Our 2020 scholarship winners have demonstrated how their passions and duty to civic leadership, problem solving and creative thinking have led to meaningful change within their communities.
We believe that education provides students with the tools to make a difference in their communities. Pursuing higher education can help uncover and harness passions to build the next generation of civic leaders, problem solvers and innovators who disrupt business as usual.
Our 2020 scholarship winners have demonstrated how their passions and duty to civic leadership, problem solving and creative thinking have led to meaningful change within their communities. While we were impressed with the quality of applications we received this year, these winners stood apart from the rest.
Each of the five recipients were evaluated for the strength of their response to two essay prompts and graded on their personal narratives, extracurricular and community involvement, entrepreneurship and financial need. They’ve showcased immense dedication and maturity to investing in their futures and are poised to make a difference in their communities.
Here are the 2020 Freestone Future Leaders Scholarship winners:
Annika Morse
Hometown: Bellingham, Washington
College: California Polytechnic State University
Intended Major: Public Health
Annika is a graduating senior from Sehome High School and preparing for her fall semester as an honors student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. At Cal Poly, she intends to major in Public Health to pursue a career where she can combine her passion for science with a learned set of management skills.
Outside of school, Annika has been a soccer player since elementary school, playing on her high school’s varsity team and various club teams. She was a team leader for her school’s Science Olypiad Club, Director of Membership for the National Honor Society Chapter and volunteered for a number of organizations.
In her spare time, Annika enjoys running, hiking and spending time outdoors.
Della Floyd
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
College: University of Washington
Intended Major: Biology
Della is a graduating senior at Chief Sealth International School in Seattle and attending the University of Washington (Seattle campus) this fall.
Her decision to attend the University of Washington is rooted in the empashsis she places on diversity and the importance of learning in an environment where different voices and points of view are considered.
In high school, Della was involved in student goverenment and organized the Better Together Leadership Conference, a conference dedicated to providing resources for other student leaders in the metro area that may not have the same resources as other Seattle schools. The conference hosted over 150 students and teachers and included breakout sessions topics such as fundraising, equity and inclusion. Additionally, Della was the National Honor Society President and an International Baccalaureate Candidate.
Outside of school, Della works at the Seattle Public Library, enjoys hiking, reading and hanging out with her friends.
Hannah Sumrall
Hometown: Sammamish, Washington
College: Northeastern University
Intended Major: Business Administration in Health Sciences
Hannah is a graduating senior at Eastlake High School and is attending Northeastern University this fall. The programs offered at Northeastern provide various experiential learning opportunities which Hannah plans to take advantage of to continue her education and explore possible career paths.
In high school, Hannah founded Kids Coming Together, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids with autism, ADHD, and other pervasive developmental disorders develop social confidence through community service activities. Together with some of her high school classmates, doctors and mental health professionals, they structured their current socioemotional curriculum offering weekly, free community service events where kids in grades 3-8 with social difficulties could come and bond with their peers through service. Today the non-profit has over 500+ monthly participants and a team of 100 volunteers.
When possible, Hannah plans to continue to volunteer at Kids Coming Together during her summers and hopes to continue to stay involved remotely.
In her spare time, Hannah enjoys hiking, playing guitar and piano and reading.
Jon Huntington
Hometown: Lakewood, Washington
College: Southern Methodist University
Intended Majors: Finance, real estate and history with a minor in economics
Jon is a graduating senior from Insight School of Washington, completing a dual track of public and homeschool education. As an AP Scholar with distinction and a Provost Scholar, Jon is enrolled at Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University this fall where he intends to combine his interests in history, finance, built environment and economics as part of his triple major. He foresees utilizing his education to obtain a JD/MBA dual degree and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, with a career path related to responsible investing and protection of land rights.
Jon is a valedictorian and actively involved in a number of academic pursuits, including National Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa and is a teaching aide for real estate related coursework in the university environment. He was the founding ambassador of his school’s travel club and recounts his most memorable traveling experience through Peru, exploring Machu Picchu. Jon is actively involved in various community volunteer projects, including upcycling, senior care advocacy and minority representation in the electronic entertainment industry through advisory board representation. Jon’s passions include traveling, reading, cooking and playing the piano, particularly jazz compositions.
Ronald Wicks
Hometown: Carson, California
College: Pepperdine University
Intended Majors: Political science and education
Ronald is a graduating senior at Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy and Los Angeles Harbor College. He is receiving his high school diploma and four Associate of Arts degrees. He will be attending Pepperdine University this fall. Ronald plans to double major in Political Science and Education to pursue a career in Education Policy and Curriculum Design.
Ronald was the chair for the Higher Education Committee in Youth and Government, a model legislature and court program providing governmental experiences for youth. He founded the Educators Rising Program chapter at his high school, providing skills to develop successful teachers and future educators. Ronald served as the VP and President of Educators Rising California. Ronald also participated in the Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Student Advisory Council (SSAC), successfully launching a research project focused on the utilization of current technologies and methodologies for student engagement. His proposal was selected by the Superintendent and Division of Instruction to implement proposed solutions across the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Outside of school, Ronald enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach (before COVID-19) and photography.