Unacknowledged Achievement: The Quest for Greater Recognition in Academics

Cindy Liang

On March 8, the Woodinville High School marching band paraded through the hallways, the vanguard of multiple victorious athletic teams. The cheers of students broke through the deafening strains of the WHS fight song, and the whole school watched as the teams’ achievements were broadcasted live from the gym. Hours later, a change.org petition titled “Woodinville High School Equitable Academic Awards Ceremonies” began to circulate among the student body.

The petition, which now has 179 signatures, expressed the need for “more recognition of student academics and arts achievement” and invited students, as well as the administration, to work towards a solution. Many students share these sentiments and simply want academics to be recognized to the same degree as athletics. “Ultimately, athletes should totally be recognized for their hard work and achievements,” Ayush Kulkarni, President of the WHS Science Club, argued. “But I think the point that those signing the petition want to make is that in a learning environment, one would think that our academic achievements would, at the very least, be regarded and commended at the same level as athletics.”

It is clear that everyone involved in an academic competition here at Woodinville High School sees them as tantamount to achievements in athletics. Another WHS student commented, “Both [academics and athletics] are important for the school, and for the students themselves. Making it to the next level of competitions for anything is a huge achievement for people. In any competition, the person is doing their best hoping to make it to the next round.”

Recently, Woodinville’s Science Olympiad team qualified for the state competition, and both Robotics and DECA are sending teams to internationals. The petition presents several ways the ASB and administration could acknowledge these achievements and others, namely: hosting awards ceremonies to applaud students for their successes in competitions, promoting academic activities, and providing support to scholastic clubs.

Going forward, the actions of the WHS administration will play a key role in ensuring that academic accomplishments are equally recognized. The Thursday following the parade, an announcement over the intercom congratulated the accomplishments of multiple non-athletic clubs, including Science and Robotics. The announcement was met with positive feedback, and Kulkarni acknowledged, “I was definitely glad that we were at least briefly mentioned, but again, it is just a start. But I have no reason to believe that ASB and the administration wouldn’t want to hear out the voice of the student body responsible for our school being ranked so highly, and equitably recognize all Falcons for their achievements.” 

While the petition addresses both the ASB and administration, the two seem to be uncoordinated when it comes to organizing recognition. In an interview with Woodinville Now, Activities Director Kurt Melton clarified that the parade was organized by the administration, and that the ASB had no hand in it. Mr. Melton also explained the ASB’s views regarding the current situation. “Before COVID, it was easier to recognize student achievements— you could have everyone come to the gym and hold a huge assembly. Now [the ASB is] at the mercy of announcing achievements via Instagram post, intercom announcements, and shoutouts from the Perch.”

“[It is] difficult to meet everyone’s expectations with regards to recognition,” Mr. Melton confessed. “We’re not perfect, but we really do try our best to recognize all students, whether it’s in athletics, academic competitions, or art.” However, he also mentioned an ASB-organized display of academic achievement will soon take place. It is the hope of many WHS students that with so much popular support for this issue, the school leadership will dedicate the deeds so duly deserved.