Westside Stories

Spotlight on Sierra Williams

I am excited to introduce you to Sierra Williams, a talented resident of Grays River and a freshman at Naselle School. At only 14 years old, Sierra demonstrates remarkable maturity and dedication. She has excelled in school as a straight-A student, is an active member of the robotics team and Knowledge Bowl and is taking on a leading role in the spring drama production. She has a passion for English and enjoys writing short stories and creative narrative essays. The world of science and technology fascinates her, particularly through experiences with chemical reactions, learning computer coding, and exploring the intricate details of robotics.

Even at her young age, Sierra is already looking ahead to scholarship opportunities for higher education with a clear objective of enrolling in an esteemed university. Engineering is her desired path, with the possibility of being part of the medical community in developing prosthetics.

Recently, one of Sierra's teachers recognized her potential and anonymously nominated her for a Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence. As a result, Sierra has been invited to be a delegate representing her school at a three-day event at the Tsongas Center at UMass in Lowell, Mass., at the end of June. This exceptional opportunity will enable her to hear from accomplished Nobel laureates, physicians, researchers, and fellow young innovators. She will also have the unique chance to observe a live surgery. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a young woman dedicated to making a positive impact on the world.

Sierra expressed her enthusiasm about this experience, stating, "It's an overwhelming feeling getting the opportunity to do this. It will be eye opening to see all the things I could do in my future. I'll get to meet these huge people who have similar interests as me and I can have conversations with these geniuses who have made breakthroughs and changed the world. Being able to go there and meet these people will be so inspiring and help me decide what I want to do to help the world be a better place."

The Congress of Future Medical Leaders serves as an honors program aimed at high school students pursuing careers in medicine or related fields. To qualify, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, demonstrating their commitment to academic excellence. The program seeks to cultivate leadership qualities and dedication to serving humanity through the field of medicine.

To make the trip, Sierra needs $3,500 to cover the tuition fees for the event as well as travel and lodging expenses. On top of collecting cans to raise money, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help her reach this goal. If you would like to contribute, visit gofund.me/d8b54593.

I plan to write a follow up story about Sierra's experience this summer.

Appelo Archives updated hours

Great news! The Archives Café and Museum have expanded their hours. They're now open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and on Thursdays, you can enjoy the museum until 3 p.m. Come meet the new director, Angela Metcalf, who will be available every Thursday. If you'd like to meet with her at a different time, send her an email at info@appeloarchives.org.

Westside Happenings

February

22 – Bunco at Johnson Park, doors open at 5:30 p.m., games start at 6:00 p.m. $5 to play all night (date change)

23 – FAFF meeting at Naselle Community Center, 4 p.m.

March

15 – Movie night at Grays River Grange, 7 p.m. Featured film is The Dark Divide (date change).

To include an event on the calendar or to give feedback, please contact me at writerlisayeager@outlook.com. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Writer Lisa Yeager.