Eleven female students from Kirkland high schools gathered with family and friends at a reception at the Lake Washington School District Administration Building in Redmond on March 16 to accept accolades from the Kirkland-Redmond Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW). Altogether, district schools chose 20 young women as their outstanding female students to be honored for their excellence in science, technology or math (STEM).

The STEM honorees included, from Juanita High School: Amanda Marie Wallace, science; Renee Nahum, technology; and Katherine Roetcisoender, math; from Lake Washington High School: Megan Gertmenian, science; Kaitlyn Colbert, technology; and Daria Sharifi, math; from International Community School: Alana Robon, science; Alicia Lee, technology; and Caden R. Chan, math; and from Emerson High School: Lauryn Ikea, technology; and Katherine McMillan, math.

The students received a certificate of recognition and a gift to recognize their achievement. Kimberly Bautista, a sophomore at the University of Washington studying physics and computers, spoke to the honorees to encourage them in the flexible pursuit of their goals by being open to opportunities disguised as roadblocks and detours.

AAUW nationally supports equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. Locally, the Kirkland-Redmond branch organizes the High School STEM Scholars program; supports Tech Trek, a one-week summer immersion STEM camp for 8th grade girls; provides a Cascadia Community College scholarship for a woman returning to school after an absence; and organizes and works at the annual spring Expanding Your Horizons Career Conference for middle school girls at Bellevue College.

For more information on the Kirkland-Redmond Branch of AAUW, visit kr-wa.aauw.net.