In front of a sold-out crowd of enthusiastic supporters, the Highline Schools Foundation presented the 2025 Gold Star Awards at the annual Gold Star Bash, held at Wesley Homes in Des Moines on March 20th, 2025. In all, seven awards were presented, honoring the outstanding work and deep commitment of teachers, staff, volunteers, and others throughout Highline Public Schools. These individuals live out the district’s commitment to know every student by name, strength and need.
More about the 2025 Gold Star Winners
Outstanding Administrator
Sativah Jones, Assistant Director
College & Career Readiness
Sativah is recognized as a regional and state-wide leader in college and career readiness. Serving as the Asst. Director of College & Career Readiness for the last 8 years, she is deeply connected and committed to the HPS strategic plan goals and the Highline Promise. As the first person in her family to attend and complete college, Sativah brings this lived experience to her work. She personally understands the transformative nature of education and this drives her to meet the diverse strengths and needs of the students in Highline. In all of the efforts Sativah leads, she centers equity both to ensure that all of the students in Highline Public Schools have a robust and meaningful high school and beyond planning opportunity, and also to ensure that our unique students and student groups have the personalized resources, information, and experiences they need to graduate ready for the future they choose. One example of this is a partnership Sativah has built with Highline’s family engagement and bilingual paraeducators. We know that our families have strong, trusted relationships with our bilingual paraeducators, so Sativah has invested in connecting with them and providing accurate and timely information so that they can answer questions and direct students and families to resources related to post-secondary planning and financial aid. Sativah is the all-around package, she is a skilled leader, has content knowledge, lived experience, and incredible capacity to build relationships. She effectively bridges the gaps between research, policy and practice, and inspires others to do their best work in service of our students. Â
Outstanding Alumni
Colleen Brandt-Schluter
Evergreen High School
A proud graduate of Hazel Valley, Cascade and Evergreen, Colleen’s journey is a testament to her deep roots in the community. After completing her education, she went on to serve in several key roles that have enhanced the lives of local residents. As a career specialist at Tyee High School and a dedicated support for Chinook Middle School, Colleen made a lasting impact on students’ lives. She was always there to guide them through important decisions about their future—whether it was navigating career paths, preparing for college, or exploring vocational opportunities. Colleen’s ability to connect with students and provide the tools and resources they needed helped many find their direction, setting them up for success long after they graduated.   As the Human Services Manager for both the City of SeaTac and the City of Burien, Colleen has worked tirelessly to build and strengthen the safety nets for our most vulnerable populations. Her leadership in these roles has been instrumental in creating meaningful programs that uplift individuals and families in the communities she serves.
Outstanding Classified Staff
Jorge Velasquez, Paraeducator
Bow Lake Elementary
Jorge’s compassion, hard work, and deep commitment to every student shine through in everything he does. He sees potential in each child and goes above and beyond to help them succeed, always creating an environment where students feel safe, valued, and capable. Every day, in a hundred small ways, he changes students’ lives. What sets Jorge apart is his ability to anticipate needs before they even arise. Whether he’s solving a problem or pulling materials to support a student, he is always one step ahead. He balances managing behaviors, leading groups, and modeling AAC devices to help students develop communication skills. Every student he works with shows growth, academically, behaviorally, and in confidence. Students love him, and parents do too. I’ve frequently heard parents say, “You’re Teacher Jorge? My child talks about you all the time!” He’s endlessly patient, quick on his feet, and never afraid to be silly with kids. One day, while subbing for a kindergarten teacher when staff from other schools came to observe inclusive practices. They walked into the classroom, and there was Jorge, dancing the griddy with 20 kindergarteners. That’s just who Jorge is, he is unapologetically himself and models that confidence and joy for everyone around him. He makes school a place where kids feel safe to be themselves. Jorge normalizes disability, affirms neurodiversity, and ensures every student has the tools they need to succeed.
