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Annual Luncheon

Grace Hopper Award

Seattle Girls' School Annual Grace Hopper Award

Who was Rear Admiral Grace Hopper?

Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992), was a mathematician, computer scientist, systems designer, and programmer. Her groundbreaking work as a mathematician and computer scientist led to the development of the computer language COBOL. She is more famously known as the ‘mother of the computer’ and was the first female Admiral in the US Navy. With the tremendous spirit of RADM Hopper at heart, we celebrate women* who have excelled remarkably in their field.

What is SGS's Annual Grace Hopper Award?

SGS's Annual Grace Hopper Award honors women*, like RADM Hopper, who provide SGS students with positive role models. We aim to honor a visionary Northwest woman who is not only a leader in their community, but exemplifies mentorship excellence, having made an outstanding commitment to creating pathways and encouraging other women* to become leaders in their own communities. 

*This award recognizes any woman regardless of their gender assigned at birth.

 

2026 Grace Hopper Awardee

We are proud to announce our 2026 Grace Hopper Awardee: Donna Barba Higuera!

Donna grew up in Central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. As a child, rather than dealing with the regular dust devils, she preferred spending recess squirreled away in the janitor’s closet with a good book. Her favorite hobbies were calling dial-a-story over and over again, and sneaking into a restricted cemetery to weave her own spooky tales using the crumbling headstones as inspiration. ​
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Donna's Middle Grade and Picture Books are about kids who find themselves in odd or scary situations.​ From language to cultural differences in being biracial life can become…complicated. So like Donna, characters tackle more than just the bizarre things that happen to them in their lives. 
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Donna likes to write about all things funny, but also sad, and creepy, and magical. If you like those things, she hopes you will read her books! 

Donna's books include Lupe Wong Won't Dance, El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!, and The Last Cuentista, and have won awards including: the Newbery medal, both Pura Belpré medal and honor, PNBA best book of the year award, and the Sid Fleischman award for best children's humor book of the year.


Previous Grace Hopper Award Recipients

Outstanding Achievement

List of 20 items.

Exemplary Leadership

List of 17 items.

Seattle Girls' School

Located in the Central District, Seattle Girls' School is an independent school for girls and gender expansive students in grades 5-8. Our mission is to inspire and develop courageous leaders who think independently, work collaboratively, learn joyfully, and champion change.

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