2023 Students of Distinction
Avery de Maine a leader in the classroom and on the field
Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles of each of the Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. The students will be honored during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr.
Student: Avery de Maine
School: Peninsula High School
Category: Community Service Achievement
Avery de Maine was in the fourth grade when she got involved in leadership. By the sixth grade, she knew she wanted to be president of a leadership club someday.
This year, she achieved that goal at PHS, after serving as a senator as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Leadership has been her favorite high school experience, she said. It has also been the basis of much of her community service as she volunteered at S.A.V.E. Thrift Store, Winterfest, the PHS gift drive, Operation Beautification and other events. She has read to elementary school students for the Peninsula Reads campaign and even directed traffic at the annual Veterans’ Day celebration at Uptown.
Avery de Maine
Captain of the RipTides
She has also enjoyed being on the RipTides lacrosse team, composed of students from both Peninsula and Gig Harbor.
“I’ve been playing lacrosse since the third grade and I love that it’s helped me learn to be part of a team and learn leadership and communication skills,” she said. She’s captain of the RipTides and also captain of the JV soccer team.
She is also a member of the PHS Interact Club and National Honor Society (with a 4.0 GPA), recipient of an AP Scholar with Honor Award, Student of the Quarter and was featured as a Student of the Month in a local magazine.
In addition to her many hours of community service, the thing Avery is most proud of, however, is planting the very first garden at Peninsula High School. She’s vice president of the school’s Environmental Club this year, and she and the club president “worked really hard” to make the garden a reality, including jumping through all the bureaucratic hoops before the first shovelful of earth could be turned over.
The garden is filled with native plants, and it’s also a fundraiser for the club, she said. “We’re selling rocks during lunch break that people can paint. Then we add a protective coating to the rocks and put them in the garden.”
Giving yourself a break
Her biggest challenge in high school was “being a perfectionist. I can be really hard on myself, but I finally understood that perfection isn’t possible and that life is much more fun when you’re just being yourself.”
Avery’s advice to younger students is to “put yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things. You only have so much time in high school. Time really flies by, so start early and you’ll have more time to really enjoy things.”
The future looks bright for Avery. This fall she’ll attend University of Washington to study political science. She eventually plans to go to law school, following in the footsteps of her parents who’re both lawyers.
Avery de Maine
Category: Community Service Achievement
GPA: 4.0
Activities/Accomplishments: Varsity letter in community service with 100+hours for the 2021-22 school year; Volunteer at S.A.V.E. Thrift Store, Winterfest, Environmental Club trash pick-up; assisted at youth lacrosse camp; PHS Gift Drive; read to elementary students for Peninsula Reads Campaign; Operation Beautification; Interact Club; Seahawk 101; ASB Senator & President; Environmental Club secretary, treasurer, VP; National Honor Society; JV Soccer captain; Varsity captain – Lacrosse; 4.0 honor roll; Student of the Quarter; AP Scholar with Honor Award; S.A.V.E. Thrift Store cashier; Qdoba Mexican Eats team member; Student of the Month in local magazine
Favorite teacher: “While I have had many amazing teachers, Mrs. Demianiw is my favorite. She has been my Leadership teacher and soccer coach every year. I admire her tireless dedication to the school and her ability to positively impact each of her students. She has an incredible work ethic, pushes us to do our best and isn’t afraid to crack a joke.”
Best thing about PHS: “If I had to choose only one thing, it would be the culture at PHS. From the staff to the classes to the extracurricular activities, the school has created an incredibly vibrant culture. There is truly something for everyone. The community is accepting, positive and unified We are one big family. Once a Seahawk, always a Seahawk!”