By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Nineteen Garfield High School students were recognized this year through scholarships and achievement awards presented by the Desmond Jackson Foundation, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for young African American men.
Founded in 2014 in memory of Desmond Jackson, a vibrant young man who was tragically killed in a 2012 shooting, the foundation has spent more than a decade supporting students pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees. In recent years, the organization has expanded its efforts to Garfield High School, providing scholarships for graduating seniors while also recognizing underclassmen who demonstrate academic excellence, strong character and a commitment to their education.
Erik Burnett, a counselor at Garfield High School, said the partnership provides students with both financial support and public recognition for their accomplishments.
“There are so many resources and caring people in the community. For the kids, it means being embraced for their hard work and talent, and access to resources that can help them on their path to their future goals,” said Burnett. “In the best-case scenario, awards and scholarships like this are the steppingstones that help talented kids become successful, happy adults. Hopefully this partnership between Garfield and the Desmond Jackson Foundation is contributing to improving the dynamic in small ways.”
This year, the foundation recognized 19 Garfield students through its scholarship and academic achievement awards programs. Eleven graduating seniors received Desmond Jackson Scholarships to support their college education, while eight underclassmen in grades 9-11 were honored through the Gracie Williams Award and Desmond Jackson Award for their academic achievement, character and commitment to excellence throughout the school year.
Gracie Williams Award Recipients
• Saamiya McDaniel Gero
• Solae Williams
• Aamira Mitchell
• Nevaeh Derouen
Desmond Jackson Award Recipients
• Courtney Ellison
• Maurice Culpepper
• Saire Williams Bullen
• Caleb Porter Davis
Desmond Jackson Scholarship Recipients
• Mike Watkins
• Ricco Graves
• Kevin Richardson
• Myles Hemphill
• Isaiah Hemphill
• Gebril Williams
• Gianni Khan
• Amir Mohammednur
• Zahyir Nasir
• Nahome Mandefro
• Hayelom Beyene
Burnett said recognition programs like these can play an important role in helping students develop confidence and maintain positive academic habits.
“I think as a school, Garfield can improve how we recognize students and make a more concrete effort to make sure that kids are being given opportunities for their performance to be recognized,” said Burnett. “Both to the benefit of individual students, and so that other groups, like colleges, have some measuring stick to try to understand how impressive some of our students are.”
According to Burnett, two of the most challenging transitions in a student’s educational journey are developing consistent academic habits and successfully navigating the path from high school to college. He believes the Desmond Jackson Foundation helps support students through both milestones.
“The underclass awards are helping to reinforce good habits and make it easier to balance the hard work of being a good student with rewards that make it worthwhile. The scholarship is making the next level of achievement more accessible,” said Burnett.
“Students, particularly first-generation, can be intimidated by what college is and whether they ‘belong’ there, and be unsure of how to navigate financial aid and how to make the money side of college work out,” he added. “The roughly $50,000 that the Desmond Jackson Scholarship has awarded to Garfield students over the past three years is doing exactly that. It is making the prospect of college so much more attainable for a bunch of students who have all of the skills and talents to thrive there.”
For recipients, Burnett said the awards represent more than financial assistance. They also serve as an acknowledgment of the effort students invest in their education and reinforce the values that schools and communities hope to encourage.
“I think everyone appreciates it when their work is noticed. Creating these awards is an opportunity to spread positivity and reinforce the kinds of achievement that we hope for,” said Burnett. “It communicates to the students the values that we as a school and community prioritize. In this case, learning and academic effort are the values that we are communicating to them as important.”
Burnett believes recognition can also create a ripple effect throughout a school community by encouraging other students to pursue academic excellence.
“Sometimes it is hard to make that message land if we are talking about college and careers and milestones that are years, or decades, away,” said Burnett. “Students benefit from smaller, shorter-term recognitions. Little checkpoints along the way that let them know we see you, and we value what you are doing.”
“For this group of students, who are performing in exactly the ways we hope all students perform in the classroom, that deserves to be held up for everyone to see, and for other kids to know that it comes with praise and respect.”
