This week, the Highline Schools Foundation announced its 2022 Gold Star Award Nominees.

Each year, the foundation solicits nominations from community members, district employees and parents for its prestigious and much-anticipated Gold Star Awards.

This year’s list of impressive nominees includes well-deserving teachers, staff, administrators and volunteers.

“Highline Schools Foundation congratulates them all and looks forward to celebrating them at the Gold Star BASH!”

The Gold Star BASH is scheduled for Thursday, Mar. 24, 2022, from 6 – 7 p.m.

“This will be the first in-person Gold Star BASH since 2019, and we can’t wait to see you there! Save the date for Thursday, March 24th for the 2022 Gold Star BASH! We’ll celebrate all of our Gold Star Nominees and announce the winners for the 2022 Gold Star Awards!”

This year’s BASH will be held at the SeaTac Community Center, and tickets are on sale now — advance tickets are $25, or $30 at the door, and include food (appetizers and dessert) and one drink ticket. Additional drink tickets are available at the event. All event attendees must be 21 or older.

For more info, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Please note: The SeaTac Community Center requires that all attendees either show proof of vaccination for COVID-19, or a negative test within 72 hours for entry, per current county guidelines. And masks must be worn when not eating or drinking.

The Nominees are…

Outstanding Administrator

    • Corbin Busby, Principal – Hilltop Elementary School
    • Tim Depue, Assistant Principal – Chinook Middle School
    • Alicia Gaynor, Principal – Bow Lake Elementary School
    • Maggie Heater, Principal – Marvista Elementary School
    • Terry Holtgraves, Principal – Seahurst Elementary School
    • Jessica Ma, Vice Principal – Madrona Elementary School
    • Robin Totten, Principal – Gregory Heights Elementary School               

Outstanding Classified Staff

    • Danielle Bellamy, ASL Interpreter and ASL Interpreter Coordinator – Bow Lake Elementary School
    • Wendy Curtis, Special Education Paraeducator – Parkside Elementary School
    • Denise Dagley, Office Manager – Bow Lake Elementary School
    • Victoria Haworth, Registrar – Pacific Middle School
    • Theda Hiranaka, Attendance Secretary/Office Staff – Raisbeck Aviation High School
    • Susan Hope, Office Manager – Glacier Middle School
    • Muna Hussein, Paraeducator – ELL – White Center Heights Elementary School
    • Adriana Lara-Espinosa, Executive Assistant – Teaching, Learning and Leadership
    • Debbie Lipp, Bus Driver (route 111) – North Hill Elementary School
    • Nenette McIntyre, Paraeducator – Gregory Heights Elementary School
    • Alberto Mendoza Garcia, Bilingual Tutor and Paraeducator – Chinook Middle School
    • Sydnee Pardee, Paraeducator – Hazel Valley Elementary School
    • Madeline Pearce, Paraeducator – Bow Lake Elementary School
    • Eduwiges Prieto , Office Manager – Madrona Elementary School
    • Maryann Rollolazo, Paraeducator – Chinook Middle School
    • Elaine Sauro, LAP Paraeducator – Mount Rainier High School
    • Deana Shuck, LAP Paraeducator – Mount Rainier High School

Outstanding Professional Staff

    • Katie Carper, Counselor – Raisbeck Aviation High School
    • Karly Feria, College & Career Access Specialist – Tyee High School
    • Kayla Guyett, Native Literacy & Culture Specialist – Native Education
    • Jill Hadji, Dean of Students – Chinook Middle School
    • Christine Hagerty, School Counselor – Madrona Elementary School
    • Stacy Handler, Database/Programmer Analyst – Technology Services
    • Kelvin Hernandez Cruz, Technology Services Technician – Seahurst Elementary School
    • Eldridge Lile Cole, Outdoor Educator – Waskowitz Environmental Leadership Service
    • Kathy Myers, School Nurse – Midway Elementary School

Outstanding Volunteer

    • Tim Crawley, Volunteer/Retired – Highline
    • Sara Johnson, Volunteer – Seahurst Elementary
    • Alain Semet, Green Energy Team Mentor – Raisbeck Aviation High School

Outstanding Rookie Teacher

    • Stacy Bowman, 2nd Grade Teacher – McMicken Heights Elementary School
    • Rosa Castaneda Murillo, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Alejandro Isiordia Navarro, Math Teacher – Evergreen High School
    • John Ostermann, Teacher – Evergreen High School
    • Theury Pen, IAC Special Education Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Brenda Phelps, Special Education Teacher – Sylvester Middle School
    • Jenna Shamseldin, Integrated Kindergarten Teacher – Parkside Elementary School
    • Alejandra Silva-Avendano, Teacher – Pacific Middle School

Outstanding Teacher

    • Aaron Aker, 4th Grade Teacher – North Hill Elementary School
    • Diana Arenas Castillo, Kindergarten Teacher – Hazel Valley Elementary School
    • Jessica Barber, Teacher- 4th grade – Bow Lake Elementary School
    • Jordan Beckman, Music Teacher – Mount Rainier High School
    • Taylor Blue, Success Dean – Chinook Middle School
    • Joe Bourgeois, Teacher – Sylvester Middle School
    • Jeffrey Bradshaw, Special Education Teacher – North Hill Elementary School
    • Jessica Burtt, Intermediate IAC teacher – Des Moines Elementary School
    • Dorothy Carter, Librarian – Hilltop Elementary School
    • Shoshanna Cohen, STEAM Teacher – White Center Heights Elementary
    • Emily Davis, Teacher – Highline Virtual Academy
    • Olivia Evans, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Michelle Herrmann, Teacher – CHOICE Academy
    • Amanda Hodges, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Schuyler Jensen, Music Teacher – Hazel Valley Elementary School
    • Evan Murphy, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Bryston Nahm, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
    • Bev Pecoraro, Advisor (Teacher) – Big Picture School
    • Maria Pina, Teacher/Librarian – Hazel Valley Elementary School
    • Matt Pokrywka, Teacher – Marvista Elementary School
    • Ryan Reilly, Librarian – White Center Heights Elementary School
    • Baylee Robertson, Special Education Teacher – Mount Rainier High School
    • Stephanie Savino, Art/CTE teacher – Mount Rainier High School
    • Marianne Schneeman, Language & Literacy Specialist – Marvista Elementary School
    • Lisa Shafer, Librarian – Marvista Elementary School
    • Alana Vinther, Marketing Teacher – Tyee High School