2023 All-Washington Academic Team Ceremony

Thursday, April 27, 2023, 12:00 p.m.
Hosted by South Puget Sound Community College

SPSCC Olympia Campus
Building 27 (Student Union Building)
2011 Mottman Rd SW
Olympia, WA 98512
Campus Map >

The Ceremony will also be livestreamed on the SPSCC YouTube channel.

About the All-Washington Academic Team

The All-Washington Academic Team program recognizes and honors our state's finest higher education students. The students who make up the All-Washington (All-WA) Team reflect the diversity of the state, maintain high standards of excellence, and contribute positively to the community. Their stories are often inspiring, sometimes surprising, and always reflective of the larger story of the state's community and technical college students.

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.

Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society for Two Year Colleges, introduced the All-USA Academic Team to recognize and honor two-year college students for their scholastic achievement and community and college service.

In 1994, state-level academic teams were introduced as a way to provide scholarships and scholastic recognition to Phi Theta Kappa members, while promoting excellence at two-year colleges. Students nominated to the All-USA Academic Team are automatically named to their state team.

In 1996, Washington launched its state program. 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 put together the first recognition ceremony in the Governor’s Mansion. The ceremony honored 44 students representing 24 community and technical colleges.

Today, the All-Washington Academic Team includes students representing the 34 community and technical colleges in Washington state. The program has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges because it honors the academic high achievers: those 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.

Program Sponsors

The following organizations support the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team program:

  • Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges
  • Washington State Association of College Trustees
  • State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
  • Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of the Two-Year College

Scholarship Sponsors

The following organizations provide scholarships support to the students on the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team:

  • KeyBank
  • Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU)
  • Washington State Association of College Trustees

Please take the opportunity to thank our scholarship sponsors.

KeyBank: $250 awarded to every team member.

Brian Marlow
KeyBank President, South Puget Sound
1101 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402

and

I.V. Reeves, Jr.
VP Regional Corporate Responsibility Officer & Community Relations Manager
1101 Pacific Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402

WSECU: $750 awarded to the top 16 team members.

Carole Washburn, Chair, Board of Directors
WSECU
PO Box WSECU
Olympia, WA 98507

and

Doug Mah, Board Secretary
WSECU
PO Box WSECU
Olympia, WA 98507

Trustee Scholarships: $1,000 awarded to top 3 team members.

Pat Shuman, President
Washington State Association of College Trustees
PO Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495

Bates Technical College
Trevor Moore

Bellevue College
Janis Campbell
Joshua Lee
Rajbir Sandhu

Bellingham Technical College
Heather Briggs
Magda Dermendziev
Sarah Gamble
Mary Cris Rich

Big Bend Community College
Gina Todaro

Cascadia College
Josiah Aklog
Austin Picinich

Centralia College
Ethan Myers
Andrew Thompson

Clark College
Bruce Adams
Alexandia Kneipp
Ella Merusic

Clover Park Technical College
Laurel Behrend
M Gitchel-Compton
Petrina Sweet

Columbia Basin College
Narcili Berry
Mario Castaneda
Stephanie Hampton
Wendy Merrill

Edmonds College
Ahmad Hilal Abid
Shinhae Hwang

Everett Community College
Emily Backstrom
Halema Salim

Grays Harbor College
Bonny Bray-Johnson
Amanda Wells

Green River College
Simonne Biller
Jangho Park
Ezza Sohail

Highline College
Dustin Cole

Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Hannah Lamb
Ibrahim Ouenzar

Lower Columbia College
Jaida Barrows
Quiana Daniels
Samantha Deleon
Nick Tinoco

Olympic College
Emma Johnson
Kiyrah Keith

Peninsula College
Chloe Baldino
Alex Zimpher

Pierce College – Fort Steilacoom
Vivian Llorens Hernandez
Tatyana Vashchenko

Pierce College – Puyallup Campus
Alena Withers

Seattle Central College
Kadijatou Dukureh
Khalid Mohamed
Hyunjoon Na
Karina Osma Perez

Shoreline Community College
Ali Ngamkitcharoenlap
Siu Hung Yip

Skagit Valley College - Mt. Vernon Campus
Sara Asrat
Stephanie Eerkes

Skagit Valley College - Whidbey Island Campus
Cesar Osornio Ramos

South Puget Sound Community College
Kelsey Christensen-Abel
David Stanton

South Seattle College
Luckson Lukau
Jennifer Norwood
Aellaheh Gamair Zare Khiabani

