Washougal students, resident honored by WASA

Three Washougal High School students and one Washougal resident received leadership awards from the The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) last month.

Washougal High students Megan West, Savannah Yokel and Claire Zakovics received WASA’s Student Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region. 

The award is “one of the most prestigious given to students by this state-wide organization,” according to Educational Service District 112 Mike Nerland, who presented certificates to the students during a Washougal School Board meeting on Tuesday, June 20, and spoke about the criteria, which includes demonstrated leadership, serving as a role model, promoting respect, collaborating, and a strong work ethic, for the award.

Washougal resident Anna Paul received the 2023 WASA Community Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region. 

“This award is presented to community members or groups in recognition of their outstanding contributions to education and the Washougal School District,” Nerland wrote in a letter to Paul.

Paul helped the Washougal School District form a partnership with Read Northwest, a Vancouver-based nonprofit organization that strives to elevate early childhood literacy in Southwest Washington. 

Read Northwest implemented its “reading buddy” program in first-grade classrooms at Hathaway Elementary School in March 2022, pairing students and adult volunteers for weekly reading sessions, then expanded to Hathaway Gause Elementary School for the 2022-23 school year.