On an unusually damp May morning at the University of Washington, Michelle Pool is on campus to congratulate student Zayna Haider.
On an unusually damp May morning at the University of Washington, Michelle Pool is on campus to congratulate student Zayna Haider.
Maybe the spring showers are a sign. The occasion? Zayna is the first winner of a scholarship named in honor of Michelle’s husband, Steve Pool -- a man once so synonymous with the soggy weather in Seattle that locals created a T-shirt with his likeness that simply stated, "I make it rain."
Raised just south of downtown, Steve was student body president at Tyee High School. Classmates remember him singing and speaking. He always had a microphone. Steve Pool was born to lead, to inform, to entertain.
The epitome of authentic charm and charisma, Steve could've been anything and been a huge success. Working his way up the ranks at the local ABC affiliate, Steve won awards and accolades for his talk show hosting and reporting. He even shined on the big screen, filming a movie with Angelina Jolie. But it was as the evening forecaster at KOMO News that Steve Pool found his calling.
Back in those days, you could get thrown into doing the weather report with little notice. When that happened to Steve Pool, he wanted to be ready. So in his spare time, he went back to his beloved alma mater, the University of Washington, to learn about the skies over Seattle. Professor Cliff Mass took him under his wing, and they became fast friends.
“I met Steve Pool in the early 1980s, and he was up for being the weather person. He was doing sports and other things earlier. And he had been tagged to take over the weather regime. But the issue was he had to learn meteorology. And so I tutored him for several years. And in this office right here, we would meet regularly. We would talk about the weather,” said Mass.
Steve and Cliff also worked together to spearhead a weather internship program at KOMO in the 90s. Landing an internship in the KOMO 4 Weather Center with the venerable Steve Pool was like winning the lottery, and over the years, dozens won it. When you did, you got to witness that famous charm and charisma up close, and realized it wasn't just something he turned on for TV. Steve Pool really was exactly the same funny, kind, quick person in real life as he was over the airwaves.
And that was the number one piece of advice he'd give to you, if you were so lucky to find yourself under his tutelage.
"Just be yourself on camera; people want to get to know the real you," Steve would say.
I should know, as I was fortunate enough to first work with him while I was a student way back in 1994.
Over four decades, Steve Pool became one of the most recognizable and well-liked weather personalities on the West Coast. Sometimes, Good Morning America would steal him away to work in New York, and even offered him a regular spot on their national program. But in the end, Steve decided to stay and raise his family in the Emerald City, and stay on our local airwaves here on Channel 4.
In the later years between shows at KOMO, Steve would practice his golf swing. The first African American member at the Seattle Golf Club, Steve was looking forward to the laid back days of retirement when his obligations consisted of tee times rather than show times, of family vacations rather than work meetings. After all of that hard work, that third act we all plan for and count on enjoying was within reach for Steve.
And then, the unthinkable happened. Steve was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. The disease progressed rapidly. We lost Steve Pool Thanksgiving week, 2023.
After taking the time to grieve, old friend Cliff Mass decided to keep Steve’s connection to UW students going with a wonderful honor: he created the Steve Pool Memorial Scholarship for students in atmospheric sciences. Upon hearing about the effort to create the award, friends, family, and especially viewers of Steve's came forward to donate. The scholarship fund received so much money, that it is now endowed permanently at the University of Washington.
Zayna Haider is the first recipient of the Steve Pool Scholarship.
“This scholarship, it really means a lot to me. I was really honored to be the inaugural recipient of this one, to be chosen for a really public-facing scholarship,” said Haider.
Zayna’s focus is in atmospheric chemistry, and like Steve, she loves to share her fascination with weather with others.
“I'm a part of the UW College of the Environment ambassadors, so I have an opportunity to kind of engage in that outreach. We do events for high school seniors and incoming freshmen.
"So I definitely am very vocal about just the quality of our program and why people should join. And I love to present my research at symposiums and things.
"I love to engage in that kind of science communication, especially with people who aren't as familiar with atmos as a field,” said Haider.
That’s why Professor Mass created the scholarship -- to honor the fine art of weather communication, which isn’t as easy as Steve made it look.
“He was a superstar in many ways. But it was not only that he was on air. He was a superb communicator. One of the best communicators I've ever seen in my life. Probably the best, quite frankly. And so he deserves to be remembered not only for the contributions he gave for this region, every night there for people telling about the weather. But he was a superb educator as well, explaining the principles of weather. And so his contributions are immense,” said Mass.
The Pool family feels that the scholarship is the perfect way to cement his legacy.
“Steve, he well, first of all, he loved his relationship with the University of Washington. And I think working with the students here and beginning the internship program was really a piece of pride and joy for him throughout his career. He was so proud of it. And he just loved working with the kids. And he got so excited when he could see their success and celebrate their success with them,” said Steve’s wife, Michelle.
To have a scholarship in her husband's name is the ultimate assurance that while he was taken too soon from her and their two daughters, Steve Pool's legacy will live on.
“It’s an enormous sense of pride. It would be for Steve. And I know that he'd be super overwhelmed and really humbled, as am I. And I'm so happy to be with you today and our girls. And I look forward to following the wonderful students like Zayna in the future and just seeing what they're going to do with their lives. It's really exciting. And we're just really proud,” said Michelle.
Seattle’s favorite forecaster will continue to have a positive impact on students for decades to come. Because Steve Pool...he makes it rain.
