The local chapter of the American Association of University Women recently announced its selections of nine Sequim High School senior girls for its Girl of the Month awards.

The first three are listed below. See future editions of the Sequim Gazette for more AAUW Girl of the Month notices.

Ashleigh Lorraine Clark is the AAUW’s Girl of the Month for September.

A senior at Sequim High School, Clark is enrolled in advanced placement statistics, government and contemporary issues, and senior composition.

Clark was named to the honor roll in her freshman, sophomore and junior years.

She’s active at Sequim High in the Women in Networking and Random Acts of Kindness groups.

In the community, Clark has served as a volunteer with the Red Cross, at a girls camp at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Port Angeles, with the North Olympic Discovery Marathon and on a mission trip to Mexico.

Clark works at Tootsie’s and says that outside of school she enjoys dancing, singing, traveling, being outdoors and being with friends and family.

Clark says she plans to get an associate’s degree in general education while completing premedical studies.

"Overall, I want a Ph.D. in pharmacology," she says.

Clark is the daughter of Paula and Sean Clark.

Turi Renee Anderson is the AAUW’s Girl of the Month for October.

A senior at Sequim High School, Anderson is enrolled in advanced placement language and composition, multimedia, chemistry, Spanish II and wind ensemble classes.

Anderson has earned a spot on the honor roll all four years at Sequim High School and the WIAA Distinguished Scholastic award each year as well. A National Honor Society member (and vice president as a senior), she was Associated Student Body class secretary as a junior and class publicity chairwoman as a senior.

Anderson has played with the high school band and girls soccer team since her freshman year. Her other club interests include the Random Acts of Kindness Club, International Club and Women in Networking. She also designed shirts for the soccer team, band and senior class.

Anderson is active in the community, volunteering with Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church as a vacation Bible school leader and communion assistant. She’s volunteered for Relay For Life, at the Dungeness Valley Health and Wellness Clinic annual walk, Sequim Soroptimist Garden Gala and VFW Post 4760.

Anderson worked at Purple Haze Lavender Farm as a field and store worker for three summers and as an office assistant at Angeles Therapy Services in 2007.

"I hope to enroll in a four-year college," Anderson says, "and major in either art or elementary education, or a combination of the two. I also hope to continue my foreign language, Spanish, and study abroad."

Anderson is the daughter of Jack and Karin Anderson.

Melissa Marie Karapostoles is the AAUW’s Girl of the Month for November.

A senior at Sequim High School and student at Peninsula College through the Running Start program, Karapostoles is enrolled in public speaking, introduction to Spanish and introduction to chemistry.

Karapostoles is active with several groups at Peninsula College, including the theater department as an understudy and stage manager and the Associated Student Council as an outreach director. She participated with the Women in Networks group and Future Business Leaders of America.

Karapostoles tutored and helped with leadership activities at Sequim Middle School and helped with the Math Olympiad competition. She’s been a National Honor Society member for the past three years.

Outside of school, Karapostoles served as Sequim Irrigation Festival princess. She has volunteered with the Sequim Education Foundation’s dinner, North Olympic Discovery Marathon, Salvation Army bell-ringers, Santa’s Breakfast, Relay For Life and the Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council.

Karapostoles worked as a page for the Washington State Legislature in 2007. She worked at Purple Haze Lavender Farm, at Oak Table Café and as a tutor at Peninsula College.

Karapostoles says she has narrowed her secondary school choices to Vassar College, Washington State University, University of Chicago and Willamette University.

She said she plans to earn an undergraduate degree in political science and history, then earn a law degree with an emphasis in international public law. From there, she says she’d like to work for the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial branch for the United Nations.

She is the daughter of Burton and Caity Karapostoles.