Pomp and Circumstance - Class of 2011 Graduates June 11
On June 11, more than 1,200 students graduated from Federal Way Public Schools. Each is amazing. Each is an example of hard work and dedication. Here are some of their stories.
Michael Onorati - Todd Beamer High School, School of Global Leadership
Michael Onorati has admired Walt Disney ever since he was a small child. He didn’t just love his movies; he wanted to be like him. It was partly that love of Disney that encouraged him to pursue a career in filmmaking. Michael will attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts next year. He hopes to one day become a film director.
With his eye on the prize, Michael worked tirelessly throughout high school to earn the grades, experience and skills needed to earn scholarships and gain admittance to his college of choice. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA and his International Baccalaureate Diploma. He earned a total of more than $120,000 in scholarships and was recognized as a National Merit Finalist and an AP Scholar.
Michael said he owes his success to a supportive family. “They’re always there to cheer me on,” he said, adding that he found additional support and encouragement from his friends and staff at Todd Beamer. Mr. Abrahamson was one of many teachers who spent extra time with Michael helping him pursue his interest in screenwriting and video editing.
Michael suggests that students take advantage of all the extracurricular activities and opportunities for additional studies offered in high school. “My best advice would be if you have a career or field you’re interested in, start pursuing that right away,” he said. “Use high school to enrich passions you already have and to discover new ones.”
Flavio Torres - Career Academy at Truman
Flavio Torres, an English Language Learner and a 2011 Career Academy graduate, embodies the immigrant spirit of hard work, effort and dedication that has led him to his high school diploma and will, no doubt, lead to many more successes in his future.
After struggling some early on in high school, Flavio transferred to the Career Academy for his senior year with a renewed focus on success. He had perfect attendance for his classes, as well as at the International Academy, which met twice per week after school to continue working on English and math.
“I wanted to get my stuff done and finish, I just wanted to be here every day,” Flavio said, adding that his English teacher, Lou, was especially inspirational. “He helped motivate me to finish school. He always talked about me like I’m a good person. He said that he sees my strengths. He likes to work with students and he likes to see them succeed.”
Flavio plans to attend Highline Community College and pursue a career as a translator.
Iver O'Neil - Decatur High School
A love for music helped fuel Iver O’Neil’s success as a student, he said. Iver is a dedicated musician who played the string bass in the Tacoma Youth Symphony and in the orchestra at Decatur. His talent has earned him a variety of awards, including second place at the American Heritage Festival and an honorable mention at the Washington Music Educators Association state solo and ensemble competition.
“I love music. I love playing in the orchestra and learning all the difficult parts. I work hard so that it sounds good,” Iver said. “It helped me early on to develop skills to concentrate and to focus and know how to work hard. Sometimes, music can be difficult.”
Iver honed his persistence skills on the string bass and brought that same work ethic to the classroom. He excelled academically and took AP classes as well as participated in the Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program at Decatur. Next year, he will study engineering at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York on a combined $43,000 award. He also plans to take music classes across town at the Crane School of Music.
Brett Evans – Federal Way High School
Brett Evans promised himself as an eighth-grader that he would never earn a grade below an A. Four years later, he graduated with a 4.0 GPA, scholarships and admittance to the elite United States Naval Academy.
Brett has never been afraid of a little hard work – or a lot of hard work. At Federal Way High School, he took the most rigorous Cambridge courses all while committing to a strenuous athletic training schedule as a varsity member of the football, baseball and tennis teams. His hard work paid off. He graduated at the top of his class, served as valedictorian, and earned a variety of honors including recognition as an All Star by the News Tribune.
“I feel like I’ve made good choices in my life so far that have provided me with opportunities. That goes for everything, not just grades but the people I hang out with, everything,” Brett said, adding that he credits his success to his faith in God. “I’m motivated by him to be the best person I can be.”
Brett said he plans to study engineering at the Naval Academy. He hasn’t decided if he will pursue a civilian career or continue on in the military after serving his time as an Officer. His advice for current students is to do their best to develop their whole person and to work hard to achieve their goals.
Agnes Kim – Thomas Jefferson High School
Agnes Kim did it all in high school. She was a full International Baccalaureate student, active in sports and extracurricular activities including the Key Club, and also worked 20 hours each week at Old Navy.
It was hectic at times, but Agnes did it all and graduated with a 4.0 GPA, scholarships and admission to her college of choice: Reed College in Portland, where she will study biochemistry. She plans to pursue a career as a pharmacist. A medical career, Agnes said, fulfills her desire to serve people and use her science skills. As a pharmacist, she won’t have to see blood, she joked.
Participating in extracurricular activities helped fuel her success, Agnes said. She was a member of the Key Club, FBLA, speech and debate team and tennis team. She also made an effort to get to know her teachers and help out.
“I just helped around school and enjoyed it. It definitely helped me,” she said. “I found people who had the same passions as me and it helped my confidence. I learned so much about what I’m capable of doing.”
Posted: June 20, 2011