2024 Senior Awards Night

The Alumni Foundation Scholarship for School Service and Leadership is awarded to graduates who demonstrate exceptional service and leadership to the school and their classmates. This is not an academic scholarship. Students who have taken active roles in student government and school-related service activities are highly desirable candidates for this scholarship.     

The Recommendation Form should be from a teacher, counselor or administrator.

The Vocational pursuits of WHS students are an essential option that provides career paths for graduating seniors as not all high school graduates pursue a 4-year college degree. It is important to promote other training and educational opportunities which provide career options that ultimately benefit Fremont and the surrounding Bay Area. These careers include but are not limited to such things as health care assistant, carpentry, electrical, cosmetology, fire science and culinary arts. This scholarship is available to students pursuing vocational education or training via a vocational training center or community college. This scholarship is made possible by funds raised via the Class of 1981 reunion.

The Recommendation Form for this scholarship should come from an instructor, counselor, ROP administrator or community member. 

This scholarship is named for Carrie Nunes, a Centerville native, who devoted her life to the local community and was a Washington High employee from 1931 to 1957. The expanded Nunes family is active in the community and has many members who are or have been educators. The Carrie Nunes Scholarship is made possible through an endowment by the Nunes Family. Students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service projects during their high school career are excellent candidates for this award.

The Recommendation Form may be from a teacher, counselor, administrator or a community leader.

The Fred Brower-Doug Ely Publication Scholarship is awarded to a student that exhibits true aptitude for journalism in Yearbook or Newspaper publications and wishes to develop their journalistic skills in college. The award is dedicated to Fred Brower, Yearbook advisor and English Teacher for 29 years at WHS, and Doug Ely, ('71) who was Brower’s first yearbook editor and looked up to him as a mentor throughout his life. Together they established high journalistic standards for others to follow. The winner of this scholarship should show those types of leadership principles as well as a desire to pursue personal growth and professional excellence in the publication fields.

The  Recommendation Form must be from the Journalism/Yearbook Advisor or English Teacher. 

The John Woodcock ('72) Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student athlete that exhibits the same character traits as the scholarship's namesake. John's engaging personality, work ethic, and ability to work with others drew students to him; inside and out of the classroom. Leadership, dedication, enthusiasm, commitment, and participation in, and to, one’s chosen path are the hallmarks of this award.

 The Recommendation Form must be from a coach of your sport(s) or the athletic director.  

J.V. "Pop" Goold was an outstanding educational leader and key figure in the history of Washington High and Fremont Unified School District. While at WHS, he taught Biology, Chemistry, General Science and PE. Later he worked as Vice Principal and Principal. He accepted the appointment of full-time school district superintendent in 1954. He was a school district employee from 1931 - 1959. He established the Pop Goold Trophy to be given every year to the winner of the Washington - Logan football game. Candidates for this award will describe their personal goals and commitment to a career in public education.  

The Recommendation Form must be from a Washington High teacher, counselor or administrator.

Mike Jacinto was an outstanding student athlete from the class of 1971 who performed as a team player in all aspects of his life, not just on the sports field. He believed that the distance between a person and their goals was simply measured by the work one was willing to do to achieve them, Mike lived this philosophy throughout his life as a Hall of Fame quarterback at Cal State Hayward, as an award-winning business owner and community leader, and as the founding father of the Washington High School Alumni Foundation. He was respected by all who knew him for his dedication to his work, his clients, his colleagues, and to the East Bay communities he served. Candidates for this scholarship will have demonstrated their ability to work well with others, to lead, to achieve and to inspire through their example of hard work and dedication in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Passionate, energetic, prepared, coachable, and confident are all terms that would describe the ideal Mike Jacinto Team Player Scholar.

 The Recommendation Form must be from a teacher, counselor, sports coach, administrator or community leader. 

The recipient of the Steve Barnett Scholarship should be an outstanding student/athlete and citizen. Steve was a White Sweater winner who continued his education at University of Oregon where he was a football and scholastic All-American. He later became a community leader involved in many civic activities throughout his adult life. This scholarship honors an exceptional person who embodies the idea of being a member of a society that has rights, privileges and duties and who is willing to bring his or her talents to better others.

The Recommendation Form must be from a Washington High teacher, counselor or administrator.

Belinda Anne Williams graduated from Washington High School in 1991. While at WHS, she participated in cross country and worked in the effort to replace the school buildings damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. She attended Colorado State University and majored in microbiology. During her senior year of college, she became ill with two devastating illnesses that were thought to be incurable. Belinda managed to recover and started medical school because she wanted to be a healer. Unfortunately, she was in a terrible bicycle accident in 2011 and never fully recovered. She died in May 2018. This scholarship is to be awarded to an outstanding student, who intends to major in a biological science. The student should demonstrate leadership, scholastic excellence, and compassion towards those with disabilities.

     -- The Recommendation Form must be from a Washington High teacher, counselor or administrator.

The daughters of Ed and Maureen Kamei established this scholarship to honor their parents, who believed in the value of education and pursuit of protean interests as means to holistic human development. Throughout their lives, Ed and Maureen Kamei dedicated countless hours to students, working hard to provide diverse cultural and educational experiences that empowered student curiosity and respect. Ed and Maureen Kamei ardently endorsed curricular studies in life sciences, international culture and language, and music, as well as extracurricular engagement including women’s athletics, student organization clubs, and the WHS marching band. They were each the first in their families to attend college and had a strong belief that a college education affords young people, particularly women, with opportunities to foster their self-beliefs and cultivate the necessary skills to achieve their highest aspirations. This scholarship is intended to serve students in their development in the spirit of responsible citizenship, camaraderie, and mutual respect that welcomes the unique contributions of every individual to the greater community. The Kameis believe that language studies facilitate open-mindedness and expand our worldview. Highly qualified candidates for this scholarship will have diverse academic interests, and demonstrate high engagement and achievement in foreign language, fine arts, and cultural studies and exchange.

The Recommendation Form for this scholarship should come from an instructor, counselor or administrator.

Steve  Avilla (Class of 1976) was a life long auto enthusiast who owned 27  cars and liked to fix them up, including using his creativity and talent  in designing and fabricating custom upholstery. He was also very  involved with the Good Guys car shows. The Avilla family established  this scholarship to honor Steve’s memory, and support the education of other Washington High seniors with a similar passion.

This scholarship is selected by Auto Shop staff and school administration, no application necessary.