News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 7, 2002
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kellie Purce Braseth, South Puget Sound Community College, 360-754-7711, ext. 5214

Locke honors All-Washington Academic Team

OLYMPIA – Gov. Gary Locke today congratulated the All-Washington Academic Team members for their scholastic achievement and service to their communities and colleges.

“Our community and technical colleges remain the great equalizers,” Locke told the 63 students representing 32 community and technical colleges in the state.

“Collectively, you’re living proof that we live in a meritocracy – people can earn their way to the top, one homework assignment and one final exam at a time,” the governor said.

Dr. Dan Stephens of Phi Theta Kappa, Linda Sprenger of the Trustees Association, Dr. Peter Ku of the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Tom Koenninger and Earl Hale of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and James Washam of KeyBank joined the governor and students at the South Puget Sound Community College event.

The state academic team is a division of the Academic All-American Team for Community, Technical and Junior College Students, an international program sponsored annually by Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today and the American Association of Community Colleges.

The program is intended to demonstrate the state’s commitment to scholarship and community service. It began in Washington in 1996 when a steering committee comprised of community and technical college presidents, Phi Theta Kappa representatives, public information officers from two-year colleges and representatives from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges organized the first recognition ceremony.

KeyBank, a major sponsor of the event, provided $250 scholarships to each member of the academic team listed below.

The governor also presented the 2002 New Century Scholar award to Melanie Smith of Tacoma Community College. Smith delayed school until her seven children were older. She now maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is active in community service. Her goal is to graduate from law school and work as a youth advocate in the juvenile justice field.




2002 All-Washington Academic Team

Bates Technical College
Melannie Denise Cunningham, Merika McMillan

Bellevue Community College
Les Feistel

Bellingham Technical College
William H. Wright, Rhonda Brown

Big Bend Community College
Niki Greenwalt, Norma Jean “Jeanne” Nowlin

Centralia College
Genevieve Beebe, Brandy Mauel

Clark College
Deanna Lund, Elizabeth Prather

Clover Park Technical College
Joseph Bell, Sandra Purvine

Columbia Basin College
Adam Kawaguchi, Megan McPherson

Edmonds Community College
Arben Kocaj, Joyce LeCompte-Mastenbrook

Everett Community College
Anton Preisinger, Garrett Cooper

Grays Harbor College
Robert Hartman, Adam Lin

Green River Community College
Anna St. Martin, Megumi Kuwabara

Highline Community College
Roger Henderson, Susan Cox

Lake Washington Technical College
Nicole L. Bernier, Khuankanung (Kero) Dumrongstien

Lower Columbia College
Jennifer Bennett, Ronda Cliffton

North Seattle Community College
Thomas K. Prigmore, Evajavón Y. Stoudemire

Olympic College
Hannah Michelle Harper, Thomas Sharp

Peninsula College
Reinhold AJ Habeler, Holli Hage

Pierce College – Puyallup
James Charles, Rocki DuCharme

Pierce College - Fort Steilacoom
Wayne Ingalls, (Jerilyn) Emily Jackson

Renton Technical College
Christine Warnock, Weylin Heifner

Seattle Central Community College
Tess Strand, Jennie Leitch Harris

Shoreline Community College
Tina Cich, Leslie Hubertus

Skagit Valley Community College
Glenn A. Maloy, Janis (Jan) Leslie

South Puget Sound Community College
Leesa C. Bahrt, Maki Hasegawa

South Seattle Community College
Heidi Krzyworz, Nemo Hajiyusuf

Spokane Community College
Kenneth E. Curry, Hugh Daniels

Tacoma Community College
Melanie Smith, Cynthia Nelson

Walla Walla Community College
Shayla Hussey, Meghan Schleif

Wenatchee Valley College
Colleen K. Chamberlin, Carrie Christensen

Whatcom Community College
Madina Atalikova, Eipanjit Sandhu

Yakima Valley Community College
Blaine M. Campbell, Liza L. Jaime
Related Links:
- South Puget Sound Community College
- Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges
- Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
- Gov. Locke's remarks to the All-Washington Academic Team


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