Science and Math Institute senior Lucy Markham is the vice president of SAMI’s brand new FFA chapter that is already making waves.  

Her dedication and drive propel her success in school, extracurricular activities and life. She has a singular focus on being able to study the sciences at SAMI, knowing that will open doors for her in the future.  

Here is what Lucy had to say about her commitment to thriving at SAMI and beyond.  

Where have you shown the most grit in your high school career?  

For me, it definitely has to be the commitment of getting here. At SAMI we are already so independent, but I live out in Graham. Before I had my car, I was taking up to two hours of buses to get to school and still keeping a good GPA. I balanced travel and doing homework on buses and trains. My friends and family were a huge support to me.  

What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?   

As a first year FFA chapter, placing at the state competition was our big accomplishment. There were other chapters with many years of experience. We put in lots of hours of studying, went to multiple horse shows, and placed top five in the state and number one in Western Washington in the Horse Evaluation competition. FFA is more than just showing livestock though. It’s a great way to boost your confidence from public speaking to interpersonal relationships to leadership. For me, it really showed what commitment can get you.   

What are your plans for next year?  

I'm going to the University of Washington Seattle. I plan on studying either biology or education or ideally a mix of both. I'm interested in occupational therapy and high school education, and those subjects would be a good basis for both. I'm really looking forward to being in a bigger community. SAMI is so small, and UW is giant. I’m super looking forward to being in such a big city, being able to meet different people and having different internships. I would love to do some work within a lab of some kind, like bio or chem, and then I would love to do student teaching. 

How has your school experience helped prepare you for that pathway?   

Being involved in SAMI and being constantly around sciences has broadened my perspective. I took a lot of bio and life sciences, but I was also around our ROV (robotics) program and exposed to our agriculture program. It showed me how sciences engage with each other and influence other topics like literature and history.   

What’s something your biggest fan would say about you?  

I asked my mom, who is my biggest fan. She said, “You put your mind to everything. I wouldn't call you stubborn, but I'd call you very determined and hard-working. Whatever you want to do, you will do. And there's nothing that can get in your way.”  

Describe yourself in three words.   

Hardworking. Compassionate. Kind.