Hard working, ambitious, and undeterred by obstacles, Henry Bi is just the kind of person the ECHO founders had in mind when they began their search for scholarship applicants. His compelling story does not resemble the lives of most Eastside teenagers—but not only did he persevere when faced with numerous roadblocks, he also stayed positive and exhibited qualities of leadership. ECHO is proud to award its first scholarship to Henry Bi of Sammamish High School.

Henry came to America from China at the age of 12 knowing only the words “hello” and “goodbye.” During the next four years his family moved more than 10 times and lived in cities from Los Angeles to Seattle. Halfway through tenth grade he enrolled at Sammamish, his fourth high school. He had not been at his previous school long enough for them to even update his transcript.

The school counselor advised his parents that Henry needed to stay in one school for the rest of his high school career. Eighteen months later she learned that Henry’s family had moved again, but Henry had not. He was living in an apartment, supporting himself by working 30-40 hours a week, and attending school. In addition to taking a full course load at Sammamish, Henry also founded a Christian club, played Varsity football, participated in Jazz Band and Jazz Choir, and stayed involved in his church.

Education was his mainstay. “Although all of those changes did hinder my grades, the hardships never made me give up and I never failed to remember my goals. I know my only chance to stand solid and proud in life is to pursue what I want to do through education,” he wrote.

Henry, headed to the University of Washington next fall, has a remarkable perspective that exemplifies his character and shows wisdom well beyond his 17 years. He is a most worthy recipient for the first ECHO scholarship.

“This is life,” he said. “I just got a head start.”

The ECHO Community Foundation was established in August 2004 by five Redmond High School graduates who wanted to give back to their community. Founded on the premise that Everyone Can Help Out, ECHO’s mission is to provide scholarship money to college-bound students who need financial assistance and who aspire to becoming business and community leaders. One hundred per cent of all money raised by The ECHO Community Foundation is applied to scholarships.