Rainier Scholars

 

  Tequila Logan lives with her sister and mother in a small apartment in the Central District of Seattle. Before entering Rainier Scholars, she was a student at a South Seattle public school. In May of 2002, Tequila was accepted into Rainier Scholars and began the rigorous 14-month academic program. She worked hard refining her academic skills, especially in reading and mathematics. Her mother also invested time in helping Tequila develop good study habits, and keeping her focused on her academic progress.

In the winter of 2002, Rainier Scholars helped Tequila's mom apply to five Seattle-area independent schools. In April 2003, Tequila received a full scholarship to The Northwest School, and began 7th grade this past September. Tequila is excited about her new school and is succeeding in her classes at Northwest. She is also an active member of the school community, taking such courses as rock-climbing and basketball, and has been selected as a class representative. Tequila continues to participate in Rainier Scholars through the Academic Support Program, and other social activities.

  Nam Ngo's family immigrated from Vietnam when he was three years old and he is the youngest of four children. Nam's father works long hours as a custodian and his mother sells vegetables from their garden to bring in an extra $30 a week. Nam is an excellent student and has a great love of mathematics. Nam's entire family was excited when he was accepted into Rainer Scholars in May of 2002. With the help of the Rainier Scholars faculty and staff, Nam made excellent progress during the 14-month Academic Program, particularly in English/Language Arts, which had previously been one of his weakest subjects.

In the spring of 2003, Rainier Scholars brought Nam's academic record to the attention of the Seattle School District and Washington Middle School, where he was enrolled, and successfully advocated for his placement into the APP track. Rainier Scholars submitted test scores and recommendations, as well as facilitated communication between the family, the district and the school, even providing translators for meetings. Nam is currently earning A's in all of his classes, and will be taking the SAT's this spring for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program.

Back to Rainier Scholars article

---

© December 2003 New Horizons for Learning