Kentlake Students Get Road Renamed to Boost School Spirit

May 18, 2009

Summary

Story

The King County Council approved the renaming of SE 300th St. in Kent to SE Falcon Way (It passed 7 to 2). Kentlake High School is located on this street.

Kentlake leadership students sought the help of King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer to assist with the government process in order to get the road renamed after their high school mascot, the Falcon.

“Due to the dwindling school spirit, students are lacking the motivation to go to school,” said Nikole Weber, Kentlake leadership student. “We want to give students a sense of belonging and uplift their pride.”

“We believe by changing the street name to S.E. Falcon Way, there will always be a connection between the pride of our school and its neighboring communities,” said Kelly Tanga, Kentlake leadership student.

The leadership class, under direction of their teacher Rick Chance, had to draft a petition and walk house to house collecting signatures in order to get approval from the residents and business that would be affected by the road name change.

“The kids got this done, I just pushed them in the right direction,” said Rick Chance, Kentlake leadership teacher.

“These young people took the initiative to leave a lasting impact on their community,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. “They had a goal, learned about and followed a government process, and were successful at accomplishing the task. Their determination is what makes them a leader and I extend my appreciation to their teacher who encouraged and helped them through the process.”

The name change is will go into effect the last day of school, June 12. The school will host an assembly to unveil the new name.