Outstanding Professional Staff
Garrett Wade, Athletic Director
Mount Rainier High School
Garrett has enhanced school pride and connected local fans to student-athletes…helping foster a sense of community and support around the athletics program. His personal commitment to engaging with athletes from diverse backgrounds further bridges gaps, making all students feel valued and supported. Garrett Wade’s commitment to being a visible, inclusive, hands-on leader is a cornerstone of his success, and it is clear that his athletes and coaches feel valued and supported. Garrett has fostered community outreach by encouraging coaches and athletes to engage with local elementary schools. For example, the football coaching staff attends other school sporting events and organizes activities at elementary schools to inspire younger students. Through mentorship programs with elementary schools, high school athletes learn the value of service while inspiring younger students. This initiative has strengthened the connection between Mount Rainier High School and its community, increasing fan and parent support.
Outstanding Rookie Teacher
Aimee Olson, 7th Grade Math
Pacific Middle School
Aimee consistently prioritizes her students’ needs, creating a supportive and empowering environment where they can grow into the people they are meant to be. She has chosen to work with seventh graders—an age that presents unique challenges—and she does so with unwavering dedication, patience, and encouragement. Her commitment to her students goes beyond academics; she invests in their overall success and well-being, always finding ways to push them forward while making them feel valued and capable. She has taken the initiative to learn numbers and common phrases in multiple languages, including Pashto, to better engage with her diverse classroom. For instance, she recently approached a former student in the hallway to share her progress in Pashto. The student’s face lit up with a smile larger than any seen by their current math teacher, reflecting the profound impact of Aimee’s efforts to bridge language barriers. Moreover, Aimee keeps up with student culture by mastering popular TikTok dances. Her ability to “slay” these dances not only showcases her commitment to understanding her students’ interests but also creates a relatable and fun classroom environment. This cultural awareness fosters stronger connections with her students, making her an even more effective and well loved educator. Her lasting impact is evident in the number of former students who return from high school just to check in with her, demonstrating that the connections she builds go far beyond the time they spend in her classroom.
Outstanding Teacher
Calvin Allan, 6th Grade Advisor & Teacher
Highline Virtual Academy
Calvin Allan is a teacher who lives the Highline promise, but takes it to the next level. If you walk the halls of HVA you will hear Calvin teaching and it is such a privilege to hear him interact with his students. Being in a virtual is tough enough but you wouldn’t know it if you were in Calvin classroom. Calvin really wants to see every student go out into the world and conquer it. He is their biggest advocate and will take time out of his day to help students thrive. While all the teachers at HVA are stellar, Calvin is just that shining bright star which leads the way for the rest of our school to succeed. He makes everyone want to do their best and bring the best educational experience to our students. Calvin’s endgame is to ensure all students have what they need in order to be successful. Specifically for our multilingual students, he ensures that they understand the assignments and offer support as available. He’s also great at recognizing when a certain way of doing things isn’t working. If a majority of students are disengaged in a particular subject, he’ll connect with that department to problem solve ways to get students reengaged. Calvin is an innovative educator with a strong character and an even bigger heart.
Outstanding Volunteer
Karla Fauvet, Conectando Con Mi Comunidad
Hazel Valley Elementary
If you do not know Karla Fauvet, you should seek her out and get to know her. Your life will be enriched. Karla is looked to as the main leader of nearly every family in the Spanish-speaking community at Hazel valley. She saw a need in her community, and with her husband, Frankie, created a plan, personally invited key players to join her, and implemented a community group, Conectando Con Mi Comunidad, that has become the backbone of the Spanish-speaking community at Hazel Valley along with being a main support of school events put on by Hazel Valley’s P.T.A. Â Karla is small pebble making a HUGE ripple effect. She is impacting the lives of Spanish-speaking students and their families by her incredible efforts to connect with them and build a bridge from each family to the school. She promotes being involved in the school in meaningful ways and helps them learn how to be better parents and caregivers, better advocates for their children, and vital members of the school community. Along with the resources of their time, she, and her husband Frankie, have given tens of thousands of dollars in catering services they have offered free of charge for school events and fundraisers through their company Cocina MX32. They give generously and selflessly to better the families and communities of Highline.