Skagit Valley College students, Sara Asrat, Stephanie Eerkes, and Cesar Osornio Ramos were named to the 2023 All-Washington Academic Team. They were honored at the 27th annual ceremony that was held on April 27 at South Puget Sound Community College.

The annual All-Washington Academic Team Ceremony provides an opportunity for community and technical college students to be recognized for their academic achievements and community involvement.

This year’s team included 75 students from the transfer and workforce pathways representing the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.

In his proclamation, Governor Jay Inslee invited everyone in our state to observe April 27, 2023, as All-Washington Academic Day.

Sara Asrat of the Mount Vernon campus is majoring in Psychology and maintains a 3.83 GPA. Asrat has overcome many obstacles in life and hopes to use her past hardships to help and inspire others. She is an active member and president of SVC’s Theta Upsilon’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. During her time at SVC, Asrat has been involved in various campus activities such as the Skagit Valley Health and Wellness Fair, a turkey drive for families in need, Southeast and Pacific Asian Club’s Bhangra event, and the PTK’s fundraising garage sale. After SVC, Asrat plans to transfer to the University of Washington with a goal of earning her doctorate and working as a research psychologist.

Stephanie Eerkes of the Mount Vernon campus is a Humanities major and maintains a 3.96 GPA. In high school, Eerkes endured a series of hardships which eventually led to homelessness. As a single mother, she worked multiple jobs to get by. Art has always been her passion from a young age. She enjoyed reading art history books while dreaming of seeing the art in person one day. When her children grew older, she decided to go back to school. While at SVC, she worked in the Writing Center helping other students while learning leadership and teaching skills. Eerkes graduated last fall with an associate’s degree and is currently studying Archaeological Sciences and Art History at the University of Washington with a goal of earning her doctorate in Classical Archeology and working in art conservation. As a first-generation college graduate, she hopes her educational journey inspires her three children to work hard and accomplish their goals in life.

Cesar Osornio Ramos of the Whidbey Island campus is a Biological and Biomedical Science major and maintains a 3.57 GPA. He moved to the U.S. when he was 16 years old and has overcome many language barriers. He is the first in his family to attend college. Ramos recently participated in the Latino Leadership Initiative where he developed a project focused on helping the Latinx community. He is currently involved in undergraduate research focused on biology. With a strong interest in human biology, Ramos plans to transfer to the University of Washington to continue his studies in biology with the goal of attending medical school and becoming a radiologist.

During the All-Washington ceremony, Asrat, Eerkes, and Ramos were recognized with $250 scholarships from KeyBank.

The All-Washington Academic Team has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges because it honors the academic high achievers who have demonstrated a commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities where they live. In addition, it demonstrates the state’s commitment to scholarship and community service on the part of those attending the state’s public community and technical colleges.

PTK, the international honor society for two-year colleges, symbolizes excellence in higher education and a commitment to students. PTK has recognized and encouraged scholarship among two-year college students for more than 100 years by providing enrichment while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. For these reasons, the American Association of Community Colleges has designated PTK as the official honor society for two-year colleges.

The All-Washington Academic Team program is sponsored by the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Washington State Association of College Trustees, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and PTK. Longtime major sponsor KeyBank provided $250 scholarships to all of the students on this year’s team.