Award for Academic Excellence
Award for Academic Excellence – Spring 2025 Graduates
Yakima Federal has established this award for the purpose of recognizing high academic achievers graduating from high school and a resident in Benton, Franklin, Kittitas or Yakima County. It is for those graduates who are accepted by and enrolled in an accredited college, university, community college, or technical school during this year’s fall semester.
In 2025, Yakima Federal Savings and Loan will award $167,500 in academic assistance to area students and schools. In addition to $2,500 to each student, seven local colleges and universities will each receive $2,500. Since the program inception in 1975, Yakima Federal Savings and Loan has given more than $3,200,000 to local students and institutions to help pay for secondary education.
Applicants must reside in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton or Franklin counties, graduate in the top 10% of their class and have demonstrated high moral character, industriousness, and ambition during their high school career. Also required with the application is a one page letter of motivation outlining future plans, school and life experiences, including any challenges faced and overcome, and the impact of receiving an award. Students can review requirements and apply online now at YakimaFed.com/scholarship.
Awards are limited to two applicants from each area school. Home schooled students are also eligible. Awards are funded upon student enrollment for the fall semester following graduation. Award checks are issued payable to the school in which the student is enrolled.
The recipients for the 2024-2025 school year are:
Josie Jamieson — Chiawana
Lena Wrigley Sall — Chiawana
Landon Stone — Cle Elum-Roslyn
Angelina Mostofi — Cle Elum-Roslyn
Natalie Jenks — Connell
Marcus Casper — Connell
Alberto Barragan — Davis
Peter Whitney — Davis
Taylor Espedal — Delta
Delaney Gibbons — East Valley
Brody Gibson Taylor — East Valley
Luanna Yan Huang — Eisenhower
Emma Stephens — Eisenhower
Garrett Marrs — Ellensburg
Cole Rogers — Ellensburg
Maite Flores — Granger
Cristian Equihua — Granger
Clara Stickney — Hanford
Madison Gonzalez — Hanford
Alastor Smith — Highland
Kaylen Halverson — Homeschool
Nora Emmans — Homeschool
Hudson Fries — Homeschool
Eliza Kelly — Kamiakin
Sharon Handiseni — Kamiakin
Lyla Parker — Kamiakin
Alethea Lowrance — Kennewick
Ashlyn Dress — Kennewick
Gisselle Guzman — Kennewick
Elysa Nash — Kittitas
Kassidy Bremner — Kittitas
Olivia Alegria — La Salle
Violet Faultersack — Liberty Christian
Mia Rodriguez — Mabton
Elayn Faultersack — Mid-Columbia Partnership
Kayla Krueger — Naches Valley
Kaitlyn VanAmburg — Naches Valley
Victoria Yetter — Phoenix
Cherish Jia Deng — Prosser
Miriam Slonecker — Prosser
Evyn McLellan — Richland
Kaitlyn Prigge — Richland
Logan Roy — Riverside Christian
Jacob Fry — Riverside Christian
Aliyah Malone — Riverview
Drew Valen Lukas — Selah
Hudson Desler — Selah
Natalie DeBoer — Sunnyside Christian
Claire Sheehan — Sunnyside
Lila Elle Rice — Sunnyside
Joslin Zurita — Sunnyside
Lena Olsen — Three Rivers Homelink
Eduardo Ortega-Chavez — Toppenish
Joshua Myers — Toppenish
Aidric Muzatko — Tri-Cities Prep
Erin Guevara — Tri-Cities Prep
Natasha Mulenga Kalombo — West Valley
Mary Margaret Seal — West Valley
Daniela Delgado-Aceves — White Swan
Andrew Charbonneau — Zillah
Olivia Olsen — Zillah
