Student Success Stories

All-Washington Teamer, high school valedictorian has high praise for Centralia College

One of Centralia College's two students named to the All-Washington Academic team credits the college's counseling staff for helping her set her career goals. Lindsey Hoogkamer is a local product who entered Centralia College directly from high school without concrete plans but soon found her educational and career niche. She brings solid academic skills and enthusiasm to her efforts which helped her earn All-Washington status. She is also nominated for national recognition on the All-USA Today Academic Team.

The All-Washington recognition ceremony takes place March 20, beginning at noon, at South Puget Sound Community College. Visit www.spscc.ctc.edu/allwa/ for further information on the event.

Hoogkamer is a lifelong Winlock resident, who completed high school as a Cardinal, was class valedictorian in 2006, and continued a family tradition of attending Centralia College. "Both my parents graduated from Centralia College," she smiled, "and so did my brother and sister before they got degrees at four-year colleges." Hoogkamer was undecided about her future academic goals when she arrived, but felt leanings toward psychology and social sciences. Her positive experience with the counseling corps at Centralia College confirmed her decision.

"I really came here without any concrete future plans," she confided, "but the counselors here helped me learn about my options and helped me chart a path that I am enthusiastic about." Hoogkamer hopes to enter a career in counseling to help other students make positive life decisions. "My choice of Centralia College for my first two years was easy," she said. "From my family I already knew it had a top academic reputation, the faculty was simply great, and I would save a lot of money for my degree studies in the future." Hoogkamer plans to transfer to Western Washington University at Bellingham for her baccalaureate studies.

Writer-in-waiting joins All-Washington Team

One of the two All-Washington Academic Team members from Centralia College is Joseph Robinson, a native of Monck's Corner, South Carolina, a small town in the Charleston metro area. During a period of hard times in the deep south, Robinson dropped out of school and eventually earned his GED. He is one of two to be honored as Centralia College representatives on the All-Washington team and is nominated for the national All-USA Today Academic Team. He, and representatives from 33 other two-year colleges, will be honored March 20 during ceremonies at South Puget Sound Community College, beginning at noon.

In 2003 he came to the Pacific Northwest to visit his dad, and decided to stay. "I got a job as a cowboy on a small ranch, but that really didn't work for me," Robinson grinned. Before long he had found his way to the Lewis County area at the time he realized he would need college training to achieve even his most modest goals. "I started in a technical program," he explained. "I am taking Marketing Management because I felt that would be a good degree to have from an employment perspective."

Robinson confessed that college was rather overwhelming after being away for a while, but he credited the Centralia College faculty with helping him adapt and prosper in an educational setting. "I guess I had to develop an appreciation for college," he reflected. When finished here he will transfer to The Evergreen State College. Politically active, Robinson has determined to become a writer. "It's an important part of democracy," he maintains. "I would like to be good enough to write about whatever field I find myself working in, and be able to support what I think are good ideas through my writing." In the long term, Robinson hopes to enjoy the stability of a family, and to look back on a lifetime body of work he would consider meaningful.

STEM student Sean Wylam succeeds at Centralia College, UW

Sean Wylam now has the kind of job he has long-dreamed about: he's turning his training into a career in computer technology and is writing code for a software company. While many may dream of writing code for games, Wylam is working for, TransCore, a company on the cutting edge of transportation technology. "It's a strong field with a tremendous amount of opportunity," he said. "Transportation is critical to so many aspects of our lives." He added that so much of the society in which we live is in some way tied to computers. The company he works for is developing programs to make areas of transportation more efficient. [Note: Wylam is considered a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) student. The state is placing an emphasis on STEM students to help fill voids in the number of graduates in these areas.]

Wylam, a Centralia College Running Start student who earned his Associate in Science degree and his high school diploma in 2004, received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington in 2007. He has a minor in Spanish. He is quick to compliment Centralia College for the quality education he received here and the faculty who made a lasting impression on him. "I can look back my education at Centralia College and compare the experiences at both schools. The classes and the teachers at Centralia College were every bit as good as my professors at the UW," said Wylam. "I enjoyed the classes, the teachers, and the social life at Centralia College. Because of my experience and the education I received, I was prepared when I went to the University of Washington. It was a smooth transition."

One of the positives that moved Wylam through the educational system more quickly was the fact that he was able to seamlessly transfer his credits from Centralia College. He wanted to attend the UW because of the quality reputation of its electrical engineering department and taking the first two years while living at home saved a lot of money on living expenses and tuition costs. Through Running Start, he paid no tuition.

Wylam said he considered himself shy while in Centralia High School. "Coming to Centralia College helped open me up a little. I was able to talk to classmates and teachers made it easier to connect. My college experience began on a very positive note." Wylam, while attending Centralia College, was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the college's honor society.

He appreciates the quality of his time at Centralia College for other reasons as well. "The experiences here were different, much more personal. I really liked the smaller classes because I could ask questions and communicate with other students. I learn better in a small class environment," said Wylam. And the Spanish? "It is more of a personal thing for me." It probably isn't tied too closely to his major but then who knows, with his skills he may open up a whole new world for transportation engineering.

Ashley Dougherty

Although she only received her high school diploma a year ago, Ashley Dougherty of Onalaska is already in her third year of college and has her sights set on a career in business and marketing. A native of Mesa, Arizona, Dougherty moved to Lewis County while an eighth-grader. She's always been home schooled, but did participate in band and choir at Onalaska High School. Dougherty came to Centralia College as a "Running Start" program student. She earned her diploma and her Associate in Arts degree simultaneously last year.

While she was eligible to transfer to a four-year university last fall, Dougherty opted to come back to Centralia College for at least another year. "I wanted to get all the basic business and marketing classes I could before I transfer," she explained. "I get an excellent education here at a fraction of the cost. With this background," Dougherty continued, "I can probably get an MBA at a university for the same cost and effort as a bachelor's would take if I had transferred earlier."

That's the kind of thinking that has helped Dougherty excel in her studies and earned her a scholarship for her third year at Centralia College. She's already thinking about her options when she graduates with a full degree. "My most likely first venture would be my own business," she explained. "Right now, I think it might be a smaller coffee shop or something while I gain practical experience and try a few ideas I have." Dougherty acknowledges her choices could change as her studies continue. "Right now I work part-time at Staples," she said. "That is giving me a lot of really practical experience now, and I get to meet a lot of people like me, but who've already started their own businesses and are succeeding."

Dougherty considers her extended work at Centralia College a personal asset. "It's been awesome for me," she smiled. "Several friends came here when I did, and my circle of friends at Centralia College has grown. I put in a lot of hard work during the past couple of years here, but when I look back, that isn't what I remember. I remember the fun, the learning, and the opportunity." In her limited spare time, Dougherty enjoys photography, hiking, Onalaska Young Life, and anything outdoors.