Spokane Community College
Mary Rose Beckham
Htut Myat Meddy Khin
Marilyn Smith
Mussi Tapang

Spokane Falls Community College
Natalia Petrova
Dylan Smith

Tacoma Community College
Josphine Mwangi
Madeline Sprute

Walla Walla Community College
Dylan Delange
Emmali Johnson

Wenatchee Valley College - Main Campus
Juddy Anyona

Wenatchee Valley College - Omak Campus
Tiffany Bryant

Whatcom Community College
Lisa Flick
Nakanlaya Tupsamphan

Yakima Valley College
Carlos Trejo-Perez

Washington’s public and independent four-year colleges and universities have recognized the outstanding accomplishments of the members of the All-Washington Academic Team by offering a variety scholarship support. Below is the list of the support offered to the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team members who transfer to their institutions.

College Number Offered Amount Description Contact
Public 4-Year Institutions:
Central Washington University Any $1,000 Central Washington University will offer $1,000 scholarships to any member of the 2023 All-Washington Team who enrolls in the University in fall 2023 Inti Valverde, Associate Director of Financial Aid, scholarships@cwu.edu, 509-963-3066
Eastern Washington University 1 $2,000 Eastern is offering a $2,000 scholarship to one member of the 2023 All-Washington Team to attend the university Fall 2023 through Spring 2024. If more than one team member enrolls, Eastern will determine who receives the scholarship through a competitive application process. If the recipient maintains a 3.5 cumulative GPA, the scholarship may be renewed for a second year totaling $4,000.

Eastern further encourages team members to apply for their Transfers Academic Honors Scholarship and EWU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship by applying at ewu.edu/scholarships and clicking, "Apply Now!" The complete application is due on or before Feb. 1, 2023 for the 2023-24 awards.		 Kandi Teeters, Associate Director, EWU Financial Aid Scholarship Office, kteeters@ewu.edu, 509-359-6384
The Evergreen State College Any $1,500 The Evergreen State College is offering a $1,500 scholarship to any member of the 2023 All-Washington Team who enrolls at the college. The Undergraduate Scholarship Office, UndergraduateScholar@evergreen.edu
University of Washington 10 $8,000 UW encourages team members interested in transferring to notify the university of their intentions as soon as possible. UW has awarded tuition waiver scholarships to ten All-Washington team members who transfer to the Seattle, Bothell or Tacoma campuses. Each award will have a maximum value of $8,000 and will be distributed over a two-year period ($4,000 maximum each year). Recipients must enroll in at least 12 credits each quarter and make satisfactory progress toward a degree. If more than ten team members enroll in UW, the university will determine who receives the scholarships. Carlos Williams, Office of Admissions, clwilli@u.washington.edu, 206-221-5416
Washington State University 10 $2,000 Each year, Washington State University will award scholarships to ten All-Washington Academic Team members who transfer to any of the university's campuses. The $2,000 scholarships are non-renewable. If more than ten team members enroll in WSU, the university will determine who receives the scholarships.

