Native language work gets student UW Presidential Scholarship

Penelope Antoine got a shocking surprise earlier this month when University of Washington officials traveled from Seattle to present her with a scholarship worth $10,000 a year.

The Lake Roosevelt High School senior didn't know she'd even been accepted at UW and was planning on attending Western Washington University.

The scholarship is given to students demonstrate outstanding leadership and community involvement.

There were 14,000 applicants. Only 14 were selected, four from eastern Washington.

"She stood out to the University of Washington specifically because of her involvement and work with language revitalization, specifically with the Salish language," said UW Admissions Counselor Jared Edge, who was at LR to give her the good news.

Edge, who puts his Native name Kuwlkadim on his business card, said language revitalization is an important emphasis for tribes now, and Antoine's interest and work at LR in the Salish program drew attention to her.

"So getting programs, like they started, in high schools is honestly a very big step for tribal nations in general," he said. "But to have language get to the point where the next generation is learning and hopefully will be fluent, and to teach the next generation. ... Students like her are going to be the students that will be able to teach about the future. She's kind of pioneering right now, and in waters that haven't fully been tested. And we're hoping she'll come and be a Husky and we can help grow her and help her with the amazing work that she's trying to do in the future."

Although she still wants to explore her options, Antoine's plans had been forming around art history, she said. "I want to give, like, a platform to Native artists," she said. "That was my main plan. But obviously ... I haven't gone to college yet. So, I want to, like, explore things."