NINE SELECTED FOR WA LEGENDS’ FIRST JIMMY GABRIEL SCHOLARSHIP
SEATTLE (June 30) – Washington State Legends of Soccer has selected nine recipients for the first year of the Jimmy Gabriel Memorial Scholarship. These young men and women were chosen from among a large field of applicants from throughout the state, and all have been accepted at colleges where they will begin studying later this year.
“Our family is happy to see the soccer community come together to honor Dad’s legacy by supporting these deserving student athletes,” stated Janet Keeney, one of Gabriel’s three daughters and a member of the WA Legends scholarship selection committee. “Not only was Dad passionate about soccer, but he also highly valued learning and bettering oneself. Congratulations to all the worthy recipients.”
Jimmy Gabriel was a Scot born in humble circumstances. He saw soccer as his way to a better life and sought every day to better himself. Gabriel, already acclaimed for a career in Scotland and England, became a legend in Seattle through playing and coaching at many levels, including the Seattle Sounders, University of Washington and Washington Youth Soccer. He was described as a whole-hearted and inspiring coach, ever-humble, generous and popular, who left his mark everywhere he went.
The Jimmy Gabriel Memorial Scholarship was created by his many friends and family members, to extend his legacy to future generations. Applications for the 2023 scholarship will be opened early next year.
Donations for the Jimmy Gabriel Memorial Scholarship can be made here. Washington State Legends of Soccer is a 501(c)3 registered charity and dedicated to celebrating Washington’s soccer past and preserving its future. For more about WA Legends, visit the website or its extensive online museum.
The nine recipients, their hometown, high school and future college are as follows:
Olivia Boehm, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome (Pacific Lutheran)
Mercedes Cullen, Spokane, Wa./Mead (Seattle Pacific)
Aidan Drought, Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak (Seattle Pacific)
Lauren Holland, Sammamish, Wa./Skyline (George Washington)
Elliot McClafferty, Vancouver, Wa./Vancouver School of Arts (Warner Pacific)
Phoenix Schumacher-Tucker, Lakewood, Wa./Wm Harrison Prep (Embry-Riddle)
Sierra Stout, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower (Columbia Basin)
Krubelle Tesfaye, Shoreline, Wa./Shorecrest (Western Washington)
Eyerusalem Wereta, Seattle, Wa./Nathan Hale (Oregon State)
