OLYMPIA—The Association of Washington Cities Center for Quality Communities (CQC) has announced the recipients of its 2024 scholarships.

This year’s recipients, hailing from the cities of Bothell, Connell, and Selah, were nominated by city officials and staff from their communities based on their leadership skills and dedication to civic service.

“While we often refer to youth as the leaders of tomorrow, it is clear that this year’s CQC scholarship recipients are outstanding leaders today,” noted AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. “These students are breaking down barriers and shaping the future of our communities. They represent the bold, innovative spirit of our cities and are an inspiration to us all.”

The three outstanding Washington high school seniors will each receive a $3,000 scholarship to use for college or trade school this fall. In addition, they receive an invitation and stipend to speak at the AWC Annual Conference in Vancouver, Washington, in June, where they will have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of local elected leaders from across the state.

Since 2012, the CQC scholarship program has awarded 86 scholarships totaling more than $110,000 in educational funding to students from all around the state. Prior recipients have gone on to launch impressive careers in public service, elected office, government, law, finance, STEM, medicine, communications, education, public safety, IT, and more.

About the scholarship recipients

Tanya Bhandari – City of Bothell
As student body president and youth attorney for the Bothell Youth Court, Tanya is preparing to study law and eventually run for public office. She is motivated by a desire to open doors for those who strive to make change along unconventional paths and is especially passionate about advocating for women who face barriers to running for office. Tanya has hosted a school voter registration drive with League of Women Voters and Secretary of State and been an active participant in Bothell’s Civic Saturday events. She serves on her school district’s Youth Advisory Board and is the longest-serving volunteer on the Teen Board of Bothell Library. Tanya also serves on the local Model United Nations Executive Board and was recognized with an award for best position paper at the MIT Model United Nations Conference.

Jorge Gaytan Garcia – City of Connell
As a first-generation Latino student, Jorge aspires to challenge healthcare stereotypes by becoming the first male nurse in his family. Motivated by the lack of male Hispanic healthcare professionals, he aims to break down barriers and provide culturally comprehensive care to underserved communities. Jorge is already active in public health and wellness, working as an agricultural tractor driver and a volunteer at local food banks, sorting and packaging food. As a youth lobbyist with the Washington Bus and Progreso (Latino Progress) group, he advocates for positive change at the state level. Jorge’s extracurricular activities range from competing on his school’s Knowledge Bowl, math, and robotics teams to playing varsity tennis. He takes pride in being recognized as a Hispanic Academic Achiever for nine consecutive years and serving as part of the Junior Class Honor Guard. Jorge has also participated in community service and leadership development with the San Juan Diego Mission Youth Group, where he has served as a bilingual teaching assistant and translator.

Indiana Hilmes – City of Selah
Passionate about creating change through collaboration and drawing on multiple perspectives to solve problems, Indiana plans to study international economics and work in public policy. As a teen journalist for the Yakima Herald-Republic, she shares the perspectives of youth with readers across the Yakima Valley. Indiana also works as an intern for the Washington State Board of Education, where she uses the stories she hears from students and professionals from all over the state to help improve Washington's education system. She is a student representative to the Selah School Board, co-chair of the Yakima Valley Community Foundation Youth Council, and National Student Advisory Council Member for the Work2BeWell mental health and wellness program.

About the Center for Quality Communities

The AWC Center for Quality Communities is a 501(c)(3) partner of the Association of Washington Cities. The Center promotes municipal leadership development and civic engagement in pursuit of building strong, healthy communities—because we know that strong cities make a great state.

The CQC scholarship program aims to raise the visibility of the important role cities and towns play in Washington by cultivating our future local leaders.

The scholarship fund is supported solely by donations from generous individuals, foundations, and organizations wishing to invest in the future of our communities.

The scholarship program cycle opens each fall for city officials from all 281 cities and towns to nominate high school seniors who are active in leadership in their city government, community, or school and plan to pursue post-secondary education. Scholarship nominations are due each January, with recipients announced in the spring.

Visit the CQC website to learn more and donate to the scholarship fund.