WSU encourages interested team members to notify Student Financial Services as soon as possible.		 Tara Sandoval, Assistant Director for Scholarships, tara.williams@wsu.edu, 509-335-9722
Western Washington University Any $2,000 Western Washington University recognizes the accomplishment of these outstanding students with a guaranteed minimum of $2,000 in combined scholarships to any 2023 All-Washington Team members who enroll in the University. Cezar Mesquita, Director of Admissions, cezar.mesquita@wwu.edu, 360-650-4350
Private 4-Year Institutions:
Gonzaga University 3 $7,000-$20,500 Gonzaga University will consider all 2023 All-Washington Academic Team members for merit scholarships ranging from $13,000-$24,000. In addition, any student who has achieved Phi Theta Kappa recognition will receive an additional $3,000. Jim White, Dean of Student Financial Aid, whitej@gonzaga.edu, 509-313-6568
Pacific Lutheran University 5 $1,000 Pacific Lutheran University is offering up to five $1,000 scholarships to 2023 All-Washington Academic Team members who enroll at the university. If more than five members enroll, PLU will determine who receives the scholarships. Ayla Roberts, Director of Financial Aid, robertag@plu.edu, 253-535-7164
Saint Martin's University Any $5,000 Saint Martin's University will offer $5,000 scholarships ($2,500 per year) to any All-Washington Academic Team member who enrolls at the university. In addition, Saint Martin's offers scholarships of $1,000 for PTK members who have completed an associates degree or have junior standing. Patricia Lemon, Director of Admissions, plemon@stmartin.edu, 360-688-2104
Seattle University Any Varies Members of Phi Theta Kappa are eligible for a $1500 scholarship (in addition to any merit scholarship already being received) and an application fee waiver. Transfer students who complete an admissions application to Seattle University are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships.
*Please note: This is general scholarship consideration available to all transfer students who apply at Seattle University.		 Kari Berkas, Assistant Director of Admissions – Transfer Recruitment, berkask@seattleu.edu, 206-296-5811
University of Puget Sound 3 $2,000 The University of Puget Sound is proud to offer a $2,000 scholarship to each current All-Washington Academic Team member who enrolls at Puget Sound. The scholarship will be granted in addition to any other academic scholarships the student might receive, and will be renewable for up to a maximum of ten semesters, provided that the student maintains full-time enrollment and meets the guidelines for satisfactory academic progress. Interested students are encouraged to notify the University of their intentions as soon as possible. Torri Henson, Associate Director of Admission & Transfer Admission Coordinator, thenson@pugetsound.edu, 253-879-3608
Whitman College 5 $2,500 Whitman College is offering five $2,500 scholarships to 2023 All-Washington Academic Team members who enroll at Whitman. If more than five team members enroll, the college will determine who receives the scholarships. Karri Mickelson, Associate Director, mickelka@whitman.edu, 509-526-4782
Whitworth University 3 See Description All-Washington Academic Team members enrolling at Whitworth for 2023-24 are guaranteed a University Scholarship of $16,000-$30,000 per year, a $4,000 housing grant (toward tuition) for students living on campus, a $1,000 Visit Scholarship for students who complete a full-day/overnight visit event and a $1,500/year PTK Scholarship for students who are active PTK members for at least one full year prior to transferring to Whitworth. Greg Orwig, VP of Admission and Financial Aid, gorwig@whitworth.edu, 509-777-4580

Student Photo & Bio Requirements

Each community and technical college with a student on the 2023 All-Washington Team is asked to provide a photograph and short bio of their students for the recognition ceremony booklet.

Bios and photo submission deadline is Friday March 10, 2023. Submit via the All-Washington Academic Team Student Bios form. Bios should be approximately 75 words. Photos should be high resolution and include only the student.

Deadlines & Important Dates

December 1 - Nominee applications due to PTK National
March 10 - All student bios and photos due to SPSCC via web form
March - PTK notifies state nominees of national ranking
March - PTK announces Washington's New Century Scholar
March- National team announced on USA-Today
April 1-4 - AACC Convention in Denver, CO
April 27 - All-Washington Academic Team Recognition Ceremony
October 9-12 - ACCT Leadership Congress in Las Vegas, NV

The Ceremony

Members of the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team will be honored in a recognition ceremony on April 27, 2023 at South Puget Sound Community College at 12 p.m. Medallions, certificates, programs and scholarship checks will be handed out to the team members in attendance. Those not able to attend will have their medallions, certificates, programs, and scholarship checks mailed to the team members' respective school.

New Century Scholar

The student receiving the highest All-USA Academic Team application score in each state is named a New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar or a New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar. Students nominated for the Workforce Pathway should be planning to enter the workforce after completing a certificate or associate degree, and students nominated for the Transfer Pathway should be planning to transfer to the four-year college after graduation.

The program annually recognizes 100 Scholars. Each New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar receives special recognition at the Association of Community College Trustees Congress. Each New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar receives special recognition at the American Association of Community Colleges Convention.

You can address your questions about the All-Washington Academic Team Program and Ceremony to:
Kelly Green, Executive Community Relations Officer, SPSCC

Related News

  • All-WA seal that reads "All-Washington Academic Team: Community Technical College and Phi Theta Kappa Society"

    All-WA Ceremony 2023

    SPSCC invites the entire state of Washington to celebrate the 27th annual All-Washington (All-WA) Academic Team Ceremony. The All-WA ceremony will honor 75 students from the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.

    All-WA Ceremony 2023
  • All-WA 2023 scholars Kelsey Christensen-Abel and David Stanton

    Meet SPSCC's 2023 All-WA Scholars

    SPSCC announced its two students being recognized as members of the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team: Kelsey Christensen-Abel and David Stanton. Kelsey and David will be honored at a ceremony recognizing this year’s top students from the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.

    Meet SPSCC's 2023 All-Washington Scholars