2026 Annual Luncheon Recap

On Thursday, May 7th, we held our 24th Annual Luncheon at the Westin in downtown Seattle. This year's theme centered on empowerment—celebrating our students' voices and their passion for uplifting the community and advocating for change.

The event opened with an inspiring reading by Eloise F. (8th grade) and her mother, Amy. Eloise read her "tiny memoir," a piece she originally wrote for a school Language Arts project that was featured in the New York Times. Our student emcees, Caroline R. and Yasmin M., then welcomed Head of School Brenda Leaks and Board Chair Tonya Peck to the stage for opening remarks.

In her speech, Brenda shared:

Following the remarks, the emcees welcomed Eva H. (8th grade) to the stage to present the Grace Hopper Award for Outstanding Achievement to Donna Barba Higuera, an award-winning children's book author. Donna shared a thoughtful presentation about her background and the people who empowered her to find her own voice.

After Donna's speech, the Empowered Voices luncheon video premiered for a full ballroom, drawing both laughter and tears. The event concluded with alumna speaker MacKenzie P. '14, who shared her story of discovering SGS as a child. She described it as a place where she finally felt accepted for who she was—a place that allowed her to be authentically herself.

With over 400 guests in attendance and more than $430,000 raised for tuition assistance, we are overflowing with gratitude. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's luncheon a huge success!