Peyton Gomez walked through the doors of Covenant High School a few years after her older sister and alongside several friends from middle school. It didn’t take long for her friendly and welcoming spirit to be noticed. Starting out as an Ambassador, later becoming a peer-tutor, then a Student Council member, Peyton says she is certainly more outgoing than she was four years ago. She has been able to connect with all grade levels and gain many friendships and new perspectives.

Her high school career was not always smooth; Peyton’s journey was marked by her grandmother’s passing and her grandfather’s diagnosis with cancer. “It was rough but I knew that I could come back here and have a group of people that supported me and uplifted me,” said Peyton. “It made me grow closer to God because I saw people that were close with Him, and it made me want to be close with Him as well.”

Within that community, were faculty members. Peyton remembers a particularly difficult math class, but Mrs. Lewellen “was always there to guide us all the way through, meeting with us when she needed to and spending extra time on problems when necessary.”

While not at school, Peyton has an enriching array of extracurriculars. She has participated in several sports: golf, track and field, and tennis for Lakes High School and Clover Park. She has also volunteered for several organizations: the Lakewood Youth City Council, the American Lake Golf Course, and Young Executives of Color at the University of Washington. With every experience, she has expanded her network, learned more about the individuals and happenings in her community, and gained clarity on her post-graduation path.

Peyton plans to attend University of Washington’s Foster School of Business in the fall and pursue finance, accounting, or mathematics. “Since I was in the third grade I said I was going to be a CFO and Warren Buffett one day,” said Peyton. “I want to be financially stable so I can give back to those that have helped me along the way. My community is a big piece of me and I want to give back in any way that I can.”