Mukilteo student working tirelessly to put Kenyan girls through school

Tiffany Coons and her friend Heather Pearson always had an interest in helping others. But little did they know an article in a teen magazine would set them on a course to change the lives of girls half a world away.

The Kamiak High School students were inspired by the story of a girl who traveled abroad for a summer. The pair decided to raise enough money to visit Kenya with an organization and help build a well or a school.

Do you know a student who stands out in the classroom, school and community?
Help make their dreams come true by nominating them for a $1,000 scholarship selected monthly and a chance to earn a $10,000 Grand Prize scholarship awarded at the end of the year.

“Our initial thing was we just wanted to go to Kenya because it was exotic and foreign and exciting,” Tiffany says. “But as we learned more about it, and the people and culture, we fell in love with it and discovered our passion for what we are doing.”

Once they got there, the then sophomores were taken with the challenges facing young girls in Kenya, and decided they wanted to do far more.

“I realized that they had the same dreams and aspirations that I did, but they just never would have the opportunities that I would have in the U.S.”

When they returned, Tiffany and Heather formed Bold Futures, a nonprofit that raises money to sponsor girls’ education in Kenya. With the help of a lawyer, the teens created an official organization and became an officially recognized 501(c)(3).

“Girls in Kenya are often married off instead of receiving an education, because parents believe the dowry they receive when their daughter is married is more important than the impact an educated girl can have on the community. We want to change this perspective,” Tiffany says. “By sponsoring girls’ primary and secondary school fees, we hope to show Kenya that educated women can and will change the world.”

Thanks to their efforts, Bold Futures is currently helping put five Kenyan girls through school, and Tiffany hopes they can reach far more in the future.

But Tiffany isn’t resting on her laurels. The senior has maintained a 3.80 grade point average while taking a rigorous class load that includes a multitude of honors and advanced placement classes. She’s also a member of numerous clubs and somehow finds the time to donate hundreds of hours volunteering, including tutoring students struggling with math and English at her school.

Needless to say, she’s sacrificed plenty to achieve all that. A normal day can see her attending a club meeting at 6:30 a.m., attending school, participating in one of her extracurricular activities and volunteering before finally getting home and digging in to what’s commonly several hours of homework a night before getting to sleep long after midnight.

She admits it can be exhausting, but it’s worth it.

“I love everything I do. When you love everything you do you’re more likely and more willing to put in the time and effort that’s necessary.”

Tiffany has already been accepted at a number of prominent colleges and universities, but has yet to finalize where she’ll go. She’s leaning towards Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a private, liberal-arts school Tiffany says she favors for its strong history of promoting social justice.

As for the future, she plans to major in math and then earn an MBA before launching a career in the non-profit field. Tiffany hopes to continue growing Bold Futures even while attending college, and ultimately work for a larger non-profit organization that can make a difference both globally and locally.

“We often times tend to have this false facade that everything around us is perfect,” she says of her desire to help at home as well as abroad.

“I know especially where I go to school we tend to gloss over everything like ‘oh, we live in a land of puppies and rainbows and kittens.’ But there is a huge amount of need. One in five children in America live in poverty and we definitely have to do something in our hometowns as well.”

Tiffany has already done far more than many will in a lifetime to help those less fortunate. And whenever it starts to get overwhelming, she remembers her mantra: “If one person can do something, everyone can do something. And if everyone does something then the world would be a much different place.”

KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and Comprehensive Wealth Management are proud to select Tiffany Coons as a Standout Student of the month.

Tiffany is just one of nine exceptional students who will be selected for a $1,000 scholarship. One of the recipients will also receive a $10,000 grand prize scholarship.