This year, Larry Seaquist established a scholarship fund in honor of his wife, Carla (Lofberg) Seaquist, that will fund scholarships for W.F. West students who want to participate in international travel experiences.

Carla, a member of the W.F. West High School Class of 1963, died in August 2024.

Carla Seaquist earned a B.A. from American University, School of International Service and then her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies

According to Larry Seaquist, Carla's wish for a scholarship fund for W.F. West students was inspired by her own travels. Her first international travel was a year of grad school in Bologna, Italy and the experience was life changing for her.

"That did it for her," Gegen said. "Once you travel internationally, you realize the impact that travel has on your way of thinking and she wanted to give that opportunity to W.F. West students who might not have that opportunity."

Carla Seaquist went on to become a well known writer and playwright. Her commentary appeared in publications including Medium, HuffPost and Christian Science Monitor.

Among her community service, Carla served as a judge for the "Students of Distinction" high school scholarship program, board member for the Humanities Washington state humanities board and she and Larry founded "Refreshing Democracy" Refreshing Democracy, a citizen-input project

Larry, a retired Navy captain, was elected as a State Representative and served four terms, the last two terms chairing the House Committee on Higher Education. In his 32-year Navy career, he had command of four U.S. warships, including the battleship U.S.S. Iowa.

The Carla Seaquist scholarship will provide $25,000 in scholarships each year. This year, four students received scholarships: Avery Brundage; Violet White-Pierce; Savannah Bryant; and Hope Shields. They will each spend a month in France through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), non-profit organization promoting international education and exchange.

"I chose them for their enthusiasm and commitment to learning French and they are students who have the drive not just to interact with the culture, but to be in the culture," Gegen said.

Each of these students will stay with host families during their visits. Students are matched with host families based on interests and personalities to ensure the match will be a positive one.

Avery said she applied for the scholarship because she wants to study French in college and have the language be part of her future career goals.

"I think it's important to immerse yourself in the culture. I want to deepen my knowledge of French and get better at it," she said.

"It gives you a more complete understanding of the way other people live and I think it will give us a better appreciation for our community as well," added Violet, who said this will be her first trip outside the United States.

Hope's motivation for wanting to be part of this experience is that she would someday like to move to France to become an English teacher there.

"When I do decide to move there, I won't be unfamiliar with the culture," she said.

Savannah is a fan of learning languages in her spare time, being fluent in four languages right now and planning to study in a language-focused field such as ethnology in college.

"I've always lived in Washington, so this is an opportunity to see something new and learn about another culture," she said.

In preparation for their experiences, each of the four students completes CIEE learning modules that covered everything from ideas on what to pack and what not to pack, to tips on cultural differences to expect.