The Rotary Club of Deer Park recently honored students from Deer Park, Riverside and Mary Walker High Schools as the October Students of the Month. The students are Trinity Howder, Thomas Baldwin, and Hannah Hodgson.
Trinity Howder, a student at Mary Walker High School, is a National Honor Society member and is involved with Grange. Trinity’s inspiration to excel and make the most of her opportunities comes from her parents’ example and family history that starts with a Japanese grandmother interned during WWII. Her parents worked hard to provide a foundation for their children in spite of many challenges, including interrupted schooling. Howder is on track to attend Yale in Political Science with plans to eventually get a doctorate. After college, she desires to be a speech writer for politicians and civil rights activists.
Riverside High School’s Thomas Baldwin has a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) and is in the running for Valedictorian of Riverside High School. He was introduced as a renaissance man, including talents as a musician, athlete, scholar, Life Scout, hard worker, and leader. He was ASB president and National Honor Society president last year. He plays trombone in the Riverside Jazz band, plus has run cross country for four years and track for three. He is working toward Eagle Scout, and his project is “Socks for Spokane”, with the goal to collect 1000 pairs of socks to donate to the Union Gospel Mission. Baldwin plans to go into Air Force ROTC in college and study Aerospace Engineering. He is considering attending University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Notre Dame, Georgia Institute of Technology, or Cornell University.
Deer Park High School’s Hannah Hodgson has a 3.98 GPA, and has a quiet, even humble demeanor, but her positive influence is felt at Deer Park High School. She likes soccer and softball, was defensive MVP and All State for two years, and All League for three years in both sports. She is still considering colleges but potential soccer scholarships may sway her decision. She is in the National Honor Society, and has been involved in Key Club and Link Crew, a mentoring program for freshmen.
Deer Park Rotary raises money through an annual Petunia Sale in the spring, an annual Golf Tournament in September, and other activities supported by their local community. Much of their fundraising goes toward support of education in the Deer Park area, including scholarships for Deer Park, Riverside, and Mary Walker High Schools and the Student of the Month Program.
