Wahluke's double valedictorians both win

MATTAWA - Seniors Gabino Abarca (left) and Saul Ramos (right) shared the limelight when it was announced they will both be valedictorian for the Wahluke High School class of 2014.

Now comes word both have snared one of the most sought-after scholarships. They have been named as 2014 Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS).

"They are both incredible young men," counselor Jan Phillips said. "I couldn't be more thrilled that they were both selected for this amazing scholarship."

Ramos's and Abarca's awards will provide them with full ride scholarships to any accredited university of their choice in the United States.

Abarca's plan is to attend either Seattle University or the University of Washington. He wants to study either engineering or business administration.

Ramos's plans are to study at the University of Washington, but has stated a desire to attend Stanford. His goal is to become a teacher of mathematics.

In addition to completely paying for their college education and living expenses, the Gates program will provide Abarca and Ramos with opportunities for financial support toward masters and doctoral studies.

Each year the GMS program recognizes 1,000 students from throughout the country with awards. This year more than 52,000 eligible scholars applied for the program, making the 2014 selection process the most competitive in the history of the GMS program.

"The recognition of these students is representative of the honors Wahluke students have received over the past decade," Principal Jeff Pietla said. "Gabino and Saul are the tenth and eleventh students from Mattawa to receive a Gates Millennium Scholarship since 2002."

University students from Mattawa who are studying on a GMS scholarship include Sandra Medrano, Gladys Martinez and Nancy Soto. Respectively, they are studying at Yale University, Washington State University and Central Washington University.

This year marks the third time that two Mattawa students have received support from the Gates Foundation. Ramos and Abarca are the first male students from Wahluke High School to receive these prestigious awards.

They tied for valedictorian with 3.97 grade point averages.