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Jadden Chase Lai-Yates – Chapter 203 El Segundo High School
Adviser Judy Munger
Principal Steve Gebhart
El Segundo Unified School District
Jadden “Chase” Lai-Yates is driven by a commitment “to create spaces where people who feel overlooked are seen, supported, and empowered to step forward with confidence.” For him inclusion does not mean being permitted to stand on the periphery and merely watch from a distance. Rather, it means being accepted for who one is and being brought into the center to be a contributor or leader.
Of his numerous service activities to his school and local community, he is most proud of his involvement in Friendship Club, which seeks “to help integrate students with disabilities into social activities with their general education peers.” As president he worked to move his general education peers beyond being simply “kind and respectful” and to forming “deeper connections with these students.” Chase saw the fruits of such inclusive actions when a neurodivergent student grew socially and successfully ran for class office.
Chase enjoys spending his down time immersing himself in Marvel’s Spider-Verse. While some people may focus solely on the stories, Chase watches for hidden details and symbols that may carry a deeper meaning, giving insight into the characters and universes. Chase will attend either UC Berkeley or UCLA as a pre-med student to eventually go to school for optometry.
The Seymour Memorial Awards were established to honor both Charles F. Seymour and his wife, Marian H. Seymour, who together supplied the inspiration and leadership which fostered the California Scholarship Federation.
The very first award of $25 was presented to Seymour Award recipient Elizabeth Murphy (O’Neil) of Fresno High School in 1936.
Each spring, regional subcommittees of advisers choose outstanding Life Members (Sealbearers) from among candidates nominated by their advisers in each of the five regions. Each year, 50 finalists receive awards of $2,000 each, and five of these (one per region) each receive an additional $3,000 as the regional award recipient. Over $100,000 is awarded to 50 graduating Sealbearers each year.
The Seymour Award is regarded as one of the highest scholastic honors given to high school students in the state of California.