About the Scholarship

The Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship was established in 1997 and is available to all high school seniors in the Seattle Public Schools, Shoreline Public Schools, and Northshore School District with post-high school education plans. The scholarship is one of the first of its kind in recognizing an outstanding student dedicated to humanitarian causes. This person could have worked in food banks, tutored homeless children, or any other work for the betterment of our world.

This award will be presented to someone who reminds us that true leadership is more than being the loudest of the group or the ability to control others. Leadership is work and concern for others.

The Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship has given awards to 29 deserving students and $41,000 has been dispersed to recipients over a 26 year period.

In 2024, one or more $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to deserving applicants.

Now Accepting Applications for
Class of 2024 High School Seniors


Feel free to print and distribute the current brochure to help spread the word about the scholarship.

About Floyd Schmoe

Floyd Schmoe was 105 years old when he died on April 20, 2001 in Kirkland, Washington. A sixth generation Quaker and peace activist, Schmoe worked as a forest ecologist, marine biologist, college professor and leader of volunteer service groups. He had been shot at and held prisoner while doing relief work in six wars, but he never touched a gun.

During World War I, he drove an ambulance and carried wounded soldiers off French battlefields with the Red Cross. During World War II, he helped arrange evacuation of European Jews and shipped seeds, cows and clothing to war victims in Asia and Europe. When Seattle's Japanese-Americans were relocated to barbed-wire camps in Idaho, he left his job teaching forestry at the University of Washington to go to the internment camps to help them.

After the atomic bombs were dropped, Floyd Schmoe took volunteers to Japan to rebuild homes in the rubble of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Originally built in 1951 as a community center, the Schmoe House has served as an annex of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum since 2012. Later wars in Korea, the Middle East and Africa called him to construct orphanages, salvage hospitals, dig irrigation ditches and repair wells. He was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Floyd Schmoe saw the establishment of the Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship in 1997 as a miniature Nobel Peace Prize.

The first three recipients of the Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship met with Floyd Schmoe when they received their award. Even though Floyd was over 100 years old, he was always attentive when he met with the students and was interested in their future.

Thank you, Floyd, for your inspiration.




If we know people, we have some responsibility for them.
I feel a responsibility to help if I can.

— Floyd Schmoe
Application

Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant is a High School Senior in the Seattle Public Schools, Shoreline Public Schools, or Northshore School District with post-high school education plans.
- Applicant must be involved in humanitarian endeavors.
- Applicant may apply themselves or be nominated by others.

Please download a PDF or Word format application by clicking a link below.

Applications must be received or postmarked by May 1, 2024.

Past Recipients

2 0 2 3

Shira Pinker
Roosevelt High School
Seattle, WA

Tenille Cierebiej
Woodinville High School
Woodinville, WA

Austin Picinich
Juanita High School/Cascadia College
Kirkland, WA


2 0 2 2

Samuel Lewis
West Seattle High School
Seattle, WA

2 0 2 1

Aviv Pinker
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA

Elsabeth Assaye
Roosevelt High School
Seattle, WA

Nelson Kuang
Franklin High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 1 2

Gillian Friedman
Roosevelt High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 1 1

Lynsie Tang
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 1 0

Carlos Padilla
Chief Sealth High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 0 9

James McGowan
Roosevelt High School
Seattle, WA

Jeremy Novack
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 8

Cherry Liu
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA

Ben Kusak
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA

Heather Turner
Shorewood High School
Shoreline, WA

Andy Tang
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 0 7

Andrea Wise
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA

Faiza Sharif
Nathan Hale High School
Seattle, WA


2 0 0 6

David Goldenkranz
Garfield High School
Seattle, WA

Sara Nausner
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 5

Ben Doty
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 4

Tcuch Malual
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 3

Zoe O'Neill
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 2

Benjamin Gigli
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 1

Maggie Sandford
Steve Aguilar

Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA


2 0 0 0

Kimberly Loewen
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA

1 9 9 9

Diane Nguyen
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA

1 9 9 8

Travis Jo Cufley
Shorecrest High School
Shoreline, WA