July 8, 2026, Tacoma, WA - This year marks the 26th anniversary of the annual Willie Stewart Community Service Scholarship. From the very beginning, United Way of Pierce County (UWPC) has supported this scholarship program as a means of recognizing a select number of Pierce County high school seniors who demonstrate a commitment to volunteering in their community.
This year’s cohort of 11 recipients hail from high schools across the county, including Sumner High School, Mount Tahoma High School, Emerald Ridge High School, Stadium High School, Lakes High School, Tacoma School of the Arts, and Clover Park High School. Recipients were selected based on their leadership, impact, and commitment to service beyond high school. These 11 students performed 6,189 combined hours of community service. One student completed 1,301 hours on their own!
United Way and local leader Willie Stewart granted $2,500 to each scholarship recipient. Recipients will use their awards to help pay tuition at colleges and universities across the country. On behalf of the entire community, United Way congratulates the following students for their dedication to giving back through volunteerism: Harmony Collins, Aniya Gallion, Trevor Jellison, Alivia Marsh, Justin Oh, Isabelle Perez, Sahara Pittman, Riya Richardson, Hattie Roy, Elijah Sta Ana, and Kyle Wesenberg.
United Way has partnered with Willie Stewart for all 26 years of the scholarship’s existence to celebrate the Pierce County high school seniors most dedicated to community service. Stewart and his good friend, the late Karl Anderson, started the program after Stewart ran for the Tacoma School Board in 1999. Anderson was his campaign treasurer. When the successful campaign was over, they had funds leftover, and Anderson suggested they be used to start a scholarship program for young volunteers in the community. Stewart wanted a large, recognizable organization to oversee the administration of the program, so he took the idea to UWPC’s CEO at the time, Rick Allen. Allen loved the idea. In 2000, the program honored its first cohort of seniors.
As an educator, a veteran and a community leader, Stewart continues to be an inspiration for generations of Pierce County students. “The future of this nation is going to be based on volunteerism,” Stewart says. “We need more people born with heart and compassion. The only way we’re going to get out of the situation we’re in is with love and respect and getting involved. Community service is the first step.”