Central Kitsap School District

Content warning: The following contains references to sexual assault and suicide.

Amelia was one of the salutatorians of Olympic High School’s 2025 graduating class. Behind the scenes, her path was far from simple.

When Amelia was 3-years-old, she was sexually assaulted by her father. Her father later committed suicide. The trauma weighed heavily on Amelia throughout her childhood, but it snowballed during her freshman year at Olympic. After spending her elementary and middle school years at the Peace Lutheran School, the larger student body at OHS overwhelmed her and it took a toll on her mental health as she continued to cope with her traumatic childhood.  “When I got here I hated it. … I wanted to get through the four years as quickly as I can.” But by the end of her first semester at OHS, she started to settle in, and she credits her English teacher, Ms. Snyder, who helped her feel more included. Amelia eventually became one of Olympics’ most involved students, participating in Key Club, Sources of Strength, the OHS marching band, National Honor Society and French National Honor Society. 

Amelia will be attending the University of Washington next year. She hopes to become an English teacher in honor of he

Growing up with a working single mother and a younger sibling less than a year younger than him, Cadeance often found himself stepping into the role of caretaker as well as older brother.

Despite those responsibilities, he excelled academically and is graduating from Central Kitsap High School with a stellar GPA. But as he grew older and his independence grew, Cadeance blossomed socially and became more involved with clubs and the rest of the student body. Outside the classroom, Cadeance enjoys tennis, crocheting, sewing, singing, and playing guitar.

He will attend Seattle University in the fall to study pre-med and hopes to become a pediatrician.

Next year, Amira will be chasing her dream in the big city—playing Division I soccer at Seattle University.

Still, she’ll never forget the tight-knit, small community at Klahowya Secondary School that shaped her. Amira starred on Klahowya’s soccer team for three years, helping lead the Eagles to a 1A state championship as a sophomore. Despite finishing school early and moving to Seattle to begin spring classes with Seattle U, Amira remained active in Associated Student Body (ASB) as the senior class vice president—and made sure to return to walk and perform a song with one of her fellow classmates at graduation.

At KSS, Amira discovered a love for photography through Ms. Schramek’s media classes, and she’s considering pursuing it as a future career.

After a tough time in middle school and the early years of high school, Malachi always believed he was destined to reach great heights—both figuratively and literally.

He had long been fascinated by airplanes, but that passion took off during an aviation class at Olympic High School his freshman year. Although he initially struggled in his classes at Olympic, Malachi eventually found a better fit at Barker Creek Community School.

He quickly caught up on credits and in summer of 2024, Malachi earned a flight operations internship with Alaska/Horizon Airlines, a proud partner of Central Kitsap Schools. With that experience on his resume, he was accepted into Hillsboro Aviation Academy in Hillsboro, Oregon. Now, as a Barker Creek graduate, Malachi plans to become a pilot for Alaska Airlines after completing his training at Hillsboro.

Content warning: The following contains references to suicide.

Irie’s life changed forever her freshman year. Her older brother, Mason, committed suicide. He was a senior at Olympic High School. It was a massive shock to Irie and her family, and she struggled with his absence in her life. 

But Mason’s memory also pushed Irie to be the best person she can be, and said she’ll be imagining him watching her walk at graduation; “Everything I do is for him, so wherever he is now, he can look at me and be proud of me.” 

Irie is finishing the esthetics program at West Sound Tech next year. In addition to becoming an esthetician, she plans to go to college to become a special education paraeducator after serving as a peer mentor for special needs students at Olympic. 

For Addy, success has come from staying true to herself and embracing new opportunities. Even when they’re scary at first.

Coming to Klahowya by way of the Spanish Immersion program at Naval and West Hills Elementary in Bremerton, Addy grew up around another language. That translated to other areas of her life and helped her thrive at Klahowya. A four-year varsity swimmer, she competed at the 1A state meet twice and made meaningful connections with her teachers at KSS, which she cites as a highlight of her high school experience.

Addy plans to attend college and major in elementary education, with a hope to teach overseas and do missionary work, after graduation.

For some people, skiing is just a hobby. For Marek, it’s taken him across the country—and even as far as Hintertux, Austria.

As a competitive mogul skier, Marek often completed his coursework from hotel rooms while traveling for national and international events. He qualified for and competed at the USA National Championships last year, all while balancing academics and athletics. Back home, he also ran cross country for Klahowya and qualified for the state meet as a sophomore.

Next year, Marek plans to study apparel design at Washington State University. He hopes to one day launch his own clothing brand, focused on sustainable outerwear for skiing and other outdoor adventures.

If you walked into any of the CTE classrooms at Olympic High School, you would probably see Coleman. In particular, it was in Mr. Gifford’s industrial manufacturing class where Coleman flourished: “That shop is where I breathe,” he said. By the end of his time as a Trojan, Coleman blossomed into a school leader and a figurehead for the industrial manufacturing and Core Plus Aerospace curriculum, earning the department’s outstanding senior award.

Next year, Coleman has a “farmternship” on a guava farm in Maui, Hawaii. After that, he plans on continuing his education and ideally working at either the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard or Boeing.

For Loralie, walking across the stage at Central Kitsap High School’s graduation marked the end of a long and difficult road. She knows her family, especially her father, will be proud. “He’s pushed me really hard,” she said.

Born in Georgia, Loralie moved frequently before her family settled in Kitsap County. Just before her freshman year at Central Kitsap, her family’s house caught fire. It was almost a total loss. Coupled with her parents’ separation, the experience had a major impact on her mental health. She was in and out of high school for her first two years and took her entire junior year off.

Still, with support from her parents, Ms. Sotelo, and Mr. Boyer, she persevered. Loralie caught up on credits and walked at CKHS’s graduation. She plans to attend Olympic College to study welding, with hopes of becoming a traveling welder so she can see the country.

From the football field to the classroom and the baseball diamond to the halls at Klahowya, Carson made an impact everywhere he went.

A standout athlete, Carson was named the Nisqually League’s Offensive MVP in football and earned first-team league honors in baseball. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Eagles to a 1A state baseball championship. Beyond athletics, he excelled academically, was an active member of the sports medicine club, and served as Associated Student Body treasurer. He says he will miss spending time with close friends at Klahowya, especially moments like the “senior sunset.”

This fall, Carson will attend Eastern Oregon University to study pre-medicine and play football. He hopes to pursue a career in healthcare.

Annabelle has been a standout in Barker Creek Community School’s Parent Partnership Program, having been involved with Central Kitsap Schools’ off-campus learning options even before joining Barker Creek.

A driven student with a strong commitment to her extracurriculars, Annabelle balanced a demanding schedule outside of school—teaching martial arts and holding a part-time job. She also served as a dedicated teaching assistant in BCCS’s Enrichment program for K-8 on Fridays.A skill taekwondo competitor, Annabelle has qualified for both the AAU Taekwondo National Championships and the World Taekwondo Games this summer. 

Annabelle plans to pursue a degree in psychology at Southern New Hampshire University. Her long-term goals include working for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and owning her own martial arts gym.

At one point, Dylan felt like he was coasting through high school. By the end of his sophomore year, his GPA reflected that. He didn’t have any grand aspirations or goals. That all changed when he took Mr. Huff’s history class his junior year. He credits that class with giving him the jolt he needed — even though he admits it was his hardest class at Olympic High School.

Dylan played tennis and golf at Olympic and hopes to walk-on to the golf team at Olympic College next year to fulfil his dream of playing college athletics. He wants to become a high school History teacher someday, ideally in Mr. Huff’s classroom overlooking the commons at OHS. 

For twins A’liyah and A’miyah, leaving California—the only home they’d ever known—was a tough transition.

