Laura Janelle Boomer Scholarship

Larry and Becky McGee and their children, Laura and Heather Boomer, moved to Chehalis from the east coast at the end of the summer in 1985. Laura and Heather thought it was a terrible idea because, of course, they did not want to leave their many Pennsylvania friends. However, they seemed to fit right in, and in the spring of 1986 Laura was elected W. F. West ASB President for the 1986 – 1987 school year. Laura used her leadership position to help the W. F. West student body provide generous donations to Mexico City in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 1985.

Laura was a very strong student, noted for her academics, scholarship and leadership. She would have graduated either first or second in her class. Her calculus instructor said she scored the highest grade he had ever seen. Laura enjoyed singing and was a voracious reader. She was awarded several prestigious scholarships, including the Air Force ROTC scholarship to be used at the University of Puget Sound. Laura planned to go to medical school and become a surgeon.

When Laura died in April 1987, the family decided to use monies they had saved for college to start a fund to provide scholarships for others in her name. Helping others provides an ongoing positive impact and remembrance of someone who was an extraordinary young woman.