Royal and Wahluke High School students receive scholarship awards

YAKIMA — Royal and Wahluke High School seniors were among 179 south central Washington students to receive Washington State Opportunity Scholarships (WSOS) awards to pursue college studies in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) related fields.

The WSOS program is part of a commitment by state government and private-sector employers to increase the number of homegrown graduates prepared for key jobs in Washington’s economy.

“These students represent the future of our state,” said Naria K. Santa Lucia, executive director for WSOS. “We are delighted to welcome them to the program and help support their success over the coming years.”

The scholarship funding awarded to 179 high school students in the region total $4,005,000. Of that money, $90,000 went to four students and Royal High School and $112,500 to seniors at Wahluke High.

WSOS was created in 2011 to address the rising tuition costs and a lack of local STEM talent prepared for industry demands. The scholarship was developed to help students from low- and middle-income families earn high-demand degrees that they could use to launch their careers in Washington.

~ Staff report