When she was a senior at Jefferson High School, a house fire destroyed Stephenie Lincoln’s memory box, including her prized “Miss SEI” jacket. Although the physical memories were gone, her emotional memories of the hard work it took to earn that jacket and the rewards that came with it remained strong.

Stephenie was number five in a family of seven. Her parents divorced when she was seven years old; her mother struggled to hold the household together. Stephenie didn’t want to give her mother any more headaches, so she focused on doing well in school and in sports. But she needed more.

That’s where SEI came in. This good athlete and quiet student found the recognition and gained the self-esteem she needed, and she thrived.

At SEI, Stephenie excelled and was rewarded by going on trips that expanded her horizons: going to California, camping in the woods of Vernonia, train rides to Seattle. She learned from SEI that life had more options for her.

Stephenie’s coach at SEI had a big influence on her, telling her, “Take a look at the issues, think beyond what you see, and find the right way to get through.” With SEI’s support Stephenie received a full scholarship at the University of Idaho.

Today Stephenie is married, works at Boeing in Seattle, teaches leadership development at local businesses, and coaches the girls’ basketball team at Rainier Beach High School. Stephenie is teaching the SEI way because, as she says, “I felt so fortunate to receive everything SEI gave me — it would feel selfish not to give anything back.”

For more stories, click here.
To return to SEI's home page, click here.