Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon Campus Celebrates Student Achievement at 61st Annual Honors Reception

Mount Vernon, WA– Several hundred students, family members, and friends attended the 61st annual Skagit Valley College (SVC) Mount Vernon Campus Honors Reception on  May 30 at  McIntyre Hall. Between the Mount Vernon and the Whidbey Island Campus ceremonies this year, over $600k in scholarships will be awarded to SVC students.

SVC President Dr. Tom Keegan awarded 16 students with the President’s Medal for outstanding academic achievement.

To qualify, each recipient must be a graduating sophomore, have all A’s or A-’s, and have attended SVC for at least three quarters. President’s Medals were presented to:

* Kevin Ball, Marysville
* Elise Birdsong, Arlington
* Sandra Blake, Elma
* Nina Chandler, Camano Island
* Ruben Crew, Arlington
* Kara Ericksen, Longview
* Megan Fox, Camano Island
* Trevor Giddings, Sedro-Woolley
* Deanna Heggie, Camano Island
* Alexander Hood, Anacortes
* Romina Hutson De Novellis, Bellingham
* Cassandra Kwant, Mount Vernon
* Nathan Morse, Oak Harbor
* Ashley Riess, Anacortes
* Siulok Tang, Mount Vernon
* Francisco Vera Urrutia, Mount Vernon

The prestigious Charles H. Lewis Memorial Award was presented to Dania Jaramillo (Burlington). Dania describes herself in many ways: mother, daughter, sister, wife, first generation undocumented college student, Mexican, and activist. Dania chooses to own her identities as they shape who she is.

Dania is a student in SVC’s Maestros Para el Pueblo program and will graduate with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She will transfer to WWU in the Fall. She was awarded the prestigious Charles H. Lewis Memorial Award.

The other Lewis Award finalists were:
* Katie Piland, Mount Vernon
* Flor Zamorano-Beltran, Mount Vernon
* Noemi Rodriguez, Mount Vernon
* Giovanna Larios, Poulsbo
* Jordan Shelley, Greenbank
* Alexander Hood, Anacortes
* Naoki Motomuro, Mount Vernon
* Cynthia Ocampo, Mount Vernon
* Mejak Jones, Anacortes

The 1956 sophomore class of Skagit Valley Junior College established the annual Charles H. Lewis Memorial Award as tribute to Lewis, the first Dean of the College and a revered faculty member at SVC for 28 years. The award is bestowed to a graduating sophomore who has been in attendance at SVC a minimum of one full school year and who best among their classmates exemplifies the qualities of Charles H. Lewis:

1. The student must be the possessor of high ethical and moral standards.
2. The student’s consistent daily effort in fulfilling assignments and consistent attendance in class must be evidenced as indication of the ability to persevere in the attainment of a reputable scholastic standing.
3. The student must possess those qualities of good citizenship made manifest by a willingness to help and understand others and projection in daily contacts of a warm, personal feeling toward others.
4. The student must exhibit intellectual curiosity.
5. The student’s association with other people must demonstrate a genial regard for others.
6. The student must possess a subtle sense of humor.

Also, the following Departmental Awards were presented:

Academic ESL
Yohei Nii, Mount Vernon

Accounting
Esmeralda Marquez, Oak Harbor

Allied Health
Nicole Cochran, Mount Vernon

Art
Kenneth Estes, Sedro-Woolley
Art
Sabrina Benien, Mount Vernon

Biology
Francisco Vera, Mount Vernon

Behavioral Science
Monika Rueb, Mount Vernon

Chemistry
Ruger Stufflebeam, Mount Vernon (more . . .)
College Career Bridge
Elizabeth Parker, Mount Vernon

Communication Studies
Yamna Khan, Burlington

Communication Studies
Lindzey Jaderlund, Mount Vernon

Computer Science
Roger Dieterich, Mount Vernon

Criminal Justice
Hannah Pendergrass, Sedro-Woolley

Culinary Arts
Dominick Mendrez, Oak Harbor

Diesel Power Technology
Gavin McGinnis, Coupeville

Drama
Michael Trotchie, Burlington

Drama
Emily Hall, Sedro-Woolley

Engineering
Thomas Janicki, Mount Vernon

English
Yamna Khan, Burlington

ELA (English Language Acquisition)
Hue Tien, Mount Vernon

Environmental Conservation/GIS
Milo Heiret, Oak Harbor

Environmental Conservation – BASEC
Jason Flowers, Oak Harbor

Health and Fitness Technician
May Huang, Anacortes

High School Completion
Elizabeth Parker, Mount Vernon
History
Rachel Ludlow, Burlington

Human Services – Generalist Track
Lucy Kesterson, Mount Vernon

Human Services – Substance Use Disorder Track
Dennis Phillips, Freeland

INVEST
Jose Lara, Mount Vernon

Manufacturing
Donald Shaffer, Stanwood

Mathematics
Alexander Hood, Anacortes

Mathematics
Austin Faux, Arlington

Multimedia and Interactive Technology
Kurt Thorson, Eastsound

Music
Calib Byers, Oak Harbor

Pre-Nursing
Monika Rueb, Mount Vernon

Physical Education
Lacey Hill, Mount Vernon

Physics
Alexander Hood, Anacortes

Social Science
Atziry Torres, Sedro-Woolley

Welding Technologies
Beau Blank, Stanwood

Welding Technologies
Yoden Ortmannwight, Anacortes

World Languages
Giovanna Larios, Poulsbo

 

Information Written and Provided by: Arden Ainley/Skagit Valley College/Chief Public Information Officer