SLIDESHOW:

he Highline Public Schools and Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence Second Annual Highline Public Schools Scholar-Athlete, Coach and Community Recognition Banquet was held Tuesday, May 21 at Mount Rainier High School. Last year's inaugural awards banquet was successful as enough money was raised in advance to donate from $500 to $2,500 to all 16 student athletes honored. This year, 16 athletes received from $1,000 to $3,000, totaling $22,000.

The event was organized by Terri McMahan, Highline Public Schools Director of Athletics. She organized last year's event. too. Scholarship recipients, coaches, community and business contributors and sponsors were honored, including the Highline Times for its sponsorship. Highline Times Editor, Eric Mathison, accepted the award.

Joining McMahan on the dais was Highline School District Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield, Executive Director of the Highline Schools Foundation Ashley Fosberg, and others. Master of Ceremonies was KJR Sports Radio host and Voice of the Seattle Storm, Dick Fain, a 1992 Mount Rainier High School graduate proud to be back calling the shots. Emerald Cove Catering, Normandy Park, provided the dinner, and volunteer students served. Photography by Steven, in Burien, took the official portraits, and awards presentations, and Melissa Ponder of Mel Ponder Photographer shot for Highline Schools.

Coaching Director Maya Mendoza-Exstrom appeared aglow when presented the 2013 Director's Award by McMahan. Mendoza-Exstrom graduated Highline High School in 1999, University of Puget Sound in 2003, and UW Law School in 2007. She returned to Burien in '07 to practice law with her father, Fred. She is a member of the Highline School Foundation Board, as her father once was, and she served as president in 2010.

She served on the District's Athletic Advisory Committee and serves on theStrategic Planning Committee. She has coached a team for the Highline Premier Football Club since 2007 and has served as its Directing Coach since 2012. She has served as volunteer coach, administrator, and coach mentor since 2009 for the West Highline Recreational Soccer Club and has served as volunteer coach for University of Puget Sound since 2003.

The following students were awarded athletic scholarships at the banquet:

From Highline High School. Breana Brookbank, Samuel Gustafsson, Joshua Nord, and Kristen Rodal. From Evergreen, Thaolam Ngo, Pulemau Savusa, Kelly Beck, Johnny Le. From Tyee, Jacob Alerte-Pichardo, Savannah Williams, Martin Obrero, and Crystal Matson. From Mount Rainer, Cameron Stedman, Natalie Welch, Amanda Goucher, and Allen May.

Adding to the evening's drama, Tyee ACE (Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment) senior Savannah Williams, a $2,000 scholarship recipient, is a tennis player, as is her sister, Chandler, a tenth grader at Tyee Global Connections. They partner in doubles tournaments and when asked, each claims, with a giggle, to be better. Who knows? There are those other two Williams sisters, each earning the number one ranking in the world.