Three students at the Community Colleges of Spokane are among the nearly 60 being honored on Thursday, April 15, in a virtual ceremony by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.
Gov. Jay Inslee is among those scheduled to speak at the All-Washington Team Academy ceremony at noon today online. All students being honored will receive a $250 scholarship from KeyBank, while the top 16 receive a $750 scholarship from the Washington State Employees Credit Union and the top three each get $1,000 from the Washington state Association of College Trustees.
One of the Spokane students, Elisa Vigil of Spokane Falls Community College, also was named to the honor society’s All-USA Team and will receive a $2,250 scholarship. Vigil is finishing high school at SFCC and will receive both a high school diploma and an associate degree in June. She was the top-scoring student in the state in the national competition, which is funded in part by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. During her time at SFCC, Vigil has served as vice president of the Latinos Unidos Club and assisted the president in growing the club. She also has worked in the SFCC student government outreach program and organized events centered around community service, activism, education and social justice.
The other two Spokane students who made the state team were Sarah Horn of SFCC and Theresa Moore-Wheeler of Spokane Community College. Horn hopes to earn a doctorate in biology and become a scientist. She is president of the PTK chapter at SFCC. Moore-Wheeler, after many years of work experience, is a full-time student and hopes to obtain a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration.
Students are scored based on their applications for the scholarship, which includes academic achievement and service to their college and community.
Phi Theta Kappa first launched the program in 1990 with what is now the All-USA team and the states followed with their state-level programs. The All-Washington Team Academy has existed since 1996.
The program has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges because it honors the academic high achievers, the individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities in which they live. This recognition demonstrates the state’s commitment to scholarship and community service on the part of those attending the state’s public community and technical colleges.