OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate today honored Tahoma High School’s “We the People” team with a resolution sponsored by Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, and Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, in recognition of the school’s 22nd state championship.
“Since I was elected in 2012, I’ve had the honor of introducing a resolution each year recognizing teams from Tahoma High,” Mullet said. “I’m continually impressed by their dedication and enthusiasm. This is a great program that increases civic participation and strengthens democracy, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements.”
The team will represent the state of Washington later this spring at the 31st annual “We the People” Finals in Washington D.C. Tahoma’s team has advanced to the finals’ top 10 in four of the last six years and in 2015 the team finished fourth in the nation.
“Year after year I am amazed by the dedication and passion of these Tahoma students and teachers,” Fain, who represents Covington in the Senate and previously served as a judge for the We the People competition, said. “The critical-thinking skills they are developing and practicing in this program will be an asset throughout the rest of their academic career and in life.”
“We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” is a national civics education program. More than 28 million students have participated in the program since its creation in 1987.
Students honored this year in the resolution include Andrew Bruneel, Daria Cawthorn, Melia Cleary, Jack Duggan, Bridget Duven, Hannah Fitzpatrick, Breanna Glover, Cameron Hanson, Alexander Hessler, Jeffrey Hostetter, Jamison Hubbard, Dakota Huffman, Nassim Kazemi, Henry Kombol, Hannah Molnar, Aliyah Musaliar, Aurora Pompeo, Rhiannon Rasaretnam, Jaden Rayl, Samantha Schroff, Kyler VandenBosch, Riley Wilmart and Katarina Zosel.
Mullet said that he was pressing to include an appropriation for civic education in a supplemental budget this year in order to help future classes travel to the annual finals in Washington D.C.