The pair relocated to Kitsap County when their stepfather was stationed at Naval Base Kitsap. But after their mother and stepfather divorced, and following a serious car accident during their junior year, their time at Central Kitsap High School was far from easy. Despite those challenges, both credit Central Kitsap with helping them find their footing. “CK really helped us out every step of the way,” A’liyah said.

Inseparable from day one, they were placed in the same classes their freshman year by the CK counseling office, helping ease the transition to a new school and community. Both sisters are attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A’liyah plans to study sports medicine, inspired by her positive experience with CKHS’s program, and Amliyah will major in special education, a path shaped by her love for her younger brother – her “favorite person in the world” – who is on the autism spectrum.

Landon isn’t shy about it—he has the wiggles. Or, in more clinical terms, ADHD.
Managing ADHD has been a lifelong challenge, but Landon credits the staff at Klahowya Secondary School, especially Ms. Tresch and Ms.Langguth, for supporting him and helping him succeed. Though academics didn’t always come easily, Landon thrived as a student leader at Klahowya and stood out on the Eagles’ soccer and basketball teams.
After graduation, Landon plans to serve a two-year Latter-day Saints mission in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He then hopes to attend Brigham Young University–Idaho. Passionate about helping others, Landon’s long-term goal is to become a firefighter.

Lillian likes to joke that she’s a “radiant, happy little weed,” a nod to her resilience and positive outlook.

After facing challenges in her personal life and at her neighborhood school, she transferred to Barker Creek Community School midway through her junior year. The independent learning environment at Barker Creek proved to be a perfect fit, helping her thrive. She not only graduated early but did so while working full time in security.

Lillian enlisted in the Navy after graduation as an aircrewman. Known for her resourcefulness and independence, her long-term dream is to one day own a ranch in the South and live a self-sufficient lifestyle.

Alivia will be the first to admit she fell in with the wrong crowd. By the end of her freshman year, she was consistently sent to the office for disciplinary reasons. 

Finding good models, strengthening her faith, and finding the right group helped set her on a better path. By her sophomore year, she stopped getting in trouble and became more involved at Olympic High School, joining the basketball team and engaging in more school activities. Alivia credits Ms. Haun and Ms. Fanua for getting her back on the right path. 

She plans on attending college next year and owning her own business someday. 

Michael first discovered his love for cooking in Ms. Cherry’s class at Central Kitsap Middle School – a class he loved so much he admittedly took three times. What started as a fun elective ended up shaping his future.

Now a graduate of Central Kitsap High School, Michael is entering his final year in Olympic College’s culinary program. While traditional academics didn’t always come easily, he found his calling in cooking for others.

Though unsure of exactly where his career will take him, Michael dreams of becoming a personal chef for a celebrity or athlete.

It takes time for things to "click" for some students. For Mikey, it clicked in a big way.

After a rocky start as a middle schooler at Klahowya Secondary School, Mikey grew into not only a hard worker, but also an engaging and active member of the student body. Most recently, he participated in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard’s work-study program. Reflecting on his time in the district, Mikey says he’ll always remember playing sports at Klahowya and being part of Ms. Vaughn’s “special person” week at Silver Ridge Elementary.

Mikey enlisted in the Army National Guard and left for basic combat training at Fort Moore, Georgia, at the end of June. He plans to either work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard or in the trades following his training. 

During the first semester of her sophomore year, Callie didn’t pass a single class. She had fallen so far off track that she wasn’t sure she would continue with high school at all.

But after transferring to Barker Creek Community School, everything changed. Callie not only graduated—she finished early, all while working at Champions Before and After School Care and taking time off to help care for a baby her family was fostering. Even during her most difficult times, she was known for maintaining a positive attitude. The staff at Barker Creek describe her as a “human ray of sunshine.”

While she’s not yet certain about her long-term plans, Callie intends to continue working at Champions. She hopes to get married and be a mom someday.