Congratulations, 2025 All-Washington Academic Team Members
Centralia College has named four students to the 2025 All-Washington Academic Team. They are being recognized formally at a ceremony at noon Thursday, April 24, at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia.
The event will be streamed live via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/0U6NR6k9ZH4.
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Ava Brenner, 19, of Centralia, is finishing her nursing degree at Centralia College and plans to attend the University of Washington this fall to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She ultimately wants to work as a nurse in pediatric oncology or in pediatric intensive care. Her desire to become a nurse stemmed from her own medical experiences as a child and a desire to care for others as she was. She is active on campus in the Nursing Club and as a speech tutor, and volunteers at her church. |
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Ian Engle, 33, of Centralia, is finishing his associate degree in computer and information sciences and hopes to go right into the workforce as a software engineer after graduation. Engle came to Centralia College after his job ended. He qualified for the Worker Retraining program and set out to secure a career doing what he’s always loved – working with computers and helping improve lives with technology. |
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Kitty Starr, 28, of Centralia, is finishing her associate degree in mechatronics with the goal of going right into the workforce as a mechatronics technician after graduation. She is a single mother of a daughter and a first-generation college graduate. She ultimately hopes to work at Columbia/Okura, a Vancouver-based company that engineers custom robotic systems for manufacturing, and eventually earn her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. |
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Daniel Turner, 38, of Toledo, is finishing his degree in computer and information sciences and plans to transfer for further study. He ultimately wants to earn an advanced degree in computers and launch his own startup offering full-stack application development services. While serving in the military, he implemented a digital communication platform in his unit that improved efficiency and communication and was shared with other units. This experience got him thinking about the digital divide in the civilian world and the need for basic digital literacy. |
Each will receive a medallion and a $225 scholarship from KeyBank. The top 16 students, as ranked by PTK and announced at the ceremony on Thursday, will receive an additional $750 from WSECU, and the top three will receive an additional $1,000 from the Washington State Association of College Trustees. Additionally, students who choose to attend Washington State four-year colleges and universities are eligible to receive transfer scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $12,000.
The All-Washington Academic Team program recognizes and honors the state's finest higher education students. To qualify for the All-Washington Academic Team, students must be part of the Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. All-Washington Academic Team members will also be ranked at a national level, with a chance to be included in the All-USA Academic Team.