Duman Award Winners: William Peak & Ruby Imig

Congratulations to our 2026 Duman Award winners William Peak from Santiam Christian and Ruby Imig from Salem Academy!

We ask for coaches from each school to nominate one student who shines their light brightly for Jesus by always showing kindness, encouragement, and good leadership skills. This year, two students stood out among the nominees to win the Duman Award. This is what William’s and Ruby’s coaches had to say…

William Peak, Santiam Christian

“It is a privilege to nominate William Peak for the Duman Award. Now in his second year participating in SALT, he has shown remarkable dedication and growth. He approaches every book with enthusiasm, reading voraciously and working diligently to study, understand, and retain a significant amount of information. His commitment to reading is evident in his consistent effort.

What makes William’s accomplishments even more meaningful is the progress he has made as a reader. Until 3rd grade, reading was a challenge for him, yet through perseverance and hard work, he has made tremendous strides. Today, he not only reads with confidence but embraces it with eagerness and determination.

William is also a supportive and encouraging teammate. He contributes positively, uplifts those around him, and helps create an environment where others can succeed. His attitude reflects humility, kindness, and a genuine desire to do his best to honor God while helping others do the same.

William exemplifies the perseverance, growth, and integrity that the Duman Award represents. I wholeheartedly recommend him for this honor.”

Ruby Imig, Salem Academy

“I am honored to nominate Ruby Imig for the 2026 Duman award. Ruby embodies all we hope for in our SALT team members. She is an example to her fellow students; gives her all in whatever she does, and she brings joy to every room.

Ruby is relational. She always makes others feel welcome and included whether it is in classroom or out at recess while she is playing football. She is a patient listener while also encouraging others with her fun-loving spirit.

Ruby has grit. Not only does she complete her reading with enthusiasm and determination, but she also comprehends and remembers the book’s content and is an incredible asset to her team. She brings this same grit to every activity whether it is singing in choir, playing soccer, or studying for SALT.

Ruby is full of joy. Beyond her “book smarts” Ruby is truly a light to all those around her. She shines Jesus’ love to others in all she does and never shies away from an opportunity to give the glory to God. It has been a joy to have Ruby in SALT this year!”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. She loved being part of SALT, and her passing left us with a forever hole in our hearts. This is an award we give to honor her memory. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Duman Award Winner: Reagan Ramirez

Congratulations to Reagan Ramirez, our 2025 Duman Award winner from Santiam Christian!

We ask for coaches from each school to nominate one student who shines their light brightly for Jesus by always showing kindness, encouragement, and good leadership skills. This year’s Duman Award winner, Reagan, stood out among the nominees. This is what Reagan’s coach had to say…

“I am honored to nominate Reagan Ramirez for the 2025 Duman Award, as she truly embodies the qualities it represents. A quiet yet powerful leader, she consistently shines her light for Jesus through her kindness, encouragement, and unwavering support for others. She is the first to recognize the strengths and value in her peers, always uplifting and inspiring those around her. With a heart full of selflessness and determination, she approaches SALT and every challenge she faces with grit and a willingness to work hard, not for personal recognition, but for the success of those around her. Whether through her dedication to preparation, eagerness to collaborate, or steady encouragement, Reagan is a shining example of what it means to lead with faith, humility, and love.”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. She loved being part of SALT, and her passing left us with a forever hole in our hearts. This is an award we give to honor her memory. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Duman Award Winner: Haddie Jones

Congratulations to our 2024 Duman Award winner, Haddie Jones from Santiam Christian!

One of our SALT tournament traditions is presenting a student with what we call “The Duman Award.” The Duman Award is named after one of our original SALT staff members, who was known for her kindness. Trisha Duman loved being part of SALT, and her passing left us with a forever hole in our hearts. This is an award we give to honor her memory. We ask for the coaches from each school to nominate one student who shines their light brightly for Jesus by always showing kindness, encouragement, and good leadership skills. This year’s Duman Award winner, Haddie Jones, stood out among the nominees. This is what Haddie’s coaches had to say…

“Haddie personifies joy and is frequently among the first to help and mentor other classmates. She does a great job of making everyone feel included. When a classmate was away from school for a prolonged time because of an injury, Haddie found out that the injured student had been reading SALT books in hopes of being on a SALT team. Haddie welcomed her with open arms and encouragement, and even advocated for virtual meetings with the injured student so that she could be part of the team. Haddie has a servant’s heart and loves others with her words and actions.”

Duman Award Winner: Gracie

Congratulations to our 2023 Duman Award winner, Gracie from Willamette Valley Christian School!

Each year we ask SALT coaches from participating schools to nominate one student they feel is a behind-the-scenes hero and shows extraordinary kindness to their teammates. This year’s Duman Award winner stood out among the nominees. Here is what Gracie’s coach had to say about her…

“Since the beginning of the school year, Gracie has always been a reader. When I was introducing SALT to our 3rd Grade class, she was one of the first to sign up. Gracie has enthusiastically read nearly all of the SALT books for this year. Her enthusiasm has encouraged others to read more in order to keep up with her. This is just one of the ways that Gracie shows leadership in her quiet, humble manner.”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. Trisha was a huge supporter of SALT and served on our board. She was definitely one of the behind-the-scenes heroes for us as we were getting the program up and running. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Duman Award Winner: Annabelle Bradley

Congratulations to our 2022 Duman Award winner, Annabelle Bradley from Western Christian School!

Each year we ask SALT coaches from participating schools to nominate one student they feel is a behind-the-scenes hero and shows extraordinary kindness to their teammates. This year’s Duman Award winner stood out among the nominees. Here is what Annabelle’s coach had to say about her…

“Throughout the year Annabelle has shown great perseverance, creativity, and a good attitude. She has demonstrated what it looks like to be a contributing member of a team by her diligence in handling the content of the books she was responsible to read. Her quality work has been an excellent example for the rest of her team and inspiring for other members of the SALT teams. She has answered more questions from the book of James than any other student at our school. Along with her gentle, quiet spirit, Annabelle’s character has been noteworthy and honoring to the Lord.”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. Trisha was a huge supporter of SALT and served on our board. She was definitely one of the behind-the-scenes heroes for us as we were getting the program up and running. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Duman Award Winner: Owen Lizama

We would like to congratulate Owen Lizama from Sonshine Christian School as our first recipient of the Duman Award.

We asked SALT coaches from participating schools to nominate one student that they felt was a behind-the-scenes hero and showed extraordinary kindness to their teammates. Owen stood out. Here is what his coach had to say about him…

“He always has the biggest smile on his face and is always encouraging to not just his teammates but to everyone around him. He is everyone’s friend! I’m very proud of how he has kept up our group’s morale and kept the teams’ eyes focused on what is important which is always doing our best and doing it for the Lord!”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away this last December. Trisha was a huge supporter of SALT and served on our board. She was definitely one of the behind-the-scenes heroes for us as we were getting the program up and running. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.