Meet Magaly Santos

Whiz Kid's name: Magaly Santos

Whiz Kid's age: 18

Whiz Kid's school: Clover Park High School

Whiz Kid's accomplishment: Magaly, a 2011 honor graduate, is off to Western Washington University in the fall, where she plans to study sociology. Among her high-school honors were an Excellence In Leadership certificate, Kiwanis Key Club Scholarship and a Multicultural Achievement Program Scholarship from Western.

She also was the first student from Clover Park to receive the Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship, for which faculty members at local high schools nominate just one senior per school.

At Clover Park, Magaly was editor for the Key Club, a member of International Club, and played varsity fastpitch. She also served as a member of the Lakewood Youth Council, a middle-school tutor, and was a Daffodil Princess candidate.  

Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness: Magaly is the first person in her family to go to college, which she admits is a scary prospect.

“But with the support of those around me and those I love dearly, I know that I can achieve anything I put my mind to,” she said.

Her favorite part of senior year was when the acceptance letters began rolling in – and the day that she knew for sure that she would be able to afford to attend college.

For Magaly and her friends, such moments evoked a feeling of “knowing that we were all going to do something with our lives.”

She credited God, her family, friends and teachers for helping her succeed, and gave special thanks to her guidance counselor, Brian Rodenbeck, and Clover Park’s career counselor, Jennifer Dixon.

“Without their help, both academically and personally, I never would have gotten to where I am,” she said. “It was a long and difficult journey, but truly worth it.”

The final steps of that journey came on graduation day.

“After 13 years of being in the Clover Park School District, I had finally made it,” she said. “It was the best feeling ever.”