals in the future by becoming a veterinarian. Her dream is to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. Layla is well on her way to achieving this goal, as she will graduate from high school with both her high school diploma and an Associate of Arts Direct Transfer Degree from Peninsula College. To help finance her advanced studies, Layla will receive a $1000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, a $2000 Duke and Jeanne Shold Renewable Scholarship, and the $5000 Susan Phillips AP Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

ZI LONG LYU

An immigrant from China who has only been in this country for little more than two years, Zi has made amazing progress both in his mastery of English, and in working toward his ambitious goal of becoming a registered nurse. Teachers praise him for his hard work, maturity, and dedication to his studies. Empathetic and always thinking of others, Zi hopes to make a tangible impact on individuals’ lives through his work. He will attend Olympic College and enroll in their nursing program. Zi will be greatly helped in his studies by the $1000 Luke Snyder Memorial Scholarship, a $2000 Duke and Jeanne Shold Renewable Scholarship, the $500 Greg Bolling Memorial Scholarship, a $3000 Mitch Black Memorial Scholarship, and the $1000 Donna Pall Nursing Scholarship.

CONNER MEYERS-CLAYBOURN

Inspired by the music in the video games that he has long enjoyed playing, Conner’s goal is to entertain people with his original compositions. A dedicated bass player, Conner will attend Edmonds College and take their audio and production program to get a certificate in music and audio production. Once he has completed that program, he hopes to attend the DigiPen Institute of Technology to get a bachelor’s degree in music and sound design. With his deep passion for both music and creativity, Conner will put his $1000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship and his $1,500 First Fed Scholarship to good use.

HAYDEN MONTGOMERY

Carrying on the family tradition of great music education going back to his great-grandparents, Duane and Mary Lou Montgomery, Hayden is passionate about his future music career. After taking a gap year, Hayden will attend Central Washington University, where he will enroll in their music education program. He writes that “My biggest goal in life is to become a composer and music teacher. I want to spend my life creating music that inspires others…” Besides being a music teacher, Hayden dreams of marching in a world-class drum corps, designing a crowd-pleasing show for them, and writing a symphony that pushes the boundaries of what has been done before. He will receive the $3000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, a $2000 renewable Duke and Jeanne Shold scholarship, the $1,100 In the Valley Near the Water Scholarship, and a $2000 Truvedson Scholarship.

KEANU MORRISON

Keanu writes that “Creation of games has been a part of my world from first memories,” and he hopes to further explore this field by majoring in Games Studies at Washington State University this fall. Keanu’s expertise with computers has given him a springboard for creating games, and his ultimate hope is to bring fun, excitement, and challenges to a wide audience while working for a game development company. Teachers praise Keanu for his strong academic focus and his ability to make insightful connections. He is the recipient of a $1000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, the $1,025 Chimacum Staff Payroll Scholarship, and a $3000 Mitch Black Memorial Scholarship.

JOHN NUCHIA

“Hard-working, kind, soft-spoken yet assertive, thoughtful of others, really smart, and very involved” are just a few of the comments teachers made when asked about John’s potential. Deeply concerned about the state of our planet, John hopes to be able to make a serious contribution towards saving lives by predicting the effects of man-made climate change. To that end, he will attend Western Washington University and study environmental science and policy. His ultimate goal is to enter a career of ice core research in Antarctica working with NOAA. John will receive a $1000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, the $1,200 Norm Christie STEM Scholarship, and the $40,000 Ross and Claudine Roesler Memorial Scholarship ($10,000 yearly for four years).

ROSE PEIRCE

One teacher noted that “Rose has a magical quality about her. Everything is better when she is there!” Rose will bring this special quality to her dream job, managing a restaurant where she can bring people together to celebrate a variety of culinary traditions. She has been active in the culinary program here at Chimacum, prepared and served food at several community events, and played a key role in the launching of the very popular Feed Truck. Rose will study Culinary Education at Olympic College in the fall. She has been awarded a $1000 Chimacum Backpack for Kids Scholarship, a $2000 Renewable Duke and Jeanne Shold Scholarship, and the $1000 Franson Trucking Scholarship.

TESSA RICHARDSON

Not only is Tessa a dedicated, highly capable student, she is also an outstanding gymnast who competes in Division 1 national competitions. When not performing gravity-defying flips and twists on the balance beam, Tessa has worked hard enough to get her AA degree in pre-nursing from Olympic College and has earned the honor of being named class valedictorian. Tessa is now well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a certified nurse. It should only take her two years to complete her nursing degree at Boise State University. After that she hopes to become a travel nurse and see the country and the world while helping others. For her outstanding achievements, Tessa has been awarded a $2000 Truvedson Scholarship and a $3000 Mitch Black Memorial Scholarship.

MAYKAYLA VANDENBERG

Maykayla was very proud to be the only Chimacum student selected to do a job shadow at Jefferson Health Care, and it was during that day of observing nurses and doctors perform life-changing work that Maykayla had an epiphany about becoming a nurse: “This isn’t a want,” she told the scholarship committee. “I HAVE to do this.” As President of the newly formed Health Services Club this year, Maykayla was thrilled to go to a conference in Spokane where her Chimacum group came in third in the state. She described it as one of the best moments of her life! She will attend Olympic College in the fall, where she has enrolled in the nursing program. Her goal is to become a Registered Nurse and spend her life helping others. Maykayla will receive a $3000 Chimacum Backpacks for Kids Scholarship, and the $1,600 Dave Garing Memorial Scholarship.

AND NOW THE WINNERS FROM THE CLASSES OF 2020 THROUGH 2024:

RENEWABLE DUKE AND JEANNE SHOLD SCHOLARSHIPS: For the past 17 years, Duke and Jeanne Shold have donated thousands of dollars to help our Chimacum graduates further their academic and vocational goals. To date, an incredible total of 119 Chimacum students have benefited from the Sholds’ incredible generosity. Here are the students who will be receiving a continuing Shold Scholarship:

MARIA POWELL (2023): Maria will receive an additional $2000 to continue her music studies at the University of North Texas. She hopes to pursue a professional career in music after receiving her bachelor’s degree in jazz studies.

MADISON BURGESS (2023): Madison is currently studying Aquatics and Fisheries at the University of Washington. She is looking forward to a summer class at the UW’s Friday Harbor Lab in the San Juan Islands. She will receive an additional $2000 from the Sholds.

HALEY MORRISON (2020): Haley has finished her Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology in the honors program at Washington State University and has been accepted into the veterinary school there. In addition to her $2000 Shold Scholarship, Haley will receive a continuing $2000 scholarship from Jeff and Marcia Harris.

AVA SHIFLETT (2024): Another Chimacum graduate who is passionate about caring for animals, Ava is planning on becoming a veterinarian one day. She is considering a major in biomedical science at Central Washington University, where she is completing her first year. In addition to her $2000 Shold Scholarship, Ava will receive $500 from the Judy Gunter Memorial Scholarship.

MICAJAH SHIFLETT (2022): With an outstanding academic record at Washington State University so far, Micajah is poised to begin applying to vet schools after completing his Zoology Pre-Vet major. He will receive the final $2000 installment of his Shold Scholarship.

AVA AMOS (2022): Another home-grown future vet, Ava will graduate from Washington State University this year. After graduation, she will work as an assistant in a local veterinary hospital and then take a gap year before committing to further studies in either veterinary medicine or farming. She will receive $2000 from the Sholds.

Also receiving a $1,200 scholarship from FOCS and the Blackbaud fund this year is MORGAN LISKE (2021), who is currently studying nutrition-dietetics and psychology at Central Washington University. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in dietetics.

THE $40,000 ROSS AND CLAUDINE ROESLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:

This scholarship honors the legacy of Ross and Claudine Roesler, long-time residents of Port Ludlow. Claudine was a philanthropist who cared deeply about enhanced medical care for patients and their families, and for the continuing education of Chimacum High School students. She gave nearly one million dollars to the Harrison Medical Center as well as to Jefferson Health Care and Chimacum Schools. This generous scholarship guarantees recipients a $10,000 award for each successful year of their undergraduate programs for a total of four years. In addition to this year’s winner, JOHN NUCHIA, the following students will receive an additional $10,000 this year:

REID MARTIN (2024): Reid has just completed his first year at the University of Montana, where he is pursuing a B.S. in Forestry, with a minor in Ecological Restoration. He is looking forward to doing reforestation work this summer.

CONNOR PATERSON (2023): Connor is continuing to receive outstanding grades at UC Davis, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering.

AVA VAUGHN-MIFSUD (2022): Committed to developing sustainability in farming practices, Ava is majoring in business and environmental studies at the University of Washington, where she will be completing her senior year.

THE JEFF BENEDICT EDUCATOR GRANTS BEQUEST:

FOCS is deeply grateful to the friends and family of Jeff Benedict, long time history teacher at Chimacum High School who sadly passed away last year, for their generous donation of $30,000 to the Educator Grants fund, used to support programs that enrich the educational experiences of our students. The family felt that this would be the best way to honor and remember Jeff. Because of this grant, FOCS has been able to support such requests as the Cispus Outdoor Education Program, the band’s trip to the Long Beach parade, drumline equipment for the band, food and cultural materials for the high school Spanish class, books and materials for the 4--5 reading program, and many more. We look forward to funding even more projects next year with this generous bequest. With his love of creating fun activities for his students, and his deep connection to them, we think Jeff would be pleased.

FOCS appreciates all our donors, both for Educator Grants and for scholarships. Your generosity changes